Appleby Castle facts for kids
Appleby Castle is a super old castle in Appleby-in-Westmorland, a town in England. It sits high up, looking over the River Eden. The castle has a really old part called Caesar's Tower, which was built in the 1100s. There's also a big house, and other buildings, all inside strong walls. Caesar's Tower and the main house are very important historical buildings, officially called 'Grade I listed buildings'. This means they are protected because of their special history and architecture. The parts of the castle that aren't lived in are also protected as 'scheduled ancient monuments'.
Castle History
Appleby Castle was first built by a person named Ranulf le Meschin around the early 1100s. The tall, square stone tower, known as Caesar's Tower, was added about 1170. The castle was owned by the king when the Scottish king, William the Lion, attacked the Eden Valley in 1174. The castle's leader gave up without a fight.
In 1203, King John gave the castle to Robert I de Vipont. Later, in 1264, it became the property of Roger de Clifford. This happened when he married Isabel de Vipont, who was one of Robert II de Vipont's daughters. The Clifford family owned Appleby Castle for almost 400 years! They did a lot to fix up and improve the castle. Roger's son, Robert de Clifford, took over the castle in 1282.
Some parts of the main house, like its north wall and the west part of the north wing with its round tower, were built in the 1200s. The eastern part of the house was built much later, in 1454.
King James I even stayed at the castle in 1617. In the mid-1600s, a famous lady named Lady Anne Clifford made the castle her home. During the Second English Civil War, in 1648, soldiers who fought against the king attacked the castle. Parts of it were taken apart. But Lady Anne Clifford bravely rebuilt it between 1651 and 1653. After she passed away, the castle went to the Earls of Thanet. They changed the old hall into a grand, classical mansion. Caesar's Tower also had some changes made to its top parts in the 1600s and 1700s. The main house was mostly rebuilt in 1686, and a new wing was added in 1695. In the 1800s, it was fixed up again, and new windows were put in.
In 1972, a company bought the castle, and it became the home of Denis Vernon and his family. They lived there until 1990. Denis Vernon loved nature and started a special center at the castle to help save rare animal breeds. Many improvements were made to all the castle buildings, especially the old 12th-century tower. During this time, the castle was also used as a training center. A movie director, Susannah White, even featured Denis Vernon and Appleby Castle in a BBC documentary in 1998.
Today, Appleby Castle is the private home of the Nightingale family. Some parts of the castle were opened to visitors in September 2013. You can book tickets online or buy them at the gate for small private tours.
Castle Structure
Caesar's Tower is built from strong grey stone. It is about 80 feet (24 meters) tall and has four floors. The main house has two parts that are at right angles to each other, like an "L" shape. A round tower sticks out from the north wall of one part, and a large square tower is at the south end of the other part.
Other Interesting Features
The main entrance gate to the castle courtyard and two small houses next to it are also very important historical buildings, listed as Grade I. The gate is made of grey stone and has battlements, which are the parts that look like teeth on top of old castles. It probably dates from the 1600s.
In the castle grounds, you can find Lady Anne's Beehouse. Lady Anne Clifford built this in the mid-1600s. It's a square stone building with two floors and a pyramid-shaped roof. It has a door on the bottom floor. The top floor has a pointed arch window on three sides and another door on the fourth side. This beehouse is also a Grade I listed building!
Two long sections of the castle's outer walls, mostly from the 1700s and 1800s, are listed as Grade II. The North Lodge, a small building with battlements from the 1800s, is also Grade II listed. The beautiful grounds around the castle are listed as Grade II*, which means they are very special.
See also
In Spanish: Castillo de Appleby para niños
