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Knaresborough Castle is a ruined fortress overlooking the River Nidd in the town of Knaresborough, North Yorkshire, England. The property,which is open to the public,forms part of the Duchy of Lancaster's estates and is therefore owned by the Crown.However, the castle ruins are administered by Harrogate Borough Council. The former castle grounds are also used as a public leisure space.The castle site often plays host to public events, such a Medieval Day and Knaresborough Festival of Entertainment and Visual Arts.

Knaresborough's main war memorial, which was first unveiled in 1921, is located in the former grounds of the castle. The war memorial commemorates the town's casualties from both The First and Second World Wars.There are 209 individuals named on the memorial, of which the majority of those named died in WW1. .Also within the grounds, there is a bowling green and there is also a putting green for the public to use.

Description of the castle's remains
The earliest surviving feature of the castle is believed to be the large dry moat ditch which is thought to date from the first decade of the 13th Century or earlier.The moat would have extended from the edge of the cliff above the River Nidd and extended right round the whole castle grounds.

Prior to demolition, the castle was divided into two areas which were the outer and inner wards.These wards or baileys were separated by a stone wall which ran The King's Tower to the north eastern side of the Courthouse buildings.The wards were set one behind the other, with the outer bailey on the town side and the inner bailey on the cliff side. The enclosure or curtain wall was had numerous defensive towers along its length.The best surviving remains of the wall towers are the remains of a pair of round towers which formed the main gate.

The curtain walls of the castle would have formed a rough kite/heart shape.There are a only few sections of this once formidable wall left to be seen today. Some parts of the wall can be found near the remains of the East Gate towers and another section can be found behind the courthouse on the side of the site facing to the West.This piece of the wall is wide,but quite short in length.This is the remains of a large tower.Sadly sometime in the years following 1940,a serious collapse occurred.The top heavy structure collapsed into the moat when the weaker lower section gave way In 1940 these particular remains were still 7.5metres tall,but now they a shadow of their former selves.

The King's Tower
On the north side of the castle stood a tall five-sided keep called The King's Tower.Although the eastern parts of which has been pulled down,the remains of the tower are still substantial. The foundations of the keep are thought to date from the 12th Century,However,the ruined walls and masonry visible today are thought to date from the early 14th Century during Edward II's rebuild of the castle.

The keep had at least three upper stories which served as a residence for the lord of the castle throughout the castle's history.The ground floor contained a kitchen under which was the castle basement that housed the dungeon.The keep had a vaulted dungeon. The construction style of the castle's cellar or dungeon is very unusual and may be the only example in Britain. The first floor level is referred to as The King's Chamber. The name derives from the traditional belief that Richard II was imprisoned here at the end of the 14th Century before being taken to Pontefract Castle. The chamber was where the Lord of the Castle or royalty would receive an audience.The chamber had a  raised dais area with an elaborate arched recess built into the wall behind. This intentional design feature helped the person sat on the dais area look dignified and important.At one end of the dais area is a fireplace and opposing the fireplace there is a large decorative window which has a carved stone ball flower ornament decoration. A similar ball flower ornament can be found in York Minster.It is thought that the decoration reflects the work of York Minster's 14th century master mason Hugh of Bouden who is also known to have overseen the stone masons and building work at Knaresborough when Hugh of Titchmarsh was called away for a time. Hugh of Titchmarsh was the master mason who was principally involved during the rebuilding of the castle keep during the period 1307-12 during Edward II's reign.



The Inner Wards and its buildings
The castle's inner wards also contained residential and other buildings where domestic activities took place.For example,bread was baked in the castle's own bakehouse.Today some foundations of the inner wards' structures have survived.For example the eastern end of the courthouse building is built on top of the castle's chapel.In addition,the Courthouse undercroft which features 12th or 13th Century style masonry suggest that the present building incorporated some stonework and footing of an earlier structure.It is believed that the in the medieval period there were also lodgings where the courthouse building now stands

Medieval Graffiti
Several stone blocks in the castle's ruins have a medieval graffiti on them. Some of the blocks feature military themed graffiti, featuring arrowheads, knights archery etc.

The Sally-port at of Knaresborough Castle
In the outer ward of the castle there were once 2 hidden underground passages which could be used to enter and leave the castle in secret.These passages were so called sally-ports and in times of siege small bands of soldiers could have used them to conduct stealthy raids on the besieging forces.Today one of these passages can be visited in the summer season.This sally port is lined with rubble which was then roughly mortared together.In certain places the passageway is as high as 2.5 metres and  2 metres wide.The northern sally-port is blocked by the infill of the castle moat.

