Inside Skipton Castle

Skipton Castle is remarkably well preserved inside, as it still retains a good roof. You can follow a tour through all the main rooms. The Banqueting or Great Hall, above, was the main living area in medieval times, used for eating, socialising and ceremonial occasions. It is a vast space. Originally, the far end would have been raised for the top table, where the Garrison Commander or the Lord, his family and his guests would be seated when they were resident here. The doorway you can see leads to the Withdrawing Room or Great Chamber (below), where the Lord and his family would have spent much of their time and entertained guests. It is said that Mary, Queen of Scots was imprisoned here for a time. The window looks out over the valley of Eller Beck (where the Springs Branch canal is now). On this northern side, the castle sits on top of a huge and sheer cliff, which provides an excellent defensive barrier.

Next to the Banqueting Hall is the medieval kitchen (below), in use from 1300 to 1680. It has bread ovens at one end and, at the other, a massive fireplace big enough to roast an entire ox on a spit. You can also see a serving hatch in the wall.

Between 1680 and 1900, the 'new' kitchen (below) was used. It has an old charcoal stove by the window and a Victorian iron range in the fireplace.

One of the exhibits that interests children most (!) is the garderobe containing the privy. It juts out over the steep cliff to the north and simply has a seat with a hole over a long drop down to the water below (actually, the canal nowadays). (Better take your wallet out of your pocket before you try it!!)

Lady Anne Clifford

Born in January 1590, Lady Anne Clifford was the only surviving child of George Clifford, 3rd earl of Cumberland, Champion to Elizabeth I and a great sailor who fought against the Spanish Armada. He left the Skipton estate to his wealthy brother but his daughter, Lady Anne, contested that and, supported by her mother, won the lawsuits which followed. It was she who negotiated with Oliver Cromwell for permission to have the castle rebuilt after the Civil War. She is remembered for her many good works and the restoration of churches and castles throughout the north.  There is even a 100 mile long distance footpath named after her: Lady Anne's Way, from Skipton to Penrith, passing by many of the castles she owned.

The present entrance to Skipton Castle is known as Lady Anne's Steps, part of a Tudor remodelling.

The inner Tudor central court is known as the Conduit Court, because it was to here that the piped spring water supply was delivered. The windows were added in the 16th and 17th centuries along with the new entrance and a new Tudor wing beyond the watch towers, which is now a private residence.

Skipton Castle

I had a late afternoon appointment in Skipton, to collect my new specs. It was a lovely, sunny day for once, with more than a hint of spring in the warm sunshine, so I decided to drive over there early and visit the castle, something I've been promising to do for ages.

Skipton Castle is one of the most complete medieval castles in England, though it has of course been remodelled over the years. There was initially a wooden fort here to guard against invading Scots, built by Robert de Romille and dating to 1090, just after the Norman invasion. Soon afterwards a stronger stone castle was built, which passed into the hands of the Clifford family in 1310. You approach it through a substantial gatehouse in the outer curtain wall, with the motto (in Norman French) of the Clifford family: Desormais (Henceforth!) carved in stone above. Once through the gate, the huge watchtower, the central feature of the original defences, towers above.

There was originally a moat, crossed by a bridge. You would have passed under a portcullis before entering the castle itself through the main door into an inner courtyard; you can still see the grooves of the portcullis and the Norman arch.

The castle withstood a three year siege during the English Civil War, the last Royalist bastion in the North. An ancient well has recently been discovered in the outer ward, which is probably how the garrison survived during the siege. In 1645 a favourable surrender was negotiated with Oliver Cromwell. It allowed the garrison to march out with 'colours flying' to rejoin the King's forces. Cromwell ordered the roof of the castle to be removed and the walls reduced ('slighted') but the castle remained in the Clifford family. He later allowed the redoubtable Lady Anne Clifford to arrange repairs (so long as the walls were built less strong) and she planted a yew tree in the central courtyard in commemoration. The tree is still there.

The Norman castle had very thick walls, as you can see below, which is one reason it withstood the siege. The arrow slits allowed crossbows to be fired at invaders. 

Within the castle grounds there is a 13th century chapel, dedicated to St John the Evangelist.

Skipton Castle Woods

My camera club had our last outing of the season, meeting up in Skipton to explore the woods behind Skipton Castle. As I've mentioned before in other posts, the Springs Branch of the Leeds-Liverpool canal passes behind the castle (see left) for about half a mile. It was built for the Earl of Thanet in 1773 to transport limestone from his quarry, which was brought by tram through the woods and dropped down chutes into canal barges. The busy industrial history of this area is long gone and it's now a peaceful oasis behind the town of Skipton. The waterfall is nothing more exciting than a large drainage ditch that pours into Eller Beck, alongside the canal. After all the rain we've had, there was a lot of water.                                     

