Slingsby Castle

Has been described as a Possible Fortified Manor House

There are masonry footings remains

NameSlingsby Castle
Alternative NamesSlyngesby
Historic CountryYorkshire
Modern AuthorityNorth Yorkshire
1974 AuthorityNorth Yorkshire
Civil ParishSlingsby

Ruins of country house built in the early 17th century for Sir Charles Cavendish, probably by John Smythson, on the site of an earlier building which was granted a licence to crenellate in 1344 and relicenced in 1474. The building is oblong in plan with corner projections, built of limestone with ashlar dressings. It was slighted during the Civil War. The remains of a moat survive as earthworks, though the east side is much mutilated and covered with allotments. (PastScape)

Ruins of Slingsby Castle 25.1.54 GV II Ruins of country house. 1620s. For Sir Charles Cavendish, probably by John Smythson. Limestone rubble brought to course, ashlar dressings. Oblong on plan with corner projections. Originally 2 storeys, 5 bays, with projecting stair turrets to angles. Window openings with quoined jambs under tooled triangular pediments. Remains of first-floor cornice with decorated band. Corner turrets and parts of side walls surviving to 2 storeys in places. This building was probably never finished as Sir Charles Cavendish fled to the continent with his brother the Duke of Newcastle, in 1644. (Listed Building Report)

Gatehouse Comments

Licence to crenellate granted to Ralph Hastings in 1344 and to William, Lord Hastings in 1474. In the 1344 licence it is called a mansum but in the 1474 licence it is called 'castle or manor', unlike the other manors mentioned in that licence. Clearly what was built from the 1344 licence had some martial aspect. The moat has outer bank on at least two sides. Even in its eroded state it is over 2m high and several meters wide. The outer bank may be a C16 garden walk feature but is reminiscent of the feature of nearby Helmsley Castle and may be earlier. The Jacobean house may contain remnants of the earlier licenced house(s).

- Philip Davis

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law

This is a Grade 2 listed building protected by law

Historic England Scheduled Monument Number
Historic England Listed Building number(s)
Images Of England
Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceSE696748
Latitude54.1650581359863
Longitude-0.935320019721985
Eastings469610
Northings474880
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink
Photo by Philip Davis. All Rights Reserved

() above

Latitude 54° 9' 54.26" Longitude 0° 56' 7.15"

View full Sized Image
Photo by Philip Davis. All Rights Reserved

() above

Latitude 54° 9' 54.26" Longitude 0° 56' 7.15"

View full Sized Image
Photo by Philip Davis. All Rights Reserved

() above

Latitude 54° 9' 54.26" Longitude 0° 56' 7.15"

View full Sized Image
Photo by Philip Davis. All Rights Reserved

() above

Latitude 54° 9' 54.26" Longitude 0° 56' 7.15"

View full Sized Image
Photo by Philip Davis. All Rights Reserved

() above

Latitude 54° 9' 54.26" Longitude 0° 56' 7.15"

View full Sized Image
Photo by Philip Davis. All Rights Reserved

() above

Latitude 54° 9' 54.26" Longitude 0° 56' 7.15"

View full Sized Image
Photo by Philip Davis. All Rights Reserved

() above

Latitude 54° 9' 54.26" Longitude 0° 56' 7.15"

View full Sized Image
Photo by Philip Davis. All Rights Reserved

() above

Latitude 54° 9' 54.26" Longitude 0° 56' 7.15"

View full Sized Image
Photo by Philip Davis. All Rights Reserved

() above

Latitude 54° 9' 54.26" Longitude 0° 56' 7.15"

View full Sized Image
Photo by Philip Davis. All Rights Reserved

() above

Latitude 54° 9' 54.26" Longitude 0° 56' 7.15"

View full Sized Image
Photo by Philip Davis. All Rights Reserved

() above

Latitude 54° 9' 54.26" Longitude 0° 56' 7.15"

View full Sized Image
Photo by Philip Davis. All Rights Reserved

() above

Latitude 54° 9' 54.26" Longitude 0° 56' 7.15"

View full Sized Image
Photo by Philip Davis. All Rights Reserved

() above

Latitude 54° 9' 54.26" Longitude 0° 56' 7.15"

View full Sized Image
Photo by Philip Davis. All Rights Reserved

() above

Latitude 54° 9' 54.26" Longitude 0° 56' 7.15"

View full Sized Image
Photo by Philip Davis. All Rights Reserved

() above

Latitude 54° 9' 54.26" Longitude 0° 56' 7.15"

