Scarborough Castle

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File:Scarborough-castle.jpg
Scarborough Castle, England; view towards the town's North Bay.

Scarborough Castle stands on a clifftop overlooking the town of Scarborough, North Yorkshire, in England. The earliest castle fortifications on the site were built in the 1130s, and over the centuries several other structures were added. Today, the castle is a ruin, but still attracts many visitors to climb the battlements, take in the views and enjoy the accompanying interactive exhibition run by English Heritage.

History

Prior to the establishment of the castle in the twelfth century, an Roman signal station stood on the site, and there is some evidence of an Iron Age settlement.[1] A Bronze Age sword is on display in the castle exhibition; this is thought to have been a ritual offering.[2] The sword was discovered in 1980 at the castle and forms the centrepiece of English Heritage's £250,000 investment in making the site a strong tourist attraction.[3]

The early castle

Little is known about the circumstances surrounding the creation of the castle: its founder was William le Gros, Count of Aumale (died 1179), a powerful Anglo-Norman baron who built the castle following his receipt of the Earldom of York from King Stephen in 1138. Some information has survived in the chronicle of William of Newburgh, a monk who wrote about the foundation of the castle in the 1190s. William le Gros built a wall on the landward side, and a gate tower at the entrance.[4]

It has been argued that these earliest fortifications were wood-built, so rapidly decayed; after twenty years, Henry II (reigned 1154-1189), who had ordered the barons' estates to be returned to the Crown,[5] extensively rebuilt the castle, including the keep which survives to this day, and an inner wall to protect the bailey. This rebuilding occurred between 1157 and 1169, creating a much stronger stone complex.[6] Alternatively, Henry may simply have destroyed the original tower, replacing it with the three-story keep.[7]

Both William and Henry would have recognised the economic significance of building a castle at Scarborough, as east coast ports were much in-use for trade; it is likely that Scarborough's 'Old Town' rapidly appeared around it,[8] especially once Henry granted Scarborough the status of a royal borough. The castle was an attractive assignment for would-be governors, highly sought-after by powerful nobles of the day loyal to the King.[9] Overall, Henry's interest in the castle seems to have been a strategy to weaken William's power over much of Yorkshire at that time,[10][11] and can be seen as one story in the long struggle for power between the monarchy and the barons which occurred in the two centuries after the Norman Conquest.

Strife continued during the reign of King John (reigned 1199-1215), during which time the castle developed its military role. John's rule was strongly opposed by the northern barons, so the castle at Scarborough needed to be fortified as a strategic stronghold. John visited the castle only four times during his reign, but spent a considerable sum on upgrading the defences, including the curtain wall on the west and south sides, and a new hall called the 'King's Chamber'.[12] John granted the townsfolk certain economic freedoms which ensured their loyalty to the Crown while the rest of Yorkshire turned against him; he also had a small fleet of ships stationed in the harbour below.[13][14]

Improvements continued under subsequent monarchs. In 1243, Henry III installed a new barbican, or fortified gateway, plus a double drawbridge tower that has since been replaced by stone arches.[15] The barbican consisted of two towers flanking the gateway, with two more towers protecting the approach. These have been much-modified in the intervening centuries.[16]

Piers Gaveston besieged

Scarborough Castle's next appearance in major English history came in 1312, during the reign of Edward II. By this time, the castle was a major fortification,[17] and so was thought a natural place for the King's favourite knight, the Gascon Piers Gaveston, to seek sanctuary when pursued by the barons who had imposed the Ordinances of 1311 to curb the King's power, and who now saw Gaveston as a threat to their interests.[18] In April 1312, Edward made Gaveston the Governor of Scarborough Castle, but his tenure would be brief; in May, the Earls of Pembroke and Warren, together with Henry de Percy, besieged and took the castle. Despite its strong defences, it fell quickly due to lack of provisions. Gaveston was promised safe escort from the castle, but on the journey south was captured by the Earl of Warwick and subsequently killed. Scarborough fared little better; Edward would later punish the town for not supporting Gaveston by revoking its royal privileges and placing it under the direct rule of appointed governors.[19][20]

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Castle Explorer: 'Scarborough Castle'.
  2. ↑ English Heritage: 'Scarborough Castle - Background Information'.
  3. ↑ Yorkshire Evening Post: 'A gift to the gods... and a godsend for museum'. 11th May 2005.
  4. ↑ 'Involvement of Scarborough Castle with William le Gros'.
  5. ↑ Binns (2001: 18).
  6. ↑ 'Henry II's Involvement with Scarborough Castle'.
  7. ↑ The Heritage Trail: 'Scarborough Castle'.
  8. ↑ 'Involvement of Scarborough Castle with William le Gros'.
  9. ↑ Hinderwell (1811: 48).
  10. ↑ 'Henry II's Involvement with Scarborough Castle'.
  11. ↑ Dalton (2001: 1-4).
  12. ↑ Clark, (181).
  13. ↑ Binns (2001: 21-22).
  14. ↑ 'King John's Involvement with Scarborough Castle'.
  15. ↑ Castle Explorer: 'Scarborough Castle'.
  16. ↑ The Heritage Trail: 'Scarborough Castle'.
  17. ↑ Rowntree (1931: 142).
  18. ↑ Robert Lacey: 'Piers Gaveston and Edward II'.
  19. ↑ Binns (2001: 32-33).
  20. ↑ 'Edward II and Piers Gaveston's Involvement with Scarborough Castle'.

References

  • Binns J (2001) The History of Scarborough from Earliest Times to the Year 2000. Blackthorn. ISBN 0954630009.
  • Clark GT 'Scarborough Castle'. The Yorkshire Archaeological and Topographical Journal VIII.
  • Dalton P (2001) The Foundation and Development of Scarborough in the Twelfth Century. In Crouch D & Pearson T (eds) Medieval Scarborough Studies in Trade and Civic Life, Yorkshire Archaeological Society Occasional Paper 1. West Yorkshire: Yorkshire Archaeological Society & Scarborough Archaeological and Historical Society.
  • Hinderwell T (1811) The History and Antiquities of Scarborough, and the Vicinity. York: Thomas Wilson & Sons.
  • Rowntree A (1931) (ed.) The History of Scarborough. Letchworth: Temple Press.

External links

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