The Old Courthouse Museum and visiting the castle today
The museum and the King's Tower and Sallyport are only open in the spring and summer only.However, the castle grounds can be visited all year round.

The museum is housed in the upper floor of the old courthouse building.It features the Tudor courthroom which still has its original benches in situ. It is worthy of note that there are few surviving courtrooms like Knaresborough's example.For the 2016 season new thematic interpretation boards documenting the castle's history and regional history were added to the museum.In addition new exhibition cases and lights were also installed.

The specific English Civil War displays were also enhanced for the 2016 season. .The museum holds a shirt worn by Sir Henry Slingsby at his execution on the 8th June 1658 after having been condemned to death for plotting to seize Hull as part of a Royalist conspiracy against Oliver Cromwell's Protectorate. There are also exhibits relating to the celebrated and remarkable road maker 'Blind Jack' Metcalf as well as Knaresborough's infamous murderer Eugene Aram.

For children, there are various 'hands on' educational activities avaliable.There is the 'Life in a Castle' exhibition room which is intended for younger visitors. Guided tours of the castle's Sallyport are conducted on a regular basis by museum staff. There are also 2 free, downloadable, audio guides of the castle available for visitors and children to use on site. The guide,which can be used with any mp3 compatible device,are intended to be used as part of a tour.Interpretation panels that can be found in the grounds provide instructions on which file ought to be listened to at that particular panel.



Location of the castle and its former strategic strengths
The castle's builders chose a strategically favourable site for the castle.The castle was sited upon a craggy sandstone outcrop which had a steep cliffs on two sides facing the River Nidd below. The castle keep,the well defended King's Tower lies facing north overlooking the river.

It would be very difficult or even impossible to try and launch an assault from this side.The castle was also had 2 steep sided artificial moats which were dug in order to defend the castle from an assault from the south where the town of Knaresborough is located.If an ememy wished to seize the castle,then they would have to approach from the town.However, the castle approaches were guarded by a  Barbrican which lay before the main gate.Before the main gate there was a bridge which crossed a ditch. It is interesting to note that the castle's presence on the craggy sandstone cliff gave the town its present name name.Knaresborough derives from Knaresburgh meaning a fortress on a craggy rock.



Origins of the castle
Unfortunately,it is not clear when Knaresborough Castle was first built.In the Domesday Book of 1086,Knaresborough or Chednaresburgh is mentioned as being in possession of the king. However, no castle or fortification is mentioned as being there at that time. The name Chednaresburgh implies the settlement found here was defended by a ring ditch or something similar.(Burg is the Anglo Saxon word for a defended enclosure).

Despite the lack of documentary information regarding the foundation of the castle,it is believed a fortification of some sort existed at Knaresborough around the start of the 12th Century AD. The first surviving written evidence of the work being carried out upon a fortified structure in the town can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Henry I: it is written that in 1129-30 Eustace fitz John spent £11 on improving the king's works (fortifications) at Knaresborough. In the Pipe Roll of Henry II for 1161,there is a reference to the Castelli of Cnardesburc ( a derivation of the earlier name Chednaresburgh) which was said to be in the possession of Hugh de Moreville. This could be the first instance where the fortification at Knaresborough is referred to as a castle.

The Castle,its development and its administrators up until the reign of Edward I
Eustace Fitz John, who oversaw in the castle throughout the reign of Henry I, is also recorded as having sent relief in the form of food from the castle to the monks of Fountains Abbey who were in a state of distress at the time. . In late December 1170 Hugh de Moreville,who at the time was the lord of Knaresborough Castle,travelled to Canterbury with a three other knights to Canterbury Cathedral. There the men confronted Archbishop Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Becket and murdered him.

Hugh de Morville and his followers fled the scene and took refuge in Knaresborough Castle after the assassination.There they remained until Hugh who had been ex-communicated from the church sought reconciliation with the church.

The de Stuteville family and Knaresborough
In 2004,R.M Franklin stated,that in Easter 1173 the custody of Knaresborough Castle was passed from de Morville to William de Stuteville.Franklin explains that it is likely that Hugh de Morville died around 1173/74 whilst on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.Pope Alexander III ordered him to travel to Jerusalem as part of his penance for his involvement in Thomas Becket's murder. However,it appears he did not return to Britain..

Knaresborough Castle was then possessed by William de Stuteville from the latter decades of Henry II's reign until the reign of King John .In certain publications and documents, William de Stuteville is sometimes referred to as Lord Esto(u)teville.

