Scarborough Castle
There have been buildings since Roman times on the headland above the North Bay at Scarborough, on the Yorkshire coast, but William le Gros, Earl of Albermarle, constructed the first stone fortress on the site in 1135. Its chapel survives, although it was altered in the 14th century. It was Henry II (1154-89) who erected the three-storey keep we see today with the remains of its fore building, which once stood 40 feet high. The top of the keep has disappeared but fireplaces on the first and second floor levels may be seen, to give some idea of its scale.
The only land approach to the castle site is guarded by a large semicircular gateway with two smaller towers (also built by Henry II), and the great curtain wall has eleven semicircular flanking towers. The remains of a Roman signal station, two chapels, a hall and the Mosdale Hall built by King John - and converted into a barracks in the 18th century - have been excavated in the outer bailey, towards the sea.
The castle's outer defences were reinforced over the years but the site and strength of the building, an important Royal fortress, meant it was only badly damaged on a very few occasions. During the 17th century Civil War it suffered a sustained cannon bombardment, and in 1914 it was attacked by German battle cruisers, which led to the demolition of some of the remaining structures.
The site is now owned by English Heritage and is open daily: April-September 10-6 and October-March 10-4
Angela Moreton