Up until recently, the Springs Branch canal was still navigable and a small boat conducted tours up here from the marina in central Skipton. A huge rockfall from underneath the castle has now blocked the canal, and it doesn't look as though it could be reopened without a lot of expense. Rather worrying too, is that the fall was below the foundations of Skipton Castle on the crag above. Nasty! 

The 9' high willow sculpture The Huntress looks even better against the autumn leaves than it did in March when I last walked here. A little further along, Eller Beck falls away in a ravine and the ground was covered in fallen leaves. Autumn seems to be hastening on.

Wonder and War in Heaven

'Sculpt' Arts Trail
'Wonder and War in Heaven' by Jon Gabb takes its name from a fresco, by Antonio Verrio (1636-1707) on the ceiling of the chapel. Twisted branches and knotted cords, in the original colours of the now-decayed fresco, form a tangled web across the whole chapel. They are supposed to depict the casting out from heaven of Satan (Rev 12:9).

This installation was in Snape Castle Chapel, a fascinating place with a sadly damp and mouldering atmosphere, rather 'Miss Havisham' in its ambience. The castle dates back to the early 15th century and was once the home of Katherine Parr, sixth wife of Henry VIII. It has a wonderful and interesting history (see HERE) but, trusted to the care of an agent, all but one wing were left to decay. During the 18th century the chapel (on the right of the photo below) was used as a grain store, which is thought to have been what ruined the painted Verrio ceiling, now just a blackened mess.

Much of the castle itself is a rather romantic ruin, set at the edge of the very pretty village of Snape. 

Skipton Castle and woods

I had a trip to Skipton with a friend. We did look round the shops (of course!) but we also had a pleasant walk up through the woods behind the castle. The castle stands at one end of the high street, next to the church. I haven't been in there recently and we didn't go in this time, though the entrance through the huge gatehouse arch always beckons. I realise, though, that I have never featured the castle on my blog - a bit of an omission that I must remedy sometime, as it's quite an interesting place.  

The walk we followed took us behind the castle, along the little canal known as the Springs Branch, which forks off from the Leeds-Liverpool Canal in the centre of the town. It was constructed to ferry limestone from local quarries. Beyond the short canal, the path meanders through woods between a small stream called Eller Beck and a channel that takes water from a mill pond down to a corn mill. The mill still exists; it is now a retail and business centre, and its waterwheel has been restored. 

The walk is a pleasant circular trail of about 2.5 miles - described as 'strenuous' but it isn't at all. There's just one significant uphill stretch and some steps. (My uphill walk to church on a Sunday is more strenuous!)  We passed this magnificent 9 ft high willow sculpture of a female archer: The Huntress, crafted by Anna & the Willow and installed last year. I've seen several willow sculptures but this one is one of my favourites. I love the way her skirt swirls round and she looks as though she has grown from the woodland floor.  They do inevitably deteriorate over time, but this one is still very beautiful. (Read more about how it was made HERE.) 

Barden Tower and the Priest's House

On the valley side just above Barden Bridge sits Barden Tower. It was a hunting lodge and administrative centre, when hunting deer and wild boar was a sport popular with noblemen and vast tracts of hunting forest were owned by local lords. It was rebuilt as a residence in the 15th century, by Henry Clifford, who preferred it to his family seat at Skipton Castle. The adjacent Priest House was built in 1515.

The tower was restored by Lady Anne Clifford in the late 1600s, but after her death it was no longer used. Decay accelerated in the 18th century when lead and timber from the roof disappeared. For a full account of its interesting history, see HERE. Nowadays, the crumbling walls are all that remain, and you cannot go inside as it's unsafe. You can, however, see the remains of fireplaces and the various floor levels inside. It is now in the care of the Dukes of Devonshire, who own the Bolton Abbey Estate.

The Priest's House (bottom photo) has recently been fully restored as a romantic venue for weddings and events. See HERE.

Romantic Cilgerran

Wales - After visiting the Welsh Wildlife Centre, we walked up the River Teifi, through a spectacular gorge to Cilgerran Castle, a fine - though now ruined - example of a Welsh castle. Originally a wooden structure on a rocky promontory overlooking the Teifi Gorge, construction of the stone castle was started in 1224 at the command of William Marshal, 2nd Earl of Pembroke. It passed through many hands and saw many adventures in the turbulent battles between Welsh and English forces in the medieval period. It was eventually abandoned in 1400 and left to become a rather romantic ruin.

It is a place where my imagination can run wild. I was particularly taken by the story of Nest, the wife of Gerald of Windsor, who first built a castle here. She and her children were kidnapped by her second cousin, Owain ap Cadwgan, after helping her husband to escape through the privy hole. It doesn't sound as though she minded being kidnapped... She became the mistress to a number of lovers including King Henry I. I suppose in those days a woman had little except her sexuality to ensure that she and her children were taken care of.

The magnificent willow sculpture is of William Marshal and was being repaired by its creator, ( the aptly named) Michelle Cain, with the help of a student. The same lady had also created the badger sculpture ( see Thursday).