The foundation the church of Saint Thomas a Becket at Hampsthwaite,which was an administrative centre for royal hunting chases in the Royal Forest of Knaresborough.,is attributed to William de Stuteville. He was the brother in law of Hugh de Moreville, who as mentioned above, murdered the Archbishop of Canterbury.It is believed William founded the church dedicated to Thomas a Becket as he wished to show he did not condone his relative's actions. There is a list of vicars of the church which extends as far back as the church's foundation in the last quarter of the twelfth century. .In around the year 1175 John de Cottingham was appointed as the vicar of the church.

When William de Stuteville died in 1203, he was buried in the Galilee at Fountains Abbey for having carried out beneficent deeds. King John confirmed in a document from Rouen that William's young son was to inherit Knaresborough Castle and its all its appurtenances which had been granted as a gift to the his father by Henry II. However,as Robert was still a minor the Archbishop of Canterbury Hubert Fitzwalter would be effectively be the lord of Knaresborough Castle until he reached majority. Sadly Robert de Stuteville died in 1205 His relative Nicholas de Stuteville was unable to pay the 'inheritance duties' which had been levelled against him by King John.John had asked for an outrageously high sum of 10,000 Marks. It has been suggested by the historian Muir that John was politically motivated when he demanded such a high sum for inheritance duties.Although he  probably knew full well the de Stutevilles could not afford them, he still demanded the money so that he had an excuse to take control of Knaresborough Castle. In 1205 year King John took Knaresborough Castle back into the control of the crown.

King John and the Castle
King John regarded Knaresborough as an important northern fortress and spent £1,290 on improvements to the castle during the first decade of the 13th Century. King John and his queen Isabella visited the castle frequently. He took the opportunity to hunt in Knaresborough's Royal Forest during his visits.

King John made Brian de Lisle as the constable of Knaresborough Castle around the year 1205.Wheater claims he was a great adminstrator and took significant steps to improve the castle at Knaresborough. Brian de Lisle,it is known was responsible for a number of improvements to the castle.Under de Lisle's direction labourers dug out large dry moats.This work is supposed to have been completed in 1207.The surviving moat today is thought to have been the very one de Lisle ordered to be dug out.

During the First Barons Revolt Knaresborough Castle remained in possession of forces loyal to the crown.The castle's custodian Brian de Lisle spent £100 on castle defence during this period. However,the historian S.D. Church explains that,during the revolt period, de Lisle often acted in an arbitrary manner and sought to enrich himself by carrying out actions that were for his own benefit.

Knaresborough under Henry III
In 1218, during the reign of Henry III, Knaresborough Castle as well as Sandal Castle were designated as gaols (jails) where the sheriff could hold arrested prisoners securely.

Brian de Lisle,was again made custodian of the castle around 1232 as result of supporting Peter des Roches' faction after Justiciar Hubert de Burgh was removed from office and imprisoned.

On 5 April 1272,during the final months of Henry III's reign, Henry de Lacy was made the keeper of Knaresborough Castle.

The Castle under Edward I and Edward II
Early in the fourteenth century, Edward I of England turned his attention away from his military campaigns in Wales in order to make improvements to the castles in northern England. He instructed that repairs were to be conducted upon several parts of Knaresborough Castle. These repairs are documented in surviving court records. The records state that the White Tower, the Great Hall, the Great Chamber, the Great Chapel and the Great Gate were all to be repaired. The refurbishment work apparently involved replacing lead work at the castle as evidenced by further documentary evidence. In 1303 the Exchequer recorded down on the King's Remembrancer that : 6 wayes of lead bought at Ripon market for Knaresborough Castle at 28 shillings and 1.5 pence.Each waye was to weigh 15 stone.At this time 'one stone' was unusually equivalent to 12 pounds rather than today's conventional imperial measure :1 Stone= 14 pounds.

From 1302 to around the year 1307, Miles Stapleton, the first Lord Stapleton, was constable of Knaresborough Castle and the Royal Forest of Knaresborough.

At the very end of Edward I's reign, he authorised further rebuilding to be conducted at Knaresborough Castle. The work,which was carried out between 1307 and 1312, was completed during the reign of Edward II. It is recorded that the overall cost of the lengthy rebuilding work at Knaresborough was £2,174.In particular the King's Tower(or Great Keep) was rebuilt during this particular refurbishment work.

The rebuilding work that was carried out in this period saw the demolition of the previous castle structure around 1310.

