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, neither of which are particularly visible to the naked eye. A tower house was built in the 14th century which was on the same site and surrounded by the earlier earthworks that encompass some 2-3 acres of land.

Norman Castle at Whorlton

Whorlton, like much of the north Riding, was held by the Count of Mortain as tenant-in-chief. It was held from the Count by the de .Meinell family [various spellings]. It is thought that this family constructed the Motte and Bailey castle and a wide ranging series of earthworks that enveloped not only the castle but the village that grew at its side.

Victoria County History suggests the scope of the Motte and Bailey Castle at Whorlton:

Whorlton Castle, the stronghold of the Meynells, occupies a striking position at the end of the steep spur of the Cleveland Hills. The ground slopes on the north side to the Leven Valley, and the site is backed by the high summits which flank the entrance to Scugdale. The castle is of the ‘mount and bailey’ type, and its earthworks were probably thrown up not long after the Conquest. These earthworks cover 3 or 4 acres, and some outer works possibly inclosed the ‘burgus’ or town which usually grew up under a castle. Like other strongholds of this type, its buildings and defences were at first of wood.

Masonry Castle at Whorlton

The date at which the original timber buildings were converted into stone ones is unknown. It is possible that parts of the cellars of some later builds, and sections of the Gatehouse, predate the 14th century tower house. Otherwise all of the remaining masonry dates from the 14th century onwards.

Gatehouse at Whorlton Castle

The external measurements of the Gate House at Whorlton are 58 feet by 33 feet. The walls range from 5 feet thick to 7 feet thick. The walls range in height from 20 feet adjacent to the moat to 28 feet within the bailey: as the land is lower inside than at the location of the gatehouse.

The Tower House

This stood on top of the Norman Motte which extends 60 metres by 50 metres across. Little is known about the size or design of the 14th century construction as its stones were taken away for use in building a church in the Stuart era.

Video Tour of Whorlton Village, Church and Castle

Whorlton Castle in the 15th Century

At the start of the 15th century Whorlton was held by the Darcy family. The last Darcy lord of Whorlton was Philip Darcy, who died in 1419. His heir was his daughter, Elizabeth, who had married Sir James Strangeways of Harsley Castle. This brought the castle, manor and village into the Strangeways family. It remained being hekd by them until 1541 when it reverted to the Crown following the line dying out.

Sir James Strangeways (1452-1521) held Whorlton and Harsely as part of his estate. He was a prominent member of the Yorkshire gentry and was selected as Speaker of the Commons by the first of Edward IV‘s parliaments. He had previously been called as an MP during the reign of Henry VI and had been appointed as High Sheriff of Yorkshire in 1446, 1453 and again under Edward IV in 1469.

Whorlton Castle Links

Historic England – Official Listing of the site. With a separate entry for the Gatehouse and an entry in the heritage at risk register.

Heritage Gateway – Description of the site with a selection of suggested sources.

Gatehouse Gazetteer – Description and suggested sources about the castle.

CastleUk.net – brief entry on the history of Whorlton Castle.

Yorkshire Moors – overview of the history of the castle and the impact of the Black Death on the neighbouring village.

Whorlton Benefice – history of the medieval church in Whorlton.

Featured Image

Whorton Castle. By Prioryman – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia.