Crayke Castle facts for kids
Crayke Castle is a really old and important castle in a village called Crayke, in North Yorkshire, England. It's so special that it's a "Grade I listed" building. This means it's one of the most important historic buildings in the country! The castle has a main tower house from the 1400s that has been fixed up. It also has some smaller buildings and a ruined tower called "The New Tower." You can find it on Church Hill, which is the highest spot in the village.
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The Story of Crayke Castle
How Old Is It?
People think a castle was first built here a long time ago, right after the Normans took over England in 1066. Records suggest that a powerful church leader named Bishop Hugh Pudsey might have built it. We don't have many details from those early days.
The main building you see today was built around 1450. It was made for Robert Neville, who was a Bishop of Durham. The land where the castle stands had belonged to the church for hundreds of years, even before the Normans arrived. The castle is on the highest point in the village, about 379 feet up!
What Happened During Wars?
A long time ago, up to the time of King James I, the castle was surrounded by a special area called a deer park. This was a place where deer were kept, often for hunting.
During the Civil War in England, the castle was damaged by soldiers who supported Parliament. This happened during a big fight called the siege of York. In 1647, the government decided the castle should not have soldiers anymore and should be taken apart.
The castle was then sold in 1648 to Sir William Allanson. He was a former Mayor and a Member of Parliament for York. Sir William's son, Charles, later fixed up and restored the main castle building. It looks much the same today as it did after his repairs!
Who Owned the Castle?
Around 1667, the castle was given back to the See of Durham, which is the area managed by the Bishop of Durham. For many years, it was rented out as a farmhouse.
Then, in 1827, another Bishop named William van Mildert was allowed to sell the castle to private owners. Since then, it has been owned by different families.
The castle was even used for a short time during the Second World War. It became a barracks for the Land Army, which was a group of women who worked on farms to help with food production during the war.
In 1952, Crayke Castle was officially listed as a Grade I building, recognizing its great historical importance. More recently, the castle was owned by Kevin Hollinrake, who is a Member of Parliament for the area of Thirsk and Malton.
How the Castle Looks
The castle today has two separate parts. Only the main building can be lived in. The whole castle area, including its grounds, covers about six acres.
In 2005, a study found signs that there might have been an even older religious building on this spot before the castle was built. They also found evidence of a traditional Motte and Bailey castle layout, which is a type of castle with a mound and a walled courtyard. There might have even been a gatehouse!
The Main Building
This part of the castle has four floors. It's shaped like a rectangle, about 70 feet long and 28 feet wide. Each floor is marked by a band of stone on the outside.
Each floor has narrow, square windows. At the very top, there's a band of crenelation, which are the зубчатые walls you often see on castles.
The main entrance used to be on the first floor, reached by a staircase. But that staircase is gone now. Today, you enter the building from the ground level on the south side. There's also a vaulted (arched) basement area behind the main building. This was added in the 1800s and used as kitchens. Behind these kitchens, you can find the foundations of an old hall.
"The New Tower"
This building is a ruin and lies to the northeast of the main castle. It used to be three stories high, but now only two stories remain. It's shaped like an 'L' and is about 49 feet long and wide at its biggest points.
The ground floor of this tower is built into the hill. This means that the upper level opens right onto the top of the hill. The walls that are still standing are about 20 feet tall.