Piers Gaveston and the Honour and Castle of Knaresborough Knaresborough castle's history is closely linked to various important figures from the English king's medieval court life and figures within the court.Knaresbough Castle becoming the posession of the influential Piers Gaveston is just one example of time when a man who was powerful at court was rewarded with receiving the castle as an honour. In 1307 Piers Gaveston was granted the Honour and castle of Knaresborough. .The king's grant of Knaresborough to Gaveston further upset his noble peers because it was a significant and prestigious barony Gaveston was a unpopular figure amongst his noble peers due his rapid rise in status and the fact he had an apparent and significant influence over the king. However,Piers did develop Knaresborough as a town during his brief time as the local lord.For example he granted a charter to the town in 1310,which authorised the town to hold a market and fairs.

In 1311, Edward banished Gaveston into exile after he caved in to the pressure exerted by Gaveston's noble opponents in. However, his period of banishment was short.He was allowed to return to England, where he was pardoned and his lands were restored to him. It is believed that the king met with Gaveston at Knaresborough Castle January 1312. Gaveston's return was not well received by the English barons who had opposed him before 1311. In the spring of 1312, Edward II and Gaveston prepared for possible direct military confrontation with Gaveston's opponents. Gaveston chose to fortify Scarborough Castle as the castle was to serve as his military base. The Earl of Lancaster later instructed barons Henry Percy, Roger de Clifford and others to capture Gaveston. In May 1312 Gaveston was then besieged in Scarborough by forces loyal to the Earl of Lancaster and his above named followers.Unfortunately when Gaveston needed military support from the king,he did not receive any help.During the siege of Scarborough, the king remained at Knaresborough Castle and did not intervene in support of Gaveston. Gaveston was later decapitated after being condemned to death after being tried by a council of barons including the Duke of Lancaster.

Edward II's later reign was characterised by military failure and increasing internal unrest. By the late 1310s he faced a significant amount of disloyalty amongst his nobility. Soon certain powerful nobles were once again daring enough to challenge Edward's royal authority. Amongst the discontented nobles were the Earl of Lancaster and his supporters. In 1317 a rebellion broke out and supporters of the Earl seized Knaresborough Castle and held it against the king. Knaresborough Castle was besieged for 3 months by forces loyal to Edward II. The castle's constable spent £55 to retake the castle from the rebels. He apparently had to use use a siege engine to break the castle's curtain wall before achieving victory.

Following the Scots significant and famous victory at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, Robert the Bruce chose to conduct a series of military raids in the north of England. Certain raids penetrated far into England. In 1318, for example, a Scottish raid reached as far south as Knaresborough. The castle was said to be the only place of safe refuge in the town. The raiders set fire to the town which devastated large parts of the town and the priory and church were badly damaged by the Scots.

Edward III and Queen Phillipa
After the death of his father, Edward III set about restoring his power of royal authority as well as England's military prestige. In 1331 his wife Queen Phillipa was given the Honour and castle of Knaresborough. The grant of the Honour and the castle was part of her wedding settlement with Edward. She helped turn the castle into an important royal possession and most significantly she used it as a royal residence and royal court during the summer. Up until her death in 1369, a large part of the summer royal court's activities would had centred upon the castle. Queen Philipa is known to have taken an prominent role in local administration.

Amongst Knaresborough Courthouse museum's artefacts is a chest which appears to have been made in the fourteenth century.This chest has been traditionally known as 'Queen Philippa's Chest'.

Knaresborough Castle during the latter half of the medieval period
John of Gaunt, the influential soldier and statesman acquired the castle in 1372, adding it to the vast holdings of the Duchy of Lancaster. In 1399,John of Gaunt died and his lands which also included Pickering, Pontefract and Knaresborough castles would have all been inherited directly by his son Henry Bolingbroke. However, Richard II decided to confiscate the considerable estate of the Duke of Lancaster and claim the Duchy as his own possession.King Richard then chose a loyal supporter to administer Knaresborough Castle.In April 1399, he appointed William Scrope,the Earl of Wiltshire (1351?–1399) as the new constable of Knaresborough Castle. .

Henry Bolingbroke,who was abroad at the time of his father's death,returned to England to reclaim what he believed was his rightful inheritance.He landed at Ravenspur on the Holderness coast and proceeded westwards and met with men who were in favour of his cause at the castles of Knaresborough,Pickering, and Pontefract. Henry's confrontation with Richard II gathered pace and Henry's supporters eventually forced Richard to abdicate. Richard was imprisoned for a night at Knaresborough Castle before being taken to Pontefract where he died.He was either murdered or died from starvation or perhaps disease. William Scrope's tenure as Knaresborough Castle's constable was short lived, he was captured and then executed at Bristol by Henry Bollingbroke's forces along with other supporters of Richard II such as John Bussy and Henry Green.

