“King Richard, late mercifully reigning upon us.. was slain and murdered to the great heaviness of this city”
(York City Council Books – entered the day after Bosworth)
Middleham Castle
I have just finished reading a book about Anne Neville and Richard, Duke of Gloucester and so was inspired to find out more about a location connected to both these characters, Middleham Castle.
The present day castle, in the county of North Yorkshire, was built by Robert Fitzrandolph and commenced in 1190 during the reign of Henry II. He built the keep and original bailey.
The keep had 12 foot thick walls and three floors, one of the grandest for its time. According to Middleham online, it contained “a great chamber, large kitchen, chapel, dovecot, cellars and the living rooms of the lord of Middleham.”
In the 13th century the castle came into the hands of the Neville family. Most notably it was the home of Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick, remembered by history as the “kingmaker” for his influence during the Wars of the Roses.
George, Duke of Clarence and Richard, Duke of Gloucester both lived at Middleham under Warwick’s care.
The Gatehouse Middleham Castle
This was also the location of Edward IV’s brief imprisonment at the hands of the Earl of Warwick in 1469.
After the Earl’s death at Barnet in 1471, Richard, Duke of Gloucester married Anne Neville, Warwick’s youngest daughter.
Middleham Castle became their home and was where their son, Edward of Middleham, Prince of Wales, was born in c. 1473 and died in March or April of 1484.
After Richard’s death at the Battle of Bosworth Field, the castle fell into royal hands and under the Tudors was left to fall into disrepair. It was eventually sold during the reign of James I.
Stone from the ruins of this great castle were used to build many of the houses in the town.
The ruins are now in the care of English Heritage and “Although roofless, extensive remains of the fortified palace still survive, making Middleham a fascinating castle to explore.”
According to The Heritage Trail
“Originally, entry was gained via an eastern gatehouse across a wooden bridge, or possibly even a drawbridge over a moat (now dry). However, the present entrance to Middleham Castle is through a three-storey, northern gatehouse with a passageway at ground level. Confronted by such an elaborate structure, with huge wooden gates and, at one time, a portcullis, it must have represented a splendid first impression of wealth and power.”
I think the ruins look magical and still reflect the castle’s original magnificence and grandeur. One can only imagine the plotting and scheming that the castle walls were privy to during the Wars of the Roses.
Click here for a self-guided, interactive tour of Middleham Castle.
If you have difficulty imagining what this mighty castle might have been like in the 15th century then you should watch Middleham Castle: A royal residence. This DVD contains a magnificent computerised reconstruction of what the castle would have looked like in all its splendour. See the castle as Richard III saw it! Here is the trailer:
Fast Tube by Casper
Visit ‘Loyalty binds me‘ for more information on this DVD.
For more information on visiting the castle ruins visit English Heritage here.
Sources: http://www.theheritagetrail.co.uk/castles/middleham%20castle.htm http://www.middlehamonline.com/page4.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middleham_Castle http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/middleham-castle/
I went here many years ago when we stay in north yorkshire one xmas, unfortunately is was closed. It was in a field close by this castle that a large saphire ring was unearthed by someone metal detecting, in the 1980s, originating from around this ere, I think, a yorkshire museum paid over £2million to aquire it to keep it in this country. Amazing.