Skipton Castle

Skipton Castle stands at the north end of Skipton’s High Street in North Yorkshire. Built in 1090 by Norman baron Robert de Romille, it began as a motte-and-bailey fortress before being rebuilt in stone to resist Scottish raids. The cliffs beside Eller Beck made it a strong defensive site. After the Romille family died out, Edward II gave the castle to Robert Clifford, who improved its fortifications. The castle withstood a Scottish attack in 1322 and later became the last Royalist stronghold in northern England to surrender during the English Civil War. The castle’s six drum towers and curtain wall enclose a Tudor courtyard called Conduit Court, where a yew tree planted by Lady Anne Clifford in 1659 still grows. The first floor holds the original kitchen, great hall, withdrawing rooms and lord’s bedchamber, while the ground floor contains new kitchens and storage cellars. A twin-towered Norman gatehouse leads into the inner wards, and a 17th-century shell grotto survives in the east tower. An ancient well helped the garrison survive a long siege in the 1640s. Today the castle remains a private residence and tourist attraction. The Fattorini family bought it in 1956, and it marks the start of the 160-kilometre Lady Anne’s Way long-distance path. Free Wi-Fi is available, and visitors can explore the restored domestic wings, military towers and the central courtyard with its historic yew tree. The ruins of a 12th-century chapel stand within the outer curtain wall, adding to the site’s layered history.