Sir William Bagot,another of Richard's 'Evil Counsellors' evaded capture at Bristol but was eventually caught in Ireland. He was then was imprisoned at Knaresborough Castle following Henry IV's ascent to the throne. However,Bagot had a surprising fate considering his actions.Although Sir William had opposed Henry Bollingbroke with a small force of soldiers,Bagot was not executed for opposing him.After being imprisoned at Knaresborough and Newgate, he was pardoned by Henry IV after defending himself well at his court trial.

Knaresborough Castle was used as a summer residence by Henry V's widow Queen Catherine of Valois between 1422 and 1437.

Knaresborough Castle and The Wars of the Roses era
In early September 1459, nobles who supported the Yorkist faction marched out to confront the forces of the Lancastrian faction in battle.The fifth Earl of Salisbury left Middleham Castle on 2 September.On their march southward, a group of Salisbury's troops seized and occupied the Lancastrian stronghold at Knaresborough Castle. This action was carried out before Salisbury and his allies met with the Lancastrian forces who were loyal to Henry VI at Bloreheath on 23 September 1459.In the ensuing battle Henry VI's supporters were defeated.However,the Yorkists sufferred heavy losses.

By the late 15th century being a steward of the Honour of Knaresborough and a being a constable of the castle entailed a generous salary.The appointments also gave a man the potential to greatly enhance his own prestige and power in the local community. The honour and castle of Knaresborough were administered by a member of the local family. William Plumpton who served from 1439 to roughly 1471 became an important figure in the Knaresborough region during the time of Henry VI.

15th Century Repairs at the castle
There is a surviving schedule of work which is from the year 1407 which describes  what repair work was performed on the castle’s fabric and structures.The document states  that John Brennand carried out the repairs.John repaired the 'Great Stable' in the castle’s wards.In particular the mangeors (mangers)were repaired.It also appears the roof of the stable was renewed with new thackbords(wooden roofing tiles http://findwords.info/term/thack). The drawbridge,which according to Brennard, was worn out.Brennard recorded in his schedule that four carpenters spent 5 days at the 'Castle-Gate' working to repair the bridge.It is recorded that timber transported from the parkland at Hay-a-Park which is located on the eastern side of Knaresborough was used in these repairs. During the early reign of the Yorkist King Edward IV,Knaresborough Castle was repaired once more.In the Duchy of Lancaster's Council records for 1476 there is an order for repair work to be carried out on Knaresborough Castle.

Tudor Period
Although Knaresborough's importance to the British crown as a military structure and royal residence had declined since the mid fifteenth century. By the Tudor age,castles were starting to become outdated as defensive structures and they were also seen as uncomfortable places to live in. Despite these trends,Knaresborough Castle was still in use as a military structure and was maintained into the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries century. Henry VIII and his daughter Elizabeth I commissioned men to carry out structural surveys at the castle in 1538 and also 1561. Henry, the Earl of Cumberland carried out the survey of 1538. A depiction of the castle, which is currently housed in th National Archives at Kew,was also produced during this year.

In 1561, during the reign of Elizabeth I a detailed written survey of the castle was conducted.The survey which survives today gives a vivid description of the castle at this time. In 1561 the porter of the castle was Peter Slingsby of the Slingsby of Scriven family. The survey from this year is known as Slingsby's survey. The castle's state of repair as well as dimensions of rooms and their fittings are described.One gains the impression that the castle was not in a state of ruin,but there were obvious signs that the castle was neglected and in need of repair and refurbishment.It describes the first chamber in the castle was XLV (45) Foote long and XV(15) broad having a chimney the covering thereof of slate and timber which are in decay, there is neither iron Glasse doores nor locks, the gutters are well leaded. It seems that other chambers had no glass windows and lockable doors either. The surveyor stated the lodgings above the porter's chamber was in great ruyne and decay it hath neither iron Glasse doores nor locks .

Despite this worrying report which describes the amount of decay, the castle was a very much a defensible structure in the Tudor and Stuart periods. It appears that repair and modernisation occured during the late Tudor age after the 1561 survey. Sir Henry Slingsby (1560-1634) built new lodgings for his use as quarters.His son Henry apparently stayed in this new chamber at least twice in his life,once as a young boy and as a man at the beginning of the English Civil War.

