Harewood Castle facts for kids
Harewood Castle is an old stone castle built in the 1300s. It's found in Harewood, West Yorkshire, England, on the large Harewood Estate. This castle is a very important historical building, known as a Grade I listed building.
History of Harewood Castle
The De Lisle family first built a castle here in the 1100s. Later, in 1366, Sir William de Aldeburgh took over. He married Elizabeth de Lisle, who owned Harewood. He got special permission to add battlements and defenses, making it a strong fortress.
This castle is a tall, rectangular tower built on a hill, so you can see it from far away. It has a main part with two floors and four towers at its corners. One tower was the entrance. Above the gate, there was a chapel. The lower kitchen area had four floors, and a basement with a well.
When the second Baron Aldeburgh died in 1391 without children, the castle went to the Ryther and Redmayne families. His two daughters had married into these families.
In 1574, James Ryther and William Plompton bought out the Redman family. However, Ryther had money problems and died in a London prison in 1595. His children sold the castle in 1600 to Sir William Wentworth to pay off debts. This was probably when Harewood Castle stopped being a main home.
The castle was last lived in during the 1630s. By 1656, it was put up for sale as a source of stone and wood. The Wentworth family sold Harewood to Sir John Cutler. By this time, parts of the castle had likely already been taken apart. Sir John Cutler lived there at the end of his life.
After Cutler died in 1693, the castle passed through several family members. Eventually, it was sold to Henry Lascelles. His son, Edwin Lascelles, later built the famous Harewood House nearby.
Even after being left empty for centuries, Harewood Castle remained a well-known landmark. The famous artist J. M. W. Turner painted it several times in 1797.
Harewood Castle Today
Over time, the castle started to fall apart due to weather and age. It was placed on the Buildings at Risk Register by English Heritage because it was unstable.
Around the year 2000, a big plan was made to save the castle. This plan cost about £1 million. It was paid for by English Heritage and the Harewood Estate. Many experts helped with the restoration. These included architects, geologists, engineers, and people from the Harewood Estate and English Heritage.
By 2008, the restoration project was almost finished. The castle was then removed from the Buildings at Risk Register. It is now much safer and preserved for the future.
