Countess of Warwick takes flight to Beaulieu
In 1471 Anne Beauchamp Countess of Warwick felt the need to take refuge in Beaulieu Abbey in the New Forest. Her plans to meet her daughter and the Lancastrian royal family had been thrown into…
Northallerton and Bishop Rufus Palace
Northallerton is in the North Riding of York, roughly half way between the major medieval ecclesiastical seats of York and Durham. The Manor was held, most of the time, by the Prince-Bishops of Durham. They…
Maiden Bower and Cock Lodge at Topcliffe
Maiden Bower and Cock Lodge at Topcliffe are two sites linked to the Percy family, who were Earls of Northumberland. The site, to the north north east of Ripon, was an administrative based and home…
Ravensworth Castle, North Yorkshire
Ravensworth Castle, North Yorkshire, was built for Henry, 3rd Lord Fitzhugh in the late 14th century. Ravensworth is also home to a walled hunting park, for which a licence was granted in 1391. The Fitzhugh…
Upsall Castle
Upsall bought by the Scrope family in 1327, with the family holding it into the Tudor era. A Castle is thought to have been built in the Norman era, with suggestions but little evidence that…
Wilton Castle
Wilton Castle in the North Riding of York [now in Cleveland and Redcar] was developed by Roger de Bulmer. He was granted a licence to crenellate his home in Wilton in 1330. The castle was…
Polychromy and England’s externally painted Medieval Cathedrals and Churches
Many of England’s Medieval Churches and Cathedrals were once adourned with brightly coloured exteriors. Studies of the Polychromy shows that these include the painting of friezes and statues to illuminate the key messages from biblical…
Castle Hill, Almondbury. Yorkshire
Castle Hill, Almondbury, was originally an ironage hillfort. In the 12th century King Stephen granted permission for the construction of a stone castle on the site. This castle was accompanied by a village that remained…
Snape Castle
Snape Castle was built on the site of a former manor house c1430 for George Neville, 1st Lord Latimer. The site was later held by lease by Richard as duke and King, leading to it…
Whorlton Castle
Whorlton Castle was at first a Norman era Motte and Bailey castle. It was later developed with the construction of a 14th century tower house. The original ste was accompanied by the Holy Cross Church,…