Sheriff Hutton Castle was built by John Lord Neville of Raby following the granting of a licence by Richard II in 1382. A large quadrangular castle, it was constructed 10 miles to the north, north east of York. This provided the Neville family with a strong base close to the administrative and economic base within York. Sheriff Hutton was later used as an administrative centre by Richard duke of Gloucester, and was one of two locations at which the Council of the North was based. 

Origins of Sheriff Hutton Castle

The first castle to be built at Sheriff Hutton was constructed in the 12th century, probably by Bertram de Bulmer in 1140. This castle lay 500 metres away from the later quadrangular castle built in the 14th century. Evidence is visible of the extent of this castle.

Built towards the end of the ‘motte and bailey’ era it comprised an inner ward that was 20 metres square. Around this structure are substantial ramparts. These measure 50 metres by 40 metres. The eastern rampart sloped down into the inner ward and was wider that the other earthworks. The western side of the ramparts incorporated the entrance into inner parts of the castle. This rampart is the highest, to improve the defence of the entrance. 3 sides of the fortification had a ditch adjacent to the outside of the rampart. Beyond the ditch, on the western side, was an outer bailey the extent of which is marked by further earthworks.

As such the site is more of a keep and bailey structure with no evidence of an earlier style motte being constructed. It is possible that the site was used because of earlier earthworks but this has not been confirmed. The church in Sheriff Hutton is close to the site of this courtyard style castle and dates to 1110 which would suggest that the site was being used in some capacity at that time, with additions made some years later.

The 1382 Licence to Crenellate

John Lord Neville of Raby was granted permission to crenellate at Sheriff Hutton by King Richard II in 1382, though work on the building may have begun prior to the licence being issued. Built on higher ground some 500 metres away from the earlier castle, it dominated edge of the Vale of York and approaches from the north.

Lord Neville’s castle was built with comfort and prestige in mind as much as defensive capabilities. The gatehouse into the inner ward, added in the early 15th century, has no portcullis for example. It could also be bypassed through use of a doorway built into the southern range.

Along with the castle itself, the layout of which is described below, was another substantial structure. Descriptions of the site and archaeological evidence show that a second structure, with earthworks, was built where Castle Farm now stands. This was a large building which appears to have functioned as accomodation for staff, a barracks and guardroom, and a place in which workshops and stores would be located.

Writing in the 1530’s John Leland was full of praise for Sheriff Hutton Castle. Whilst by that time it had been slightly modified, the core structure remained as set out under John Lord Neville in the 14th century.

I saw no house in the north so much like the palace of a prince.

John Leland, Itineraries

The Percy-Neville feud

Sheriff Hutton was one of the Neville families primary residences and administrative centres. Situated 10 miles to the north of York it was close to not only Neville held manors but within proximity of many Percy landholdings: Topcliffe is only 19 miles away, for example. Therefore when disputes between the Neville and Percy families became violent, Sheriff Hutton was at the heart of the feud.

It was to Sheriff Hutton that the Neville family were travelling when confronted by Lord Egremont at Heworth Moor in August 1453. In October of the same year the Neville’s arrayed their retainers at Sheriff Hutton and marched on the Percy manor of Topcliffe. Though numbers are impossible to ascertain it seems likely that both families had assembled a sizeable force: and on this occasion the heads of both families, the earls of Salisbury and Northumberland, were present. At Topcliffe there was no fighting, a standoff resulted in an uneasy peace being negotiated.

A year later it was from Sheriff Hutton that a Neville retinue intercepted a Percy band at Stamford Bridge, capturing Lord Egremont and a short time later Richard Percy, who were taken north to Middleham as captives.

Sheriff Hutton had proved its value as a centre for planing and array. A function that was to continue into the Wars of the Roses and beyond.

Sheriff Hutton in the Wars of the Roses

As one of the Neville families primary residences and estates Sheriff Hutton had a major role in the planning and executing of campaigns within the Wars of the Roses. This continued following the death of the Earl of Warwick and Marquess of Montagu at Barnet, with the castle and estates passing to Richard duke of Gloucester.

It’s importance to the Neville family was clear from the beginning of the conflict. The Coventry Parliament of 1459 [the Parliament of Devils] awarded Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland, a revenue of £237 per annum from the Sheriff Hutton estates. Though this was never collected and paid to the Percy family, it demonstrates that the site’s Neville links were sufficient for it to be targetted via legal orders in favour of their foes, the Percy family of Northumberland.

Following the Battle of Towton the castle and estates at Sheriff Hutton were used by the Earl of Warwick as a base where operations against the Lancastrian enclave in the north east could be directed from. Though distant from the Northumberland coast, it’s proximity to York made it a valuable location for such work.

Similarly in 1470 when the Earl of Warwick and Duke of Clarence planned the uprisings in Yorkshire that would take place alongside their invasion in the south, Sheriff Hutton was used as one of the places where plans were formulated. Neville retainers used sites such as Sheriff Hutton and Middleham to discuss their plans.

Following the defeat of the Earl of Warwick and the Lancastrians at Barnet and Tewkesbury, Sheriff Hutton was granted to Richard duke of Gloucester. He was awarded the Neville castles of Sheriff Hutton and Middleham on 14 July 1471, becoming some of the first of many manors, castles, and estates that he would acquire as he established himself as ‘Lord of the North’.

