The Castle Guide – a selection of castles from around the UK

Workington Hall

Workington Hall is a large derelict manion, mostly of the 18th/19th century, but containing a tower house of the 14th century and extensions of the 15th and 16th. It was abandoned and sold to the local council, then deroofed. Today it is in a public park, but fenced off for safety reasons.

WorletonCastle

Worleton or Doghill, e/w of moated manorial site ?C14 of Bishops of Llandaff

Worton Hall

Worton Hall is a privately occupied C17 house with a tower at one end of similar date and bears a datestone of 1600. This is believed to be on the site of an earlier manor however 505 metres to the north-west is a platform that is conceivably defensive in nature.

Wrae Castle

Wrae Tower, ruin of C16 tower of the Tweedies probably abandoned C17, and in ruins C18

Wraysholme Tower Lower Allithwaite

Wraysholme Tower Lower Allithwaite is a C15 tower house which formed part of the vanished Wraysholme Hall (now gone) and is within a working farm with no public access. It is however visible from the road behind the modern farmhouse.

Wreaths Tower

Wreaths Tower, ruins of C16 tower of the Douglases later occupied by Maxwells &? abandoned C18

Wressle Castle

Wressle Castle is a substantial ruined quadrangular courtyard castle of the C14 and C15. Sat within a reactangular ditch it was a principal castle of the Percy family foir much of its life. It was part demolished by order of Parliament in the 1640s the remaining wing succumbing to a fire in 1796. It is in private ownership but open to the publuic a few times a year.

Yafforth Howe Hill

Yafforth Howe Hill is a small motte and bailey erected on a natural knoll surrounded by fields. The castle is dated to the 12th century by default but there is no known history to the site. There is no public access but it can be seen from the public road some 250 metres away.

Yanwath Hall

Yanwath Hall is a long private residence with a tower house at onie end dating from the 15th century or earlier. The original hall block is later but maybe 15th century, and was reworked in the 17th century, with additional buildings forming a courtyard behind being added later.

Yester Castle

Yester Castle and Goblin Ha', ruins of C13-15 castle of Giffords & Hays abandoned C16; vaulted undercroft occupied to C18

Ynyscrug Castle

Ynyscrug Castle, scant e/w remain of motte & bailey largely destroyed by railway & road building

York Abbey

York Abbey was a Benedictine monastery founded in the C11. There are numerous buildings that survive including the Gatehouse and Abbots House (now King's Manor) which overall served as a palace complex. Although the inside of the buildings is off limits there is free access to the grounds.

York Archbishops Palace

York Archbishops Palace was the substantial palace of the archbishops but fell out of use at the Reformation and has mostly now disappeared. Only that building known as the chapel survives and is in use as the Minster Library.

York Baile Hill

York Baile Hill is the remaining part of an earth and timber castle built on the west bank of the River Ouse in the 1060s at the order of William the Conqueror. It remained in use into the 12th century with buildings on top of the motte but it then fell into disrepair and was later incorporated into the city defences in 1322. There is no trace of the bailey which lay to the south-west.

York Castle

York Castle is a substantial C11 motte and two baileys that was refortified in stone in the C13 the principal remains of which include the quatrefoil shell keep of Cliffords Tower on top of the motte a section of curtain wall and two mural towers. It fell out of use and was substantially rebuilt in the C17 and later repurposed as part of the county prison. Tody it is open as a toursit attraction with an excellent museum.

Ystrad Meurig Castle

Ystrad Meurig Castle, e/w and footings of C12 castle of the Clares at the end of a spur, ?llys site

Ystradowen Motte

Ystradowen Motte, e/w of ?incomplete ditched motte near to church at end of low ridge