More information : (Centred TA 049 891) Scarborough Castle (NR) (remains of) (NAT)
(TA 0496 8910) Castle Wall (NR) (three times)
(TA 0500 8906) Mosdale Hall (NR) (remains of)
(TA 0501 8911) Foundations (NR)
(TA 0495 8901) Moat (NR) (three times) (1)
The construction of the first Scarborough Castle is recorded as begun by William le Gros, Earl of Albermarle, before the death of Henry I (1135). (1) It was appropriated by Henry II in 1154 and remained a royal castle until the reign of James I. The castle was put under siege in 1312 and by the Parliamentarians in 1645 and 1648 and later became a prison and barracks.
The early fortifications consisted of a ditch across the narrowest part of the headland and a gate-tower astride the line of a curtain wall near to where the Keep now stands.
Keep and Bailey. The great Keep erected between 1158 and 1164 was partly destroyed by canon fire during the 1645 siege. The contemporary inner bailey was enclosed on the east by a palisaded bank and ditch; the palisade being replaced by a stone wall, probably in the late 13th century.
Curtain Wall. The curtain wall was the main defence of the castle on the west and south-west and may be based on the fortifications of William le Gros. The south-west wall was strengthened by the addition of round-fronted towers; the two immediately south of the Keep appear to be late 12th - early 13th century, and the remainder are probably 13th century although several have been reconstructed since.
Internal buildings. The remains of Mosdale Hall, now visible as an undercroft, was rebuilt in the late 14th century, although probably erected earlier. The building was reconstructed as a brick-built barracks about 1745 but was almost entirely destroyed during the bombardment of 1914.
The foundations of a large late 12th century aisled hall and service block (at TA 0501 8911) was partially excavated in 1888 (9) and 1973 (10) (11). Traces of other buildings against the curtain wall and within the bailey have not been systematically examined.
Outer defences. The extension of the defences in the late 13th -early 14th century included the walls which descend from the Keep towards the present stone bridge over the moat and the outer defences of the barbican and fortified gateway. The first mention of the barbican was 1174-5, and the remains of a rectangular tower has recently been found enclosed by the present structure.
South Steel Battery (record 1205905). A loopholed 17th and 18th century wall of medieval origins protects the west side of a stepped path descending from the curtain wall to the harbour. Plan (2) (3). Built against the inner face of the curtain wall are the remains of a large hall or residence, known as the Mosdale Hall. Though probably built earlier, it was rebuilt at the end of the 14th century by John Mosadale, who was appointed Governor of the castle in 1397. Shortly after 1745 the hall was again reconstructed, this time in brick, and was used as a barracks. It stood in this form until the First World War. In December 1914 German warships bombarded the barracks, on the false assumption that they were still in use, and almost entirely destroyed the building. The shattered remains were consequently pulled down thereby exposing the undercroft of the original hall. (2)
Major additional architectural reports (4-7), documentary sources (8) and excavations 1888 and 1973 (9-11). Drawing of reconstruction of Scarborough Castle, circa 1350, by I. Lapper (see illustration card).
(See also TA 08 NE 1 for Medieval chapels, TA 08 NE 4 for Roman Signal Station and TA 08 NE 5 for Bronze Age/Iron Age settlement on Castle Hill). (2-11)
TA 0503 8911. Scarborough Castle: Iron Age settlement, Roman signal station, Anglo-Scandinavian settlement & chapel, 12th century enclosure castle & 18th century battery. Scheduled. For the designation record of this site please see The National Heritage List for England (12 & 12a)
(TA 0493 8919) Between early October and late November 1998, the Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England carried out an analytical earthwork survey of Scarborough Castle, following a request from English Heritage (Event Record 1205090) (13). In order to improve the record, the later military monuments on the headland were allocated new NMR numbers. These are:- Bushell's Battery 1205926, Possible Civil War breastwork or place of arms 1205944, South Steel battery 1205905, 18th century coastal defences parent record 1206285, 19th - 20th century defences parent record 1206288.
The castle is essentially as described by previous sources. The RCHME survey highlighted the possibility that the inner bailey originated as a castle mound constructed by William le Gros around the year 1135. The field evidence suggests that the north-west corner of the mound was removed to allow the construction of the present keep during the reign of Henry II. Slight earthworks were noted in the inner bailey and near to Mosdale Hall and the excavated aisled hall in the outer bailey and these may denote the location of medieval structures. Further slight earthworks to the north of the chapel of Our Lady on the site of the Roman Signal Station may be the remains of medieval buildings attached to the chapel complex. Various small excavations have taken place around the defences, and the aisled hall was extensively excavated in 1888 and again between 1973 and 1984.
A detailed plan at 1:1000 scale and full analytical report which includes a number of interpretative diagrams, are held in the Archive. (13)
In 1645 following a five month siege, the royalist commander Sir Hugh Cholmley surrendered the castle with full honours to the Parliamentary commander Sir Matthew Boynton. (16)
NMR aerial photographs. (18)
The Castle and the associated monuments are also visible as upstanding structures, ruined buildings and earthworks on air photographs examined as part of the Rapid Coastal Assessment Survey of the Yorkshire and Humber Estuary.