Victorian prison

Within the walls of Lincoln Castle is a restored Victorian prison, designed to keep prisoners separate from each other to avoid corrupting influences and to encourage repentance and reformation. It has the only remaining 'separate system' chapel, built with individual enclosed stalls so that prisoners could only see the chaplain and not their fellow prisoners. The interpretation is excellent and very educational. Children can dress up as prisoners or staff members and there are interactive touch screen displays and lots of stories about the people who were held there, some children as young as eight. Fascinating. 

Lincoln Castle

Lincoln has a fine castle, originally built by William the Conqueror in 1068 on the site of a Roman fortress. You can clearly see, in the photo above, the original 'motte' - the earth mound on which the Norman castle was built. Of course, it has undergone huge changes over the years and many structures have been added to the original.

It has recently undergone some restoration so that you can now walk the entire circuit of its great stone curtain walls and explore its towers and dungeons. At one time public hangings were carried out there, witnessed by the townspeople gathered in the streets below. There is a graveyard within one of the towers, where some of those hanged are buried.

Lincoln has one of the four remaining original copies of the Magna Carta, the charter of liberties agreed between King John and the barons exactly 800 years ago, which enshrined the principle that the monarch had to act within the rule of law and gave rights to 'freemen'. It influenced the American constitution and even today it stands as an important symbol of liberty. It is now housed in a purpose-built vault within the Castle so that visitors can see it and learn its history.

Let's pretend to be a castle

The Wentworth Castle estate holds a number of monuments and structures, including this sham castle known as Stainborough Castle, on the highest point of the grounds. Finished in 1731, it was built by Thomas Wentworth as a ruined folly and inscribed 'Rebuilt in 1730'. It originally had four towers, named after his four children. Now only two remain. You can climb a (mercifully sturdy, steel) spiral staircase to the top and the views from up there are lovely.

And right at the top, there's a dragon!

It's all rather nice and I could well imagine the household gathering there for picnics and fun, much as visitors do now. You can almost hear the laughter of those four children.

Cavaliers

One wing of Bolsover Castle forms the 'Riding House', one of the largest and finest historical indoor riding schools and stables in this country. Built in the 1630s, it was here that William Cavendish, Duke of Newcastle, indulged his passion for horses, importing fine, elegant horses from as far away as Turkey and North Africa and training them in the complex art of dressage. He is credited with being 'the father of the modern art of dressage', teaching his horses to perform breathtaking leaps, turns and circles. William was also the royal horsemaster to Charles I and riding master to the future king Charles II.

Displays of dressage are now regularly performed in the restored riding house, with expert horsemen, dressed in period costume (oh, the romance of the cavaliers!), recreating the advanced techniques devised and perfected by William Cavendish. Unfortunately I was too late to get a ticket for any of the performances on the day I visited, so I was unable to go inside, but one of the costumed 'cavaliers' chivalrously agreed to pose for me.

Bolsover Castle

Bolsover Castle, now in the care of English Heritage, started life as a medieval fortress built by the Peverel family. The wealthy nobleman, Sir Charles Cavendish, bought it in 1612 and started his 'Little Castle' project, which was continued by his son, William Cavendish, Duke of Newcastle. Assisted by the architect John Smythson, he finished the imposing keep, which inside contains tiers of staterooms, each level being more astonishing, richly decorated and luxurious than the one below. They have ornate fireplaces and richly painted and gilded panelling, murals and ceilings, which become more fantastic the higher up you go. On the top floor, on either side of the Duke's bedchamber, are two small anterooms, one depicting spiritual heaven and the other depicting an erotic paradise. (I suppose he sat in one or the other, depending on his mood!)
By all accounts the Cavalier Duke was a bit of a playboy. He had other main residences and primarily used Bolsover as a playground: a place to indulge himself, with his wife and mistresses, and as a place to entertain and make a statement about his wealth, power and erudition. Hoping to impress the king, he staged a huge masque in 1634, written by Ben Johnson and performed in the castle garden in front of King Charles I and his court.

Bolsover

This is the magnificent edifice of Bolsover Castle, standing proudly on a ridge, not far from the Nottinghamshire/Derbyshire border.

Bolsover was where my maternal grandfather was born.... sadly, not in the castle! His family was, as far as I can tell, dirt-poor. According to his birth certificate, he was born in 1899 in 'The Huts, Underhill, Bolsover', which I suspect was a bit of a shanty town, probably situated below the castle. I scouted round to see if I could find any reference to it in the present day street/area names but I couldn't. One day (when I retire!) I will have to do some proper research.

When my grandad was a child, the town of Bolsover was developing fast as a coal-mining area. The Bolsover Colliery Company was set up in 1889 and secured leases to extract coal from land belonging to the Duke of Portland. My grandad himself became a miner. The local mine finally closed in 1993.

The castle itself harks back to a more elegant time .....