South Cowton Castle facts for kids

South Cowton Castle, a fortified home from the 1400s.

South Cowton Castle is a really old and strong house in North Yorkshire, England. It was built a long, long time ago, in the 1400s! This amazing building stands where a medieval village, also called South Cowton, used to be.

South Cowton Castle: A Historic Home

South Cowton Castle is more than just an old house. It's a special kind of building called a "fortified dwelling." This means it was built to be a home, but also strong enough to defend itself. It's like a mini-castle!

Who Built This Strong House?

A knight named Sir Richard Conyers built South Cowton Castle. He finished building it in the year 1470. This makes it the oldest building still standing in the area known as "the Cowtons."

Why Was It Built So Strong?

You might wonder why a country gentleman's house needed to be so strong. Well, when Sir Richard built it, England was in the middle of a big conflict. This was a time called the Wars of the Roses. Because of these wars, people often built their homes to be very secure. This castle shows how important safety was back then.

What Does the Castle Look Like?

The castle has a rectangular shape. It has two towers, one at the southwest corner and another at the northeast corner. The main part of the castle has three floors. The towers are even taller, with four floors each!

Over the years, the castle has been changed a bit. In the 1800s, some parts were updated. Later, in 1979, part of the roof fell down. But don't worry! The castle was carefully repaired between 1980 and 1982.

Where is South Cowton Castle Today?

Today, South Cowton Castle is a private home. It's used as a farmhouse. It's a very important building, listed as a Grade I listed building. This means it's considered a building of special historical interest.

You can find the castle near St Mary's Church, which is also from the 1400s. If you look closely at the fields nearby, you can still see the faint marks from the old, abandoned village of South Cowton. The castle is located just off the B1263 road, close to Atley Hill.