Any questions? Try here first

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument () 34841: Knaresbrough Castle
• Conservation Area: Knaresborough Conservation Area

Monument Type(s):

• CASTLE (Early Medieval/Dark Age to Modern - 410 AD to 2050 AD)

Other References/Statuses

• AMIE Reference / HOB UID: 53332 KNARESBOROUGH CASTLE
• National Monuments Record: SE35NW14

Full description

Excavating for the Ministry of Works in an area known to cover the passage of an underground postern or sally-port
(Yorks. Archaeol. J., xxx (1931), 217) Mrs. J. Le Patourel found that the roofing-arch was only I 4 ft. from the surface in places and was unlikely to bear extra weight satisfactorily. Where the passage was not cut through rock, this roof was a low arch of mortared stones, the mortar containing a large amount of clay which quickly disintegrated. N. of the passage was the top of the shaft for the portcullis, with which the postern was defended, and the disturbed remains of a small building, which was probably an ashlar-lined pit to contain the mechanism for working the portcullis. There was also the robbed foundation- trench of an earlier wall, going down to the rock, into which a medieval rubbish-pit containing datable material was dug obliquely (4).

<1> Ordnance Survey, Various, Ordnance Survey Record Card, SE35NW014 (Card Index). SNY1.

<2> Yorkshire Archaeological Journal, 1966, Knaresbrough Castle (Article). SNY8625.

<3> Yorkshire Archaeological Journal, 1944-1947, A note on Knaresborough Castle (Article). SNY9715.

<4> Medieval Archaeology, 1962, Medieval Britain and Ireland in 1961 (Serial). SNY21695.

Sources and further reading

Provide feedback for this record

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.