CSG Annual Conference - Harrogate - April Skipton Castle

Transcription

1 Skipton Castle from the north - with its dramatic plunging descent into Eller Beck. A 1960 British Railways poster by John Greene, (active 1957 c. 1965) credit: National Railway Museum/Science & Society Picture Library. From far right to left: Kitchen; Great Hall & Withdrawing room complex, perhaps c.1227; Mary Queen of Scots Tower (not publicly accessible); the 16th century range ending in the 1550s Octagonal Tower. THE CASTLE STUDIES GROUP 5

2 Skipton Castle - Outer Gatehouse from the exterior. The building, probably originally early 14th century (by Robert Clifford post-1310), has been considerably altered by succeeding generations, especially by Lady Anne Clifford in the C17. The upper parts are significantly remodelled. The gate-passage width is nearly 15ft, (comparable to the Bloody Tower, Tower of London), and square portcullis grooves remain on the inside of the gate-arch jambs. Skipton Castle Built on the edge of a gorge of the Eller Beck on the western edge of the Pennines in the Carboniferous limestone zone the castle lies on a rise above the town of Skipton in Craven. Skipton was royal demesne in 1086 having, pre-conquest, been held by Earl Edwin but Robert de Romille ( ), a Breton, was granted the lands of Bolton Abbey with over 9000 acres of ploughland, which included Skipton, shortly after the Domesday survey. For reasons unknown he moved the caput of these Yorkshire estates from Bolton to Skipton and is said to have built the original castle about During the 12th and 13th centuries the tenure of the castle changed several times but was held, for a long period, by the Earls of Aumale and, in her own right, by Countess Hawise (d. 1214) before coming into the hands of the Cliffords in The form of Romille s castle is often said to have been a motte and bailey although there is no evidence for a motte. A partial ringwork, the line of which defined the masonry castle, is more likely. A large outer bailey on the gentle slope south of the Eller Beck gorge was laid out. Most of this earthwork is now lost under later buildings although a section of ditching survives south of the road called The Bailey although this may be a putative borough earthwork. The curtain and towers, of limestone blocks of fine ashlar, of the strong inner ward incorporating some earlier work (probably late 12th century) are likely to have been built between 1310 and 1314 by Robert de Clifford ( ). This inner ward has been much altered and rebuilt, probably several times, but now mainly features work of the late 15th century. In 1647 a parliamentary resolution ordered that THE CASTLE STUDIES GROUP 6

3 ABOVE: Skipton Castle. Plan from the History and Antiquities of the Deanery of Craven, in the County of York, by Thomas Dunham Whitaker, 1878 (3rd ed.). BELOW: Skipton Castle. Sketch plan of the ground floor. From: R T Spence, Skipton Castle and its Builders It probably represents the extent of the inner ward of the castle by the early 14th century. THE CASTLE STUDIES GROUP 7

4 Skipton Castle: ABOVE: the disposition of the ground floor rooms of the compact Inner Bailey. BELOW: the layout of the first-floor rooms. Drawings from the current Skipton Castle guidebook, and reproduced with thanks. The north-east round tower (to the right of 3 ) is part of and connected to the private wing of the Fattorini family who continue to live in the castle s east range. THE CASTLE STUDIES GROUP 8

5 ABOVE: Skipton. View of the rear of the Edward II era Outer Gatehouse from within the courtyard. The ticket office and shell room are on the left. Lower stair turret encased by a service building (right). BELOW: The west side of the Outer Gatehouse illustrating the heavily inserted fenestration and an outer west screen wall lining the outer (right) and inner sets of towers. The screen is 17th century infill creating narrow two-storey connecting rooms between the north and south towers. The NW stairturret is visible top left of the photo. There are some analogies to the 1320s work at Pickering. THE CASTLE STUDIES GROUP 9

6 1 2 Skipton - Outer gatehouse. 1. View from ( ) Google Earth with the stair turret circled, (but not shown on the Whitaker plan). 2. The top of the circular stair turret on the NW side of the inner (rear) NW drum tower. Much of this may be later rebuild. There is no clear evidence for a mirrored stair turret on the NE drum tower. 3. The turret, now encased within the top-floor room in the cafe. 4. The narrow anti-clockwise cut-slab stairs from the ground floor, with an access door from outside the drum tower (now enclosed by a lean-to kitchen). 4 3 THE CASTLE STUDIES GROUP 10

7 Skipton Castle. The towered curtain that creates the Conduit court within. Forebuilding entrance to the left behind the tree. From right to left: Towers are named: Muniment, Watchtower(centre), Gatehouse, (south Gatehouse D-shaped tower). the castle be disgarrisoned and made untenable, which resulted in the reduction in height of the towers of the inner court. From 1657 the indomitable Lady Anne Clifford, countess of Pembroke ( ), who had been born in the castle, repaired it. The parish church of Skipton lies just outside the castle with the town extending down the once broad, and still beautiful, High Street south of it. Further south the valley of the River Aire is fairly wide at this point and will have had rich meadow land. The Eller Beck was the site of several water mills. A park lay north of the castle and large tracts of open moor to the west and north would have provided alternative hunting areas. The Augustinian Priory of St Mary & St Cuthbert at Embsay, founded 1120 by crusader William Meschin and his wife Cecily de Romilly (c ) daughter of Robert Romille, by whom he obtained Skipton, lies three km to the north east. The castle remains a home, the owners living in the east wing, a Tudor extension constructed in and restored in The medieval parts of the castle are open to visitors as a tourist attraction and educational resource. Of the upstanding remains a good phased construction plan does not yet appear to have been done. Perhaps a future project. Outer Gatehouse The outer gatehouse complex is a fine double twin drum-towered gate of the 14th century, c or perhaps a little later with its upper stages much repaired by Lady Anne and now decorated with the motto DESORMAIS (Henceforth) and a fine heraldic plaque with the arms of Earl Henry Clifford from circa The building might, in fact, have originated as a barbican and gatehouse, connected by an enclosing wall-walk either side, on a similar principle to Warwick or Alnwick. The connecting walls were later built out to include chambers. THE CASTLE STUDIES GROUP 11

8 Skipton Castle, looking north towards the present entrance forebuilding, above Lady Anne s steps. The Watchtower in the foreground, with its upper post-civil War rebuilt half above the string-course. One drum (the NE) contains a rare Renaissancegrotto of c Post 14th-century work on the outer gatehouse masks what could have been quite an innovative gatehouse model without a clear precedent and would benefit from a detailed survey. A number of buildings of various dates stand in the outer ward, most notable the well-preserved, freestanding, chapel of St John The Evangelist, probably of 13th century foundation but with much 14th work. The Inner Bailey Gate passage The gateway / gate passage of the inner court appears to be part 12th century, most clearly seen looking at the portal from within the inner court, but also contains 13th century and later elements much mixed, over and underlying each other in a manner that requires skilled detective work to come to an understanding of the phasing, the location of doors in the various phases and the date of a portcullis (see below). Clearly the original Norman gateway has been transformed into an early twin-towered gatehouse of the late 12th or first quarter of the 13th century. Equally the forebuilding to this gate passage (see photo above) with an assumed, drawbridge and the buildings beside and over it are multi-phase and in need of a clearer interpretation to understand the form of the 12th century gate (said to be c. 1190s) and its 13th century successor (c. 1220s). Lady Anne s repairs are generally fairly readily identifiable where they have Renaissance detail or form, but can, otherwise, be misleading since they have now weathered to be similar to earlier medieval work. The Curtain Towers Clockwise from the twin drum-towered gatehouse around the inner court (also called the Conduit Court) lies the kitchen block, incorporating a 13th century round mural tower, which survives well with roasting hearth, ovens and THE CASTLE STUDIES GROUP 12

9 Skipton Castle, from the south-west (cropped). 1825, John Coney. The Gott Collection. The present entrance forebuilding (left), Gatehouse Tower (middle) and the Watch Tower right. Note alterations to the lower lights (as currently seen). serving hatch with 14th century detail visible, and a large latrine emptying into the Eller Beck. A large first-floor hall with a suitably imposing fireplace comes next followed by a suite of private rooms with fine views to the north over the Beck and towards the park. Three round towers, containing rooms that, presumably, functioned as residential chambers although one is identified as a muniment tower, complete the circuit. These tower appear to be late 13th century or early 14th century. Within the Conduit Court stands a Yew tree planted by Lady Anne in On the east side of the court a twin-bayed two-storey range with a central door opens directly onto a dividing wall with a heraldic plaque featuring the arms of Henry 10th Baron Clifford ( ), known as the Shepherd Lord supposedly because he spent his youth in hiding as a shepherd. This building is well integrated with the older towers to function as a Tudor manor house, which is what its façade strongly resembles. THE CASTLE STUDIES GROUP 13

10 ABOVE: Skipton Castle. South gatehouse tower (left) and Watch Tower (right). Compared to the John Coney drawing on the previous page it is difficult to reconcile the configuration of the lights / arrow loops. Clearly there has been alteration, but it is not clear if some of the alterations are post-coney in an effort to emphasise military features, or whether the earlier loops have been unblocked, which would seem more reasonable. BELOW: Looking back within the Conduit Court to the Norman rear gate-arch, with the flat inner face of the south D -shaped gate-tower of the early C13. The central Yew tree far left. THE CASTLE STUDIES GROUP 14

11 ABOVE: Domestic rooms - Solar, bedchamber and withdrawing room above on the inside of the courtyard, backing onto the Muniment Tower. The armorial plaque bear the arms of John Clifford, ninth lord of Skipton, (d. 1461). The beasts supporting the shield are wyverns - half dragon, half sea serpent. BELOW: The courtyard side of the Banqueting Hall on the first floor. THE CASTLE STUDIES GROUP 15

12 ABOVE: Skipton s Inner Gatehouse at basement (dungeon), courtyard and first-floor levels. BELOW: Left: Section through north tower, looking N. Right: Section through entrance passage looking S. From Derek Renn, An Angevin gatehouse at Skipton Castle, Château Gaillard 7, Measured and drawn by A B Rawson and J Hales, Skipton, THE CASTLE STUDIES GROUP 16

13 1 2 Skipton Castle. Gatehouse. 1. The rear of the Norman gate-arch, perhaps the earliest remaining part of the castle. 2. Looking west along the added gate passage, towards the much rebuilt forebuilding. The stone-flagged floor may have replaced an earlier timber drawbridge. Below the floor is a vaulted chamber which may have been the drawbridge pit. 3. Looking east toward the Inner Bailey (Conduit Court) with the Norman entrance. 4. Evidence in the form of square narrow portcullis grooves in front of the Norman gateway on both sides. The grooves continue into the chamber above. 4 3 THE CASTLE STUDIES GROUP 17

14 1 2 A B Skipton Castle 1. First-floor portcullis chamber plan from Renn, The portcullis is, unusually, at the inner end of the gate passage. 2. The south groove (B) from the ground floor rising up to position B on fig The south groove B within the first-floor portcullis chamber, with a square recess that may have housed the socket or bracket for the lifting mechanism. 4. The equivalent portcullis groove on the north side marked A in fig THE CASTLE STUDIES GROUP 18

15 1 2 Skipton Castle - Elements of the Angevin gatehouse complex: 1. Arrow loop niche embrasure with round-headed rear-arch in the north D -shaped gatehouse tower courtyard level. 2. Connecting rooms of the gatehouse at courtyard level, north tower. 3. Interior side of doorway to what is now called the dungeon - the space under the gate-passage. Note tapered chamfer. 4. The vaulted dungeon which was probably the original drawbridge pit in part. 4 3 THE CASTLE STUDIES GROUP 19

