Hornby Castle, North Yorkshire facts for kids
Hornby Castle is a very old and strong house in North Yorkshire, England. It sits near Wensleydale, between the towns of Bedale and Leyburn.
This special building is listed as a Grade I historic site. This means it's super important and protected because of its history and design.
The castle was first built in the 1300s. Over the years, it has been changed and updated many times. This happened in the 1400s, 1700s, and 1900s. It is made from strong stone with roofs of lead and stone. What you see today is only the south part of a much bigger castle that used to stand here.
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History of Hornby Castle
At the end of the 1300s, Hornby Castle belonged to the St Quintin family. Later, a young woman named Margaret Quintin, who was the heir, married John Conyers. This brought the castle into the Conyers family.
Changes by the Conyers Family
The castle was mostly rebuilt in the 1400s by William Conyers, 1st Baron Conyers. But they kept an old tower from the 1300s, named after the St. Quintins. This tower was later taken down in 1927.
When John Conyers, 3rd Baron Conyers died in 1557, his daughter Elizabeth inherited the castle. She was married to Thomas Darcy. The castle then stayed in the Darcy family for many years. This family later became known as the Earls of Holderness in 1682.
One family member, Conyers Darcy, 2nd Earl of Holderness, was elected to Parliament. He represented Boroughbridge in 1660 and Yorkshire in 1661.
The English Civil War and Rebuilding
During the English Civil War, Hornby Castle was taken by Colonel Ralph Assheton. He was a leader of the Parliament's army in North Lancashire. There was a plan to damage the castle so it couldn't be used again, but this never happened.
In the 1760s, the castle was largely rebuilt. An architect named John Carr from York did this work. He designed the south part of the castle that we see today. He also built an east part and other buildings, but the east part was taken down in the 1930s. This work was done for the 4th Earl of Holderness.
The Dukes of Leeds and Later Years
The 4th Earl's daughter, Amelia, inherited the castle. She married Francis Osborne, who later became the 5th Duke of Leeds. He brought many beautiful old pieces of furniture to Hornby Castle.
When Amelia died in 1784, her son George Osborne, 6th Duke of Leeds inherited the estate. After another family home was taken down in 1811, Hornby Castle became the main home for the Dukes of Leeds. It stayed their main home until George Osborne, 9th Duke of Leeds.
In 1930, the Hornby Castle estate was divided up and sold. Most of the castle was taken down. A main doorway from the 1500s was saved and is now in a museum in Glasgow, Scotland.
Hornby Castle Today
The part of the castle that remains today, which was the south section, was bought in 1936. Major-General Walter E. Clutterbuck bought it. His family still owns it today. Roger Clutterbuck and his wife Julia are working to restore the parkland around the castle. They have even brought in a small group of bison!
Hornby Castle is a private home, so it is not open for the public to visit.
