Scheduled MonumentsEnglandMiddleham Castle: twelfth century tower, keep, castle and fourteenth century concentric castle.

Middleham Castle: twelfth century tower, keep, castle and fourteenth century concentric castle.

England
List entry 1010629
Nation
England
The designation
Reference
List entry 1010629
Authority
Historic England (NHLE)
Status
Scheduled Monument
Scheduled area
0.87 hectares
Grid reference
SE 12664 87592
Boundary

Scheduled area

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

Overview

History & significance

Middleham Castle is a substantial fortress in North Yorkshire that represents two distinct phases of medieval military architecture. The site was established in the twelfth century with the construction of a large stone keep, which remains one of the finest examples of Norman castle architecture in northern England. During the fourteenth century, the castle was substantially enlarged through the addition of concentric defensive walls and towers, transforming it into a formidable fortress in the concentric style. The castle's strategic position and architectural development reflect its importance as a major stronghold in Yorkshire throughout the later medieval period, and the survival of both its Norman keep and later fourteenth-century additions provides exceptional archaeological and architectural evidence for the evolution of English castle design.

Middleham Castle: twelfth century tower, keep, castle and fourteenth century concentric castle. is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1010629. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Middleham Castle: twelfth century tower, keep, castle and fourteenth century concentric castle.?

Middleham Castle is a substantial fortress in North Yorkshire that represents two distinct phases of medieval military architecture. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1010629.

Who is responsible for protecting Middleham Castle: twelfth century tower, keep, castle and fourteenth century concentric castle.?

Middleham Castle: twelfth century tower, keep, castle and fourteenth century concentric 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 1010629.

What other scheduled monuments are near Middleham Castle: twelfth century tower, keep, castle and fourteenth century concentric castle.?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including The Swine Cross (0.1 km), Middleham market cross (0.2 km), William's Hill (0.4 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Middleham Castle: twelfth century tower, keep, castle and fourteenth century concentric castle.

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Middleham Castle: twelfth century tower, keep, castle and fourteenth century concentric 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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The ground beneath

The bedrock under Middleham Castle: twelfth century tower, keep, castle and fourteenth century concentric castle.

Middleham Castle: twelfth century tower, keep, castle and fourteenth century concentric castle. stands on Yoredale Group, bedrock that formed in the Bashkirian. The rock here is limestone with subordinate sandstone and argillaceous rocks.

The wider landscape

Around Middleham Castle: twelfth century tower, keep, castle and fourteenth century concentric castle.

CatterickRoman town · ~9.4 milesAldboroughRoman town · ~21.7 milesBattle of the Standard 1138Battle (1138) · ~15.8 milesBattle of Northallerton 1138Battle (1138) · ~15.9 miles