Knaresborough Castle in the Stuart Age
In 1616, Knaresborough Castle, and the Honour of Knaresborough was granted to Prince Charles Stuart by his father King James I.

During 1640 whilst the Bishop’s Wars with the Scottish were ongoing, several companies of British soldiers were quartered in Knaresborough Castle. Parish registers from this time record the burial of soldiers under the command of various officers. One of these men buried on 12th August 1640 was described as having been 'slain'. 12th August 1640 pre-dates with the battle of Newburn when the Scots under General Leslie defeated the English near Newcastle after having invaded England.But Hargrove suggested that the soldiers buried at Knaresborough may have engaged with Scottish raiders which were operating in northern England.

The English Civil War and the castle from 1642-1644
In 1642 Sir Henry Slingsby who held the title of Janitor and Vigilator of Knaresborough Castle under the Duchy of Lancaster received intelligence from his tenants in Knaresborough that Lord Ferdinardo Fairfax was plotting to seize the castle for the Parliamentarians. Upon hearing this worrying news he consulted with the Scottish Royalist General Ruthven who ordered Slingsby to occupy the castle with soldiers before Lord Fairfax could make his move.



Soon, Slingsby who held the keys to the castle, opened it up and occupied it. He had servants carry a bed into the castle so that he could sleep there and apparently expected to be there for some time.However, that night Sir Richard Hutton arrived with some militia soldiers who belonged to the trained bands.Hutton had been given a commission from Lord Cumberland, the Royalist commander in York to hold Knaresborough Castle for the Charles I. Slingsby stayed the night at the castle in the same room that his father had built.He remembered staying in the room when he was summoned to the castle for back when he was just a young boy.

Sir Richard Hutton, whose father built Goldsborough Hall in 1606, served as the initial Royalist governor of Knaresborough Castle. However, it appears he appointed Colonel Croft, to serve as the new governor. It is believed that the trained band troops were replaced with regular Royalist troops during 1642/43. In December 1642 Parliamentarian soldiers under Sir Christopher Wray,who may have been returning from the battle of Piercebridge,entered Knaresborough looking for lodgings for the night.The Royalists in the castle, who feared that an assault on the castle was imminent, opened fire on the Parliamentarian soldiers. The sudden attack caused the Parliamentarians to retreat in haste,but also caused panic and confusion amongst the townspeople in Knaresborough itself. On 21st May 1643,Lord Fairfax informed William Lenthall the speaker of the House of Commons about Knaresborough Castle garisson's strength and its activities.He wrote there is a Garrison of Horse and Foot laid at Knaresborough, where they begin to fortifie the Town. Fairfax then describes how the Royalist garrison rode out in order to pillage the town and environs of Otley. In this account he made allegations that the Royalists committed further crimes against the civilian population on this raid. He wrote, On Friday Sevennight last, three Troops, and some other Forces, ...came from that Garrison, and pillaged Otley; and in their retreat to Knaresborough, upon the open Forest, they took a Man and a Woman: the Man they wounded and beat cruelly; and before his Face ravished the Woman..

Fairfax's account of atrocities cannot be corroborated from other sources,but it can be said that there is a large number of reports from the war that mention atrocities against civilians. It is possible that the crime as described by Fairfax did occur, but it cannot be confirmed categorically. David Cooke mentions that another contemporary pamphlet also mentions the Knaresborough garrison conducting pillaging raids.This pamphlet alleges that the Royalists consisted of men from London alongside those from Yorkshire.

It is known that Doctor John Bastwick, who served as Parliamentarian infantry captain in the early stages of the Civil War, was held as a prisoner at the castle. Bastwick was captured at Leicester in July 1642 and prior to his imprisonment at Knaresborough he had been at Helmsley Castle.It is understood that while he was at York he was badly beaten by his Royalist captors.



In October 1644, while Bastwick was still a prisoner in Knaresborough, the Commitee of the Lords and Commons ordered that his wife should be paid £110 and 5 shillings as a reward for his service to the Parliamentarian cause.

Military context of the siege
it is worthwhile to discuss the contextual military events that led up to the siege,prior to describing the siege itself.

On 30th June 1644,the young Royalist general Prince Rupert arrived at Knaresborough with his army which had just crossed from Lancashire after fought a series of successful engagements against the Parliamentarians in the North West of England. At Knaresborough,the prince made a decision march towards York with the objective to  break the Parliamentarians' siege of the city.The Earl of Newcastle and his uncle Charles I had sent him letters encouraging him to to try and relieve York. York which at the time was been besieged by Parliamentarian and their allies the Scottish Covenanter armies for several months.In addition,the city's governor stated he was in desperate need of relief. The military situation in York governed Rupert's course of action. On 1st July Rupert's forces began to leave Knaresborough and then marched to Wetherby and then to Hessay where Rupert's troops rallied together.

