Haunted Castle
Last week my wife and I ventured out back in time into one of the best preserved medieval castles in Britain. It is located in the town of Skipton, North Yorkshire.
It was first built around 1090 under Robert de Romille, a Baron of William the Conqueror and since then developed its shape and form. In 1310, King Edward II gave Skipton Castle to Robert Clifford and since then belonged to the family till 1676.
During the first few years of the English Civil War of 1642 to 1651, Skipton Castle was the only Royalist stronghold in the north of England. The Royalists surrendered after a three year siege. Legend has it that during the siege, sheep fleeces were hung over the walls to minimize the impact of cannon shots. Skipton’s coat of arms has sheep fleeces on it.
After the war the roof of the castle was removed and it stood sad and roofless as a reminder of its defeat. However, 11 years later Lady Anne Clifford was granted permission to restore the family dwelling but remembering how the castle had withstood three years of battle, the stipulation was that the walls were to be made thinner and the castle was less fortified. The castle has two floors of rooms, all connected to six large defensive towers. Deep in the dungeon there is a prison which is said to be haunted by the ghosts of the prisoners. I don’t believe for a second in ghosts in the traditional sense, but I do believe that emotions have the capacity to colour the air around you, and it is that lost hope and those decaying dreams that I believe form the ghosts of prisons past and present. Under those conditions the atmosphere actually feels tangible. You can truly feel it. You can nearly touch it.
The castle’s enclosed courtyard is known as the Conduit Court. It has a yew tree supposedly planted by Lady Anne in 1659, making the tree over 350 years old. Leading off the Conduit Court is the Banqueting Hall, the social centre of the Medieval castle, and where the Lord and Lady would have dined.
The medieval kitchen would never have passed the scrutiny of today's public health inspectors; it would have been a crowded, hot and smelly place. The garderobe (privy or toilet) opens straight off the kitchen. Next to it was a chute which discharged kitchen waste into the stream below. Pipes made from elm wood brought water from outside, but if the castle was besieged and the pipeline cut off, the inhabitants had to rely on rainwater collected from the roof and channeled into a cistern beneath the Conduit Court.
Throughout much of its history, the castle has relied on nearby Skipton Castle Woods for food, fuel and building materials. The woods are home to over 160 plant, tree and grass species and they looked majestic in the autumn attire.
