CHECKPOINT 12
Scarborough Castle
Danes, romans, kings and wars - the castle has seen it all!
Scarborough Castle is steeped in history, including modern wars, royal households, sieges, battles and more.
It is believed the headland and castle area is the earliest inhabited area in the town, and has been fortified for up to 3,000 years. Every settlement in Scarborough has been focussed around the castle. Fragments of pottery dated as early as 2100BC have been found on the headland, showing a civilisation has lived here for millennia.
In the 4th Century it was believed to have held the role of a Roman signal station, and the remains of this structure can be found within the castle grounds.
A 12th century royal Fortress
Acknowledging Scarborough's importance as a thriving settlement, it is believed that William le Gros first commissioned a castle when he became the Earl of York under King Stephen. Work on the castle’s foundations commenced in the 1130s, along with a tower at the entrance.
Within a few years King Henry II demanded all royal castles return to the throne and so the Castle became property of the Crown.
Work recommenced in 1159, under King Henry II, along with a town at the foot of the castle walls - at a cost of £650 over the next ten years, an enormous amount back in those days.
Successive Kings then developed the castle site into what became one of the greatest medieval fortresses of the time. Notably King Henry III, Edward I, Edward II and Richard III - who was the last royal to stay in the castle in 1484.
If you’re interested in ruins, it is well worth a visit inside to see the remains of the royal residence, keep and outbuildings, as well as the amazing views of the coast and town not available from anywhere else in Scarborough.
Wars & Revolutions
The castle was often a key piece in the strategy of any revolters, and the target of many attacks throughout history, including the Tudor era of the 1500s. The Civil War of the 1600s saw one of the bloodiest sieges of the entire period in 1645.
From the mid 1650s the castle became used as a prison - one of its famous residents was George Fox, founder of the Quakers, or Society of Friends, who complained the conditions were appalling.
The mid 18th Century saw barracks for 120 men built, with a battery of 12 guns on the headland.
During the Napoleonic wars French prisoners were held here.
The penal purpose of the castle continued well into the mid 19th century when it became military barracks. Finally after being the victim of heavy fire from German warships at the beginning of WW1, much of the barracks were destroyed and ended up being demolished.
It then became a visitor centre under English Heritage in 1984.
The Castle Ghosts
There are many reports of ghosts and ghouls along the headland and castle - two Roman soldiers, ghost horses galloping up to the castle, George Fox haunting the (now demolished) prison, several ghostly females (wearing white, grey and pink), but the most famous (and widely reported) is the ghost of Piers Gaveston, the first Earl of Cornwall. Here we tell his story…
In the early 14th Century Piers Gaveston was at loggerheads with many aristocrats and barons of the time. The son of a great knight, who carried the crown at the coronation of King Edward II, Gaveston was said to be an arrogant and boastful man. Hated by many, disliked by many more, Gaveston had nicknames for some of his fellow noblemen, including the Earl of Warwick (the Black Dog) and Thomas of Lancaster (the Old Hog).
When a civil revolution against Edward began in 1312, Gaveston took cover in Scarborough Castle. After a short siege at the castle, Gaveston was taken prisoner and led to the Earl of Warwick’s castle where he was sentenced to death and swiftly beheaded. His spectre returned to Scarborough, and a headless figure wanders the cliff tops, trying to push unsuspecting visitors over the castle walls and down the cliff to their death. Some have also reported hearing a manic laughter before feeling pushed towards the cliff edges.
Ghost hunters have come from far and wide to try capture Gaveston's ghoul on camera, a quick youtube search will yield plenty of links.
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