On 1st July the Royalists found a way to approach York without coming into contact with the enemy.Rupert entered the city with 4000 cavalrymen.The formerly besieged Royalists under Newcastle could now join Rupert's army.That day elements of the Royalist army set out again to scout for the enemy.

The next day the Royalist army drew up outside York at Long Marston.Later in the day Parliamentarian forces learnt of the Royalists location and Scots and English Parliamentarian armies arrived.Although the Royalists alongside Rupert advised him not to initiate a large battle against the Parliamentarian armies that had been besieging York.In spite of this advice ,he overruled them and ordered his men into battle formation. The battle began in the afternoon.This battle is known today as the Battle of Marston Moor.The battle ended as a major strategic defeat for the Royalist forces.The Royalists are estimated to have lost around 4000 men and 1500 were made prisoners of war.(source) It affected the whole Royalist war effort in the north of England and indeed affected Charles I’s entire national war effort.The Earl of Newcastle’s northern Royalist army especially his infantry was decimated as a result of the battle.this left them without an effective force in the field capable of fighting. Following the collapse of the Royalist forces in the field in Yorkshire after Marston Moor, the Royalist garrisons in nearby castles such as Knaresborough were left vulnerable. .



The run up to the siege
The Parliamentarians,wishing to capitalise on their victory at Marston Moor, seized the initiative and turned their attention towards eliminating the various Royalist held castles in Yorkshire. Helmsley Castle and Knaresborough Castle were especially vulnerable given their proximity to the large combined Parliamentarian and Scots army surrounding York.They became even more vulnerable when the Royalist garrison in York chose to surrender to the Parliamentarians on 16th July.

In spite of the Parliamentarian dominance in the area,it appears that in the first weeks after Marston Moor Parliamentarian forces did not even attempt to go near Knaresborough and its castle.However, in August 1644,the Parliamentarians reportedly marched into Knaresborough town with a column of captured Royalist soldiers that had been taken prisoner in York.It appears the Parliamentarians might have been trying to conduct an act of psychological warfare upon Knaresborough Castle's garrison by leading captured and demoralised Royalists through the town. The Royalists in the castle did not attempt to fire on the Parliamentarians or help their comrades escape.

It is possible the Parliamentarians performed this audacious act in order to demoralise the castle defenders.In spite of this effort to convince the Royalists and the king's supporters that their cause was futile,men in Knaresborough began to take up arms in support of the king. Around August 1644 certain townspeople from Knaresborough including John Turner and other men decided to take up arms in favour of the Royalist cause once it became apparent that the Parliamentarians were going to besiege Knaresborough Castle.John Turner was a cloth dyer whose dyehouse was located near the Gallon Steps which is located at the bottom of one of the sandstone crags upon which the castle stands. The local volunteers augmented the castle's fighting strength at this time.

The Royalist forces included infantry and cavalry. According to the contemporary politician Bulstrode Whitelocke, the garrison had cannons and of which 4 were taken as war prizes by the Parliamentarians in December 1644. It has been suggested that surviving troops from Sir Charles Slingsby's Regiment which fought at Marston Moor as well as Sir Henry Slingsby's regiment made up part of the Royalist force at Knaresborough Castle. Unfortunately it is unconfirmed whether Sir Charles' and Sir Henry's Regiment,did defend the castle.It seems possible that given the Slingsby family association with the castle that a member of the family would try to defend it

Knaresborough Royalists' attempted relief of Helmsley Castle
On 4 November 1644, whilst Helmsley Castle was still besieged by Thomas Fairfax, troops from the Royalist garrisons at Skipton Castle and Knaresborough Castles marched to try and assist their besieged comrades in Helmsley. Although initially successful in their attempt to drive the besiegers off,the besieging force regrouped and counterattacked the Royalists,who were forced to retreat and flee from Helmsley.Helmsley Castle surrendered several days later.

The siege begins
After Helmsley Castle surrendered,Lord Fairfax quickly sent Lieutenant Colonel Lillburn with a force of 500-600 men to begin a siege at Knaresborough Castle.

