Middleham Castle

We visited Middleham Castle on July 6, the 531st anniversary of the coronation of King Richard III. Richard spent much of his boyhood growing up in Middleham Castle, and he rose to become King of England, the last king from the House of York. Richard was defeated and killed by Henry Tudor (Henry VII) at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485. Richard III was villainized in the years following his death by his Tudor successors, who sought to legitimize their claim to the throne, and completely filleted (I am told) by Shakespeare in his play Richard III.

York, Yorkshire, and Middleham are Richard III country. They still consider him a great king, and I spoke to couple of local ladies who thought his body, which was discovered in 2012, should be returned to York to “lie finally at rest” among his people.

A statue of Richard III inside Middleham Castle. Not sure why he is missing his arms, but someone has placed a bouquet of white roses — the symbol of the House of York — at his feet:

You may recall the fanfare around the discovery of Richard III’s remains in Leicester in 2012. If you kept up with that story, you probably heard of a Richard III Society. These are the type of people I spoke to at Middleham on Sunday.

Anyway, to commemorate Richard’s coronation, the castle had an interactive play for children to learn about Richard III. My daughter, Melissa, was chosen to play Richard III, while Paul played Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick. Both of my children, were therefore killed in battle, though one of them did — briefly but heroically — wear the English crown.

The Earl of Warwick, makes a deal with Richard’s brother, George:

The Battle of Barnet rages, Warwick leading the Lancastrians against the Yorkists:

Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick, lies slain at the end of the Battle of Barnet, a decisive victory for the House of York:

Richard III is crowned King of England:

Poor Richard III lies dead after the Battle of Bosworth Field:

I must admit, I knew very little about Richard III until this visit and the play, but it turns out he was quite an interesting man, and not a bad king, though I think one of the enduring mysteries of this era is what Richard did with the Princes in the Tower.

Anyway, Middleham Castle is worth a visit if you are in Yorkshire. It is a prototypical rectangular castle with its keep in the middle. This is a major historical spot of English history; I’d place it on par with Kenilworth Castle. The castle complex is not as large as Kenilworth, but it is as well preserved, and a climb up to the top of the keep does present decent views.

View from the keep:

As with other castles, the kids will have a ball exploring.

But the main reason to visit Middleham is to get a sense of the history here. If you’re coming to York and Yorkshire, you must learn some about the War of the Roses (which I didn’t) and come to Middleham. If you are staying in York, you can make a day trip out to Middleham, and either continue on to Richmond Castle and Easby Abbey, or hit Fountains Abbey on the way or way back. If you stay in North Yorkshire, as we did, Middleham is a very short drive and a no-brainer. If you can time it right, visiting on July 6 is a propitious day to visit Middleham.

Richmond Castle

Richmond has been a military town since its founding in 1071, and today is home to Catterick Garrison, the largest British Army base in the world. Towering over the town is the 100-foot high keep of Richmond Castle, visible for miles around. Although the castle fell out of use in the latter part of the 14th century, it’s use as a military post was resurrected when military barracks were built within its walls in 1855, and the castle found use during World War I as a base for the Non-Combatant Corps and a prison for conscientious objectors. Today, it is a tourist site managed by English Heritage.

The distinguishing feature of Richmond Castle is its well-preserved and restored castle keep, 100 feet high with walls 11 feet thick. You can climb all the way to the top of the keep and look down over the castle walls and the River Swale on one side, and the town of Richmond on the other. Your kids will enjoy the climb and the view from the top, and will you. It is not a large castle, and you won’t be there long enough for the kids to get bored. Besides the keep, there are the remains of the chapel and several towers, which our kids thoroughly explored. You will find your kids move faster than you through ruins, but they will also make sure they explore every nook and cranny.

Apparently, there should also have been a display on the WWI prison there and the “Richmond 16,” who were imprisoned as conscientious objectors and sentenced to death (commuted to 10 years’ hard labor), but the display was closed when we were there.

Do I recommend Richmond Castle for visiting families? Yes, if you’re in the area. Middleham Castle, just 30 minutes away, is larger and more historic; if you’re pressed for time, visit Middleham instead. However, visiting Richmond Castle puts you in line of sight to Easby Abbey, so visiting Richmond allows you to knock out both of those in half a day, still giving you time to visit another site.