(19-20)
The ruins of a medieval castle recorded as begun by William le Gros, Earl of Albermarle, c 1135. It was appropriated by Henry II in 1154 and remained a royal castle until the reign of James I. The early fortifications of le Gros probably consisted of a ditch across the narrowest part of the headland and a gate-tower astride the line of a timber palisade near to where the keep now stands. The great keep was erected by Henry II between 1158-64 and was originally c 30m high with 4 storeys and surmounted by a turret at each angle. An evaluation within the keep by NAA in 1997 (NMR1330690) found no evidence for a central support or cross wall at basement level, although the existing walls were found to continue down at least a further 1.2m. An inner bailey was enclosed on the E by a palisaded bank and ditch; the palisade being replaced by a stone wall, probably in the late 13th century. The curtain wall was the main defence of the castle on the W and SW and may be based on earlier fortifications by le Gros. The SW wall was strengthened by the addition of round-fronted towers; the two immediately S of the keep appear to be late 12th-/early 13th-century, and the remainder are probably 13th-century although much repair and reconstruction has been undertaken since. The sheer cliffs on the E and N sides form the constraints of the outer bailey. There was a barbican outside the main entrance, reached by a drawbridge crossing the moat, by 1174-5. Monitoring of the excavation of a slot trench around the existing playground in 1997 (CD97) indicated the original profile of the moat ditch (NMR1150896). Located in the outer bailey are the foundations of an aisled hall, believed to date to the 12th century, and the Mosdale Hall. Though probably erected earlier, the hall was rebuilt at the end of the 14th century by John Mosdale then governor of the castle. The castle was a royalist stronghold in the Civil War and suffered badly in sieges of 1645 and 1648, with the W wall of the keep suffering extensive damage from cannon fire in 1645. The castle was used as a prison and barracks from the 1650s. The red brick 18th-century barracks (record 1205970) were almost completely destroyed by shelling from the German fleet on 16 December 1914. The site of a medieval aisled hall in the bailey was excavated in 1973-4 (event 636159). A single trench excavated adjacent to the curtain wall at the Tower 3 Battery in advance of the proposed construction of an access stair in 2000 (event 1356974) revealed medieval structures and evidence for Civil War activity. Geophysical survey carried out on the site of a proposed new toilet block at the Castle (event 1339824) identified a possible post-medieval wall. Scheduled. (21)
The English Heritage Member's Handbook for 2009/10 gives details visitor details current for that time. (22)
Report on excavations at the Medieval Great Hall of Scarborough Castle, which examined the archaeological evidence remaining after Colonel Peck's excavations of 1888. The investigations showed that the hall was probably rebuilt on at least one occasion and that the original hall may be earlier than previously thought , possibly dating to the reign of Henry II. (23)
Synthesis of knowledge on the Barbican and Master Gunner's House (record 1205436). Excavations at the barbican in the 1970s revealed evidence of a previously unknown gatehouse structure used from the 13th to the 16th centuries. The investigations at the Master Gunner's House may indicate a northern extension to the inner bailey ditch as well as evidence of post-Civil War military use at the site. (24)
The earliest evidence from the site for human activity are Beaker pottery fragments 2100-1600 BC. Evidence of a settlement from excavations beings about 800 BC and again 500 BC.
Late AD 4th century a tower, fortified with wall and ditch was erected on the headland. This was likely to be a Roman Signal Station (see record 79903).
During the 1920s excavation of the signal station a chapel was revealed within the foundations of the Roman tower, as well as a small cemetery. This building became the chapel of Our Lady in the later Middle Ages. (record 79898).
The first castle – Source 21 details the earliest castle founded by William le Gros, Count of Aumale. He was created Earl of York 1138. The castle was probably begun in the 1130s. It passed into Crown possession around 1154 and in 1159 Henry II began to rebuild it. More alterations followed by King John 1202 and 1212. John’s son, Henry III, kept repairing and strengthening the castle throughout his reign.
Siege – 1312 Edward II had fled north with Piers Gaveston, but was attacked and only just escaped. Gaveston went on to Scarborough castle where he was besieged. A shortage of supplies forced him to surrender within a fortnight. He was later beheaded on the way back South by the Earl of Warwick.
14th and 15th centuries saw little change at the castle. Lord Percy and family resided there from 1308. Repairs were made when necessary.
1536 during the ‘Pilgrimage of Grace’ Sir Ralph Eure declared his support for the King and besieged in the castle. The castle held and Ralph’s reward for supporting the king was guardianship of the castle for life.
1557 the castle was involved in a doomed plot against the monarchy. Thomas Stafford believed he could incite popular revolt against Queen Mary so seized the castle and proclaimed himself Protector of the Realm. It was retaken within 6 days.
1603 the castle was bought by a local prominent family, the Thompsons, since there was no longer a threat of Scottish invasion with the accession of James I.
The Civil War. 1642 Sir Hugh Cholmley was to hold Scarborough for Parliament. He did this successfully, but then changed sides to become a Royalist. Despite temporarily losing it to Parliament he held Scarborough 1643-1645. He was eventually defeated after the Siege of Scarborough which began 1644. The castle was preserved from slighting by the opposition from the town.
Due to hostilities with the Dutch, the castle, harbour batteries and garrison were kept in a state of defence. From the 1650s the castle served as a prison, a famous inmate was George Fox, founder of the Society of Friends (Quakers), who was held for his radical religious views 1665-1666.
By 1688 the castle garrison had been run down and during the ‘Glorious Revolution’ Scarborough was seized by Earl of Danby on behalf of the Prince of Orange.
The Jacobite rising 1745 resulted in the barracks blocks being constructed within the walls of King John’s chamber block.
Scarborough as a town, thanks to the fashion for a spa, burgeoned with the tourist trade. The castle continued to be garrisoned.
First World War – 1914 the castle and town were attacked by German warships, the wall and barracks were badly damaged.
1920 the castle was taken into state guardianship by the Ministry of Works. At this time the 18th century barracks blocks, damaged in the war, were demolished.
Second World War – Scarborough suffered further damage.
Since 1984 the castle has been in the care of English Heritage. (25)
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