On 12th November 1644,Lillburn's force approached Knaresborough town.The Royalists,who had taken up positions outside the tried to repel the Parliamentarian force as it entered the town. Although the defenders bravely resisted for some time, it became clear that their position was untenable as they were significantly outnumbered by the Parliamentarians.They retreated to the safety of the castle.Parliamentarian sources claim that the Royalists lost 20 men killed,48 were wounded and 40 were captured.These sources do not state Parliamentarian losses for this battle. The castle was then surrounded and siege lines were established by the Parliamentarians.There is a handed down story from the time that recalls how a small boy from Knaresborough town avoided the Parliamentarians and sneaked into the castle through a gap in the castle wall to supply his father with food and other provisions.Unfortunately the boy was caught one day and some of his captors wished for him to be hanged.However, the story claimed that Lt-Col Lillburn spared the boy's life.

Shortly after the first assault the Parliamentarians brought with them heavyweight artillery pieces fresh from the siege at Helmsley for use against Knaresborough Castle. The Royalist Nathan Drake who recorded a day by day journal whilst defending Pontefract Castle wrote an interesting journal entry in January 1645 which refers to  the Parliamentarian cannons that had been used in the siege at Knaresborough Castle.On the 16 January (1645) the enemy brought into the Markitt place in Pomfret 6 peese of cannon the same which had beene at Hemslay and Knaresborough before, one carrying a bullitt of 42 Li,another 36 Li,2 other 24 Li,a pese and the least 9 Li. (Although it is not clear how Nathan Drake learnt of the origins or indeed how he could ascertain the weight of cannonballs the guns could fire,it must be acknowledged that Drake was an eyewitness to the siege and also Drake’s diary also reveals the Royalists possessed cannons of their own at Pontefract.It can be said that their operators would be men knowledgeable in the field of gunnery.These men probably could have recognised the guns from a distance and could have estimated the size of the projectiles they fired.Drake may have been in a gun crew or heard about the parliamentarians new cannons from the castle’s own gunners.)



After the heavy guns arrived at Knaresborough a battery was established near the tollbooth in Knaresborough which allowed the Parliamentarians to fire upon the castle's King's Tower.The bombardment from this battery began on the 28th November and continued on into December with little effect on the castle walls.

In mid December 1644,a townsperson,who favoured the Parliamentarians,assisted the besiegers by giving them information about the castle walls.He explained that the thinnest part of the castle’s defensive wall was located on the section opposing a garden near the road called 'Briggate' in the town.The Parliamentarians believed him and rapidly moved their cannons to this new location.The siege guns began firing on the thin section of wall and the bombardment started to have an effect.The defenders realised that the guns had to be silenced or otherwise the castle would fall.

On the night of the 18th December,The Royalist garrison used the castle’s Sallyport to launch surprise counterattack raids upon the besieging forces' gun batteries placed at the end of Briggate in Knaresborough town itself.Their first raid caught the Parliamentarians off guard.The Royalists drove the besieging troops from their siege works for a while.The raiders inflicted a significant number of casualties amongst the besiegers and they were also able to take Parliamentarian troops as their prisoners. A second raid conducted on the next night (19th December) was a disaster for the Royalists as the besiegers were expecting them.The raid resulted in heavy losses amongst the Royalist raiders.Parliamentarian reports state 12 men were killed and 21 men were captured.

Aftermath of the war and the castle's demolition
On 20th December 1644 after a intense bombardment the siege cannons breached the castle's wall around one of the castle's Sallyport.The Royalists sensed that a bloody final assault would follow and they called for Parley talks with Colonel Lillburn in order to discuss the castle's surrender. Lillburn who also wished to avoid further bloodshed concluded the surrender negotiations which saw some 120 Royalists able to walk out and leave the castle in safety.The Parliamentarians discovered that the castle had significant stores of gunpowder and other military equipment.It also had around £1500 worth of silver and gold plate as well as £100 of coinage in store.However,they could not find any significant quantity of food provisions in the castle.If the Parliamentarian guns had not breached the castle walls,one wonders how long the defenders could have held out for,given their lack of food.

Lillburn's men apparently demolished certain ancillary buildings in the castle's wards shortly after the siege and material from these buildings was sold off to people in Knaresborough as a means of compensating civilians for damages and suffering they had endured because of the fighting.

In 1646 Parliament ordered the castle to be 'slighted' in order to render the castle useless as a place of resistance. Slighting involved the demolition of the vast part of the castle and its walls.However,a certain amount of the castle's King's Tower was left standing as a result of a last minute petition from residents of the town.Parliament accepted the petition which requested the tower to be left standing so that it could be used as a prison for the town.