Before the Leeds and Liverpool canal came the Clifford Family

Monday, 10 August 2009 18:34

"Desormais", or rather, Henceforth - the motto of the Medieval Cliffords who built Skipton Castle

They declared their motto to all-comers on the gate house

For a history "buff" as I am,  Skipton Castle was a must see. It is about ten minutes walk from the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, at the top of Skipton's High Street. It's press declares it to be "the most complete and best preserved Medieval Castle in England". For once the hyperbole did not lie!

I cannot hope to give you the whole tour of this magnificent edifice built high on a rock and home to powerful warlords who were influential in the courts of Henry VII and Elizabeth I.

To go back a little more - soon after 1090, Robert de Romille built a primitive wooden fort here that did not withstand the rampaging Scots during their frequent forays into England. The disastrous fort was replaced by a formidable stone building and the Clifford family were granted the castle by Henry II in 1310.

Robert Clifford, the first Lord Clifford of Skipton began to fortify the castle but as he died at Bannockburn in 1314 he was only barely able to complete the work.

Gateway from inside the castle grounds

The 12th Lord, (3rd Earl of Cumberland) Henry Clifford was Henry's life long friend. Henry arranged his marriage to Lady Eleanor, the King's niece.

The Castle withstood the Civil War for three years, but had to yield in 1645. The 13th Lord, George Clifford (he fought against the Spanish Armada and became Queen Elizabeth's Champion) had a daughter who was arguably the greatest of all the Cliffords - Lady Anne. Lady Anne was born at the castle, was a fierce Royalist and was the last of the Cliffords to own it.

Lady Anne's steps up into the castle

It was Lady Anne that skilfully restored the castle after the siege. She was given strict guidelines from Cromwell, particularly that the walls had to be weaker and that the roof would not support cannons! She built on the ruins, as can be seen here in the Watch Tower, by the difference in thickness of the old walls and the "new".

Watch Tower windows.

So to our visit. We were given a comprehensive paper tour guide to all the rooms, which is the best way to see the castle. There is so much and I took so many photos that I think I shall split things up into: the defence of the castle, the domestics of the castle and the grounds. All the rooms are clustered around an inner courtyard, which was protected by a portcullis.

The doorway/portcullis entrance into Conduit Court

So first the defence. There are two "fighting towers", the North and the South and the Watch Tower - all designed to spot the enemy and attack him.

South Tower, Watch Tower and Lady Anne's steps

View from Watch Tower

Arrow slits in the North and South Towers

Even in His Lordship's bedroom there is a niche for a sentry

Any captured enemies would have been kept in the dungeon which was dark and damp at the bottom of some very steep steps. Fortunately, torture and starvation would not have been in order for these incarcerated prisoners.

Steps downJohn tortured and starved (I don't think!)

To more happy pursuits - the domestic arrangements and entertaining! But that needs to be another instalment!