16 Bibliography Goodall, John, 2011, The English Castle (Yale University Press) 148, 223, 244, 408, 420, Turner, Maurice, 2004, Yorkshire Castles: Exploring Historic Yorkshire (Otley: Westbury Publishing) passim Spence, Richard T., 2002, Skipton Castle and its Builders (Skipton: Skipton Castle) Salter, Mike, 2001, The Castles and Tower Houses of Yorkshire (Malvern: Folly Publications), 94-8 Ingham, Bernard, 2001, Bernard Ingham's Yorkshire Castles (Dalesman), 72-3 Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge: Boydell Press), Spence, Richard T., 1991, Skipton Castle in the Great Civil War (Skipton: Skipton Castle) King, D. J. C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 2, 526 Ryder, P. F., 1982 (paperback edn 1992), The Medieval Buildings of Yorkshire (Ash Grove Book) Williams, D., 1981, Medieval Skipton (Craven District Council) p. 10 Renn, D. F., 1973 (2 edn.), Norman Castles of Britain (London: John Baker), 312 Pevsner, N., 1959, Buildings of England: Yorkshire: West Riding (London, Penguin), Illingworth, J. L., 1938 (republished 1970), Yorkshire's Ruined Castles (Wakefield), Tipping, H. A., 1924, English Homes, period 1 Vol. 2 (London), Ambler, L., 1913, The old halls and manor houses of Yorkshire, with some examples of other houses built before the year 1700 (London: Batsford), 47-8 Edmondson, T.W., 1912, The early history of Skipton Castle (Bradford Historical and Antiquarian Society) Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (London: Methuen and Co) Mackenzie, J. D., 1896, Castles of England; their story and structure (New York: Macmillan) Vol. 2, Dawson, 1882, History of Skipton (London), Whitaker, T. D., 1878 (3rd edn edited by A.W. Morant), The History and Antiquities of the Deanery of Craven in the County of York (Leeds and London), Timbs, J. and Gunn, A., 1872, Abbeys, Castles and Ancient Halls of England and Wales Vol. 3 (London) Ward, John, 1866, Skipton Castle: including sketches of its noble owners and its historical associations (Skipton: James Tasker) Turner, T. H. and Parker, J. H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol. 3 Part 2, 211 Grainge, W., 1855, Castles and Abbeys of Yorkshire Whitaker, T. D., 1812, The History and Antiquities of the Deanery of Craven in the County of York (London), Grose, Francis, 1785 (new edn, originally 1756), Antiquities of England and Wales (London) Vol. 6 Periodical Articles Nevell, Richard, , Castles as prisons Castle Studies Group Journal Vol. 28, Brown, R. Allen, 1959, A List of Castles, The English Historical Review Vol. 74 p (Reprinted in Brown, R. Allen, 1989, Castles, conquest and charters: collected papers (Woodbridge: Boydell Press), ) Renn, D. F., 1975, An Angevin gatehouse at Skipton Castle Château Gaillard Vol. 7, Gee, E. A., 1969, Skipton Castle; The King s Manor (York) The Archaeological Journal Vol. 125, (Sanderson), 1913, The Builder Vol. 104, Tipping, H.A., 1911, Country Life Vol. 39, , Primary Clay, C.T. (ed), 1947, Early Yorkshire Charters. Based on the Manuscripts of the late William Farrer Vol. VII: The Honour of Skipton (Yorkshire Archaeological Society Record Series, Extra Series, 5) Rickard, John, 2002, The Castle Community. The Personnel of English and Welsh Castles, (Boydell Press) (lists sources for ) C145/68(23) (Survey of 1307) The National Archives reference (calendared in Maxwell Lyte, H.C., 1916, Calendar of Inquisitions Miscellaneous (Chancery), preserved in the Public Record Office (HMSO) Vol. 2 p. 6 No. 23 C145/99(1) (Survey of 1324) The National Archives reference (calendared in Maxwell Lyte, H.C., 1916, Calendar of Inquisitions Miscellaneous (Chancery), preserved in the Public Record Office (HMSO) Vol. 2 p. 207 No. 830 E142/50 (Survey of 40 Edward III) The National Archives reference THE CASTLE STUDIES GROUP 20