Scheduled Monuments›England›Harlsey Castle

Harlsey Castle

England
List entry 1004183
Nation
England
The designation
Reference
List entry 1004183
Authority
Historic England (NHLE)
Status
Scheduled Monument
Scheduled area
2.13 hectares
Grid reference
SE 41528 98035
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic England (NHLE)

Overview

History & significance

Harlsey Castle is a medieval fortified enclosure located in North Yorkshire. The site comprises the earthwork remains of a castle, with evidence of a motte or raised platform and surrounding defensive works typical of Norman period fortifications. The castle dates to the medieval period, likely established in the post-Conquest era when such fortified residences were common amongst the Norman nobility in northern England. The surviving earthworks represent a significant archaeological record of medieval settlement and defensive architecture in the Yorkshire landscape, though the site has not been subject to extensive modern excavation that would provide detailed information regarding its precise construction date and phases of occupation.

Harlsey Castle is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1004183. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Harlsey Castle?

Harlsey Castle is a medieval fortified enclosure located in North Yorkshire. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1004183.

Who is responsible for protecting Harlsey Castle?

Harlsey Castle is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic England (NHLE) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in England. The official designation reference is 1004183.

What other scheduled monuments are near Harlsey Castle?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Round barrow on Rabbit Hill, 120m north of High Park House (1.2 km), Winton medieval settlement including fishponds and field system immediately south of Winton House (1.7 km), Sigston Castle: an enclosure castle 400m north of Kirby Sigston church (2.9 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Harlsey Castle

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Harlsey Castle's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Domesday
The settlement's entry in the 1086 Domesday Book: who held it, what it was worth, and the people who worked the land.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
LiDAR
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks hidden under fields and woodland, with likely features flagged.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

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Nearby

Other scheduled monuments within 10 km

Round barrow on Rabbit Hill, 120m north of High Park House
1.2 km
Winton medieval settlement including fishponds and field system immediately south of Winton House
1.7 km
Sigston Castle: an enclosure castle 400m north of Kirby Sigston church
2.9 km
Mount Grace Priory Carthusian monastery: monastic precinct, fishponds, moat, mill and well-houses
3.4 km
Lady's Chapel
3.9 km
Round barrow 200m north east of Priests' Spar Quarry
5.2 km
Site of medieval manor house, Landmoth Hall, including ruins of east wing
5.5 km
World War II bombing decoy control shelter 180m north east of Solomon's House
5.8 km
The ground beneath

The bedrock under Harlsey Castle

Harlsey Castle stands on Lias Group, bedrock that formed in the Aalenian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone, limestone and sandstone.

The wider landscape

Around Harlsey Castle

CatterickRoman town · ~11.8 milesAldboroughRoman town · ~19.6 milesBattle of the Standard 1138Battle (1138) · ~3.4 milesBattle of Northallerton 1138Battle (1138) · ~3.4 milesBattle of Boroughbridge (1322)Battle (1322) · ~19.2 milesBattle of Myton 1319Battle (1319) · ~19.2 miles
Domesday entry for Harlsey, Yorkshire →
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