Cawood Castle

Cawood Castle stands in the village of Cawood in North Yorkshire. Once a fortified medieval palace for the Archbishops of York, it was built in the 15th century and later dismantled after the English Civil War. The site includes remnants of a quadrangular castle with a gatehouse and banqueting hall. Nearby Bishop’s Wood was a favoured hunting ground for King John in the 13th century. The castle’s stone came from Huddlestone quarry near Tadcaster, which also supplied York Minster. The castle’s history includes grand feasts and royal visits. In 1465, Archbishop George Neville hosted the “Great Feast of Cawood,” attended by the Duke of Gloucester and the Earl of Warwick. Records show 104 oxen, 6 wild bulls, 400 swans, and 25,000 gallons of wine were consumed. Cardinal Wolsey stayed at the castle in 1530 before his arrest on charges of treason. The castle later served as a prisoner-of-war camp during the English Civil War. Today, the gatehouse has been restored as a holiday home by the Landmark Trust. The banqueting hall remains intact but is not habitable. The castle garth, bought by the parish council in the 1980s, includes a pond and medieval fish-ponds. Great crested newts live in the garth, and funding from the Local Heritage Initiative has helped preserve the area. The remains of farm buildings and a wall have been removed to restore the site.