Council of the North

As King Richard III, he chose Sheriff Hutton and Sandal Castles to be the administrative bases at which the Council of the North would convene. At this time many royal estates contributed financially to the cost of the Council of the North. Sheriff Hutton, however, was not required to pay such a fee. Instead its revenues were used in part to fund annuities. These amounted to £350 per annum from the Sheriff Hutton accounts and were an important part of the King’s system of continued patronage for those who had close reationships with him from his time as the dominant lord in the north. Staff from the Sheriff Hutton estate were also employed to work for and sit on the Council of the North. For example, Geoffrey Frank was a prinicpal servant of the estate under Richard as duke of Gloucester, then had a seat on the Council of the North for whom he undertook administrative work.

1485: Sheriff Hutton as a safe haven for the House of York

When it became evident that Henry Tudor would be launching an invasion of England, Richard III chose Sheriff Hutton as the place in which to keep many members of his family safe. It was to this castle that key members of the House of York were sent. His illegitimate son, John of Gloucester, already had ties to the castle through his role on the Council of the North. Richard also sent his niece, Elizabeth of York, and his nephew, Edward earl of Warwick, to Sheriff Hutton for safety whilst the military campaigns unfolded.

It is not particularly surprising that following victory at Bosworth, Henry VII dispatched men under Robert Willoughby to Sheriff Hutton to take possession of not only the castle but also of those members of the House of York, including his future wife. Securing the custody of Edward earl of Warwick was perhaps seen as critical at this time. Not only did he have a potential claim to the throne, albeit technically barred by his fathers attainder, but rumours noted in ‘The Spanish Account’ suggested that the Earl of Northumberland was thought to be planning to support an immediate uprising in favour of the young earl. [see page 39 of Pollard, A J North Eastern England during the Wars of the Roses. Clarendon Press, Oxford for details of the Spanish Account].

Castle design and developments

Sheriff Hutton is a quadrangulat structure. Each corner is defended by a tower roughly 30 metres in height. Two of the ranges are straight walls. The other two are obtuse, with the centre of the walls protuding outwards. The gatehouse for the castle is built into the eastern range of the castle. This gatehouse was added in the early 15th century.

The towers at Sheriff Hutton were 3 or 4 storeys high. The highest status accomodation is believed to have been in the south-western tower as this has larger windows in the upper floors and higher ceilings. Each storey in these towers was equipped with a toilet, so effort was made to ensure that the castle was comfortable to live in as well as a formidable structure.

Sandstone for dressing the rubble walls was quarried locally, at Terrington. The original design included an inner and outer bailey, both defended by curtain walls. Sheriff Hutton Castle is thought to have been designed by the master mason John Llweyn. Llweyn had designed other castles in Yorkshire at this time, such as Castle Bolton, which have many similarities to the construction at Sheriff Hutton.

Sheriff Hutton in the Tudor Era

The Yorkshire Uprisings of 1487 saw Sheriff Hutton used by rebels as one of the places at which they met before marching south. A band of 200 men gathered at the estate. Joining others they marched as far south as Doncaster, before returning north.

Following the killing of Henry Percy 4th Earl of Northumberland at Topcliffe in 1487 as part of the revolts against taxes, King Henry VII needed to establish control over the region and Sheriff Hutton as it remained a home of the Council of the North. In 1489 he chose a man who had previously been loyal to King Richard III, Thomas Howard, earl of Surrey. Whilst this may seem a strange choice it placated some who retained Yorkist sympathies and Howard himself had no previous ties to the region so had not been involved in any previous unrest in Yorkshire.

 

Henry Fitzroy, Duke of Richmond and Somerset

Henry VIII granted Sheriff Hutton to his illegitimate son, Henry Fitzroy, Duke of Richmond and Somerset. Fitzroy used the estate and castle as a palace. The site was used as a regional administrative centre as well as occasionally hosting the Council of the North at the same time as being the Duke’s palace. This saw the castle having a staff of 142 for its upkeep and administrative roles, plus the Duke having 100 of his own servants housed within the estate.

Upon Henry Fitzroy’s death in 1536 Sheriff Hutton reverted to the Crown. The Council of the North was soon relocated to York and afterwards the castle and estate grandually fell into disrepair. Later in the 16th century the lead from the roofs at Sheriff Hutton was removed and sold. This left the castle vulnerable to the elements and by the time of the English Civil Wars it was considered unusable as a defensive site and not included in Parliaments survey of castles and fortifications.

Sheriff Hutton Castle Links

Sheriff Hutton Castle – Official website for the castle and it’s events and accomodation offerings.

Historic England – Official Listing for Sheriff Hutton Castle.

Historic England – Buildings at Risk register entry for the castle.

Heritage Gateway – Description of the site, it’s history, and sources about the castles history.

Archaeology Data Services -Dennison, E. (1998). Archaeological and architectural Survey Sheriff Hutton Castle. Ed Dennison Archaeological Services Ltd.

Gatehouse Gazetteer – sources about Sheriff Hutton Castle.

Gatehouse Gazetteer – Sheriff Hutton Ringworks. Information about the defensive structures at Sheriff Hutton prior to the construction of the 14th century castle by John Neville.

Yorkshire.com – tourist information for the village and local area.

Genuki – Sheriff Hutton Parish information from Bulmers’ 1890.

Featured Image

Sheriff Hutton Castle. By Shaunconway – Own work, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia