Greenhalgh Castle

Greenhalgh Castle stands as a ruined fortress near Garstang in Lancashire. Built in 1490 by Thomas Stanley, the first Earl of Derby, it once defended his estates. The land was given to Stanley by his stepson Henry Tudor for his role in defeating Richard III at Bosworth. In the 16th century, the historian John Leland called it a ‘pretty castle of the lords of Derby.’ The castle once had four towers, though only the lower part of one remains today. The castle played a part in the English Civil War. James Stanley, the seventh Earl of Derby, held it for Charles I. Cromwell’s forces besieged it in 1644–45 under Colonel Dodding and Major Joseph Rigbie. The garrison surrendered in May 1645 and the castle was partly demolished to stop further military use. Local farmhouses, including Castle Farm built in the 17th century, reused stones from the ruins. Visitors find the remains of Greenhalgh Castle in a quiet countryside setting. The surviving tower base shows the scale of the original structure. Nearby Castle Farm, built with castle stones, adds to the historic feel. The site is peaceful, with farmland and old buildings around. The ruins are modest but tell a story of power, war and change over centuries.