View full Sized Image
Photo by Philip Davis. All Rights Reserved

() above

Latitude 54° 9' 54.26" Longitude 0° 56' 7.15"

View full Sized Image
Photo by Philip Davis. All Rights Reserved

() above

Latitude 54° 9' 54.26" Longitude 0° 56' 7.15"

View full Sized Image
Photo by Philip Davis. All Rights Reserved

() above

Latitude 54° 9' 54.26" Longitude 0° 56' 7.15"

View full Sized Image
Photo by Philip Davis. All Rights Reserved

() above

Latitude 54° 9' 54.26" Longitude 0° 56' 7.15"

View full Sized Image

Most of the sites or buildings recorded in this web site are NOT open to the public and permission to visit a site must always be sought from the landowner or tenant.

Calculate Print

Books

  • Goodall, John, 2011, The English Castle 1066-1650 (Yale University Press) p. 10, 375, 477, 479
  • Turner, Maurice, 2004, Yorkshire Castles: Exploring Historic Yorkshire (Otley: Westbury Publishing) p. 247
  • Jackson, M.J., 2001, Castles of North Yorkshire (Carlisle) p. 76-7 (plan)
  • Salter, Mike, 2001, The Castles and Tower Houses of Yorkshire (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 99
  • Ingham, Bernard, 2001, Bernard Ingham's Yorkshire Castles (Dalesman) p. 106-7
  • Emery, Anthony, 1996, Greater Medieval Houses of England and Wales Vol. 1 Northern England (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press) p. 421-422
  • Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge: Boydell Press) p. 301 (slight)
  • Rushton, J., 1986 (2edn), The Ryedale Story: a Yorkshire Countryside Handbook (Ryedale District Council)
  • King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 2 p. 526
  • Le Patourel, H.E. Jean, 1973, The Moated Sites of Yorkshire (The Society for Medieval Archaeology Monograph Series 5) p. 120-1
  • Pevsner, N., 1966, Buildings of England: Yorkshire: North Riding (London, Penguin) p. 346-7
  • Page, Wm (ed), 1914, VCH Yorkshire: North Riding Vol. 1 p. 558-9 online transcription
  • Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (London: Methuen and Co)
  • Brooke, A. StC., 1904, Slingsby and Slingsby Castle esp. p. 140-52
  • Mackenzie, J.D., 1896, Castles of England; their story and structure (New York: Macmillan) Vol. 2 p. 265-6 online copy
  • Whellan T, 1859, History and topography of the city of York and the North Riding of Yorkshire Vol. 2 p. 884-5 online copy
  • Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol. 3 Part 2 p. 414 online copy
  • Grainge, W., 1855, Castles and Abbeys of Yorkshire p. 243-6 online copy

Journals

  • 1962, Architectural History Vol. 5 p. 35, 82, 94, 148-9

Primary Sources

  • Maxwell Lyte, H.C. (ed), 1902, Calendar of Patent Rolls Edward III (1343-45) Vol. 6 p. 190 online copy
  • Maxwell Lyte, H.C. (ed), 1927, Calendar of Charter Rolls 5 Henry VI - 8 Henry VIII, AD 1427-1516, with an appendix, 1215-1288 Vol. 6. (HMSO) p. 243 online copy
  • Rickard, John, 2002, The Castle Community. The Personnel of English and Welsh Castles, 1272-1422 (Boydell Press) (lists sources for 1272-1422) p. 499

Other

  • Historic England, 2016, Heritage at Risk Yorkshire Register 2016 (London: Historic England) p. 43 online copy
  • Historic England, 2015, Heritage at Risk Yorkshire Register 2015 (London: Historic England) p. 51 online copy
  • English Heritage, 2014, Heritage at Risk Register 2014 Yorkshire (London: English Heritage) p. 59 online copy
  • English Heritage, 2013, Heritage at Risk Register 2013 Yorkshire (London: English Heritage) p. 60 online copy
  • English Heritage, 2012, Heritage at Risk Register 2012 Yorkshire and the Humber (London: English Heritage) p. 80 online copy
  • English Heritage, 2011, Heritage at Risk Register 2011 Yorkshire and the Humber (London: English Heritage) p. 75 online copy
  • English Heritage, 2010, Heritage at Risk Register 2010 Yorkshire and the Humber (London: English Heritage) p. 80 online copy
  • English Heritage, 2009, Heritage at Risk Register 2009 Yorkshire and the Humber (London: English Heritage) p. 89 online copy
  • Creighton, O.H., 1998, Castles and Landscapes: An Archaeological Survey of Yorkshire and the East Midlands (PhD Thesis University of Leicester) p. 624-5 online copy