Pontefract Castle in the early 17th Century |
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| Type | Castle ruins |
|---|---|
| Proprietor | Duchy of Lancaster |
| Managed by | City of Wakefield MDC |
| Main feature | Castle ruins |
| Other features | Underground magazine |
| Public access | Yes |
| Country | England |
| Region | Yorkshire and the Humber |
| UK Grid square | SE4622 |
| Address | Castle Chain, Pontefract |
| Postcode | WF8 1QH |
| Refreshments | Yes |
| Parking | Disabled |
| Shop | Yes |
| Website | Wakefield Council |
Pontefract Castle is a castle in the town of Pontefract, in the City of Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England. It was the site of the demise of Richard II of England, and later the place of a series of famous sieges during the English Civil War
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The castle was first constructed in approximately 1070 by Ilbert de Lacy [1] on land which had been granted to him by William the Conqueror as a reward for his support during the Norman conquests. There is, however, evidence of earlier occupation of the site. Initially the castle was a wooden structure, but this was replaced with stone over time.[2]
Robert de Lacy failed to support Henry I of England during his power struggle with his brother and confiscated the castle from the family during the 12th century. The de Lacys lived in the castle until the early 14th century.[2] It was under the tenure of the de Lacys that the magnificent multilobate donjon was built.[1]
In 1311 the castle passed by marriage to the estates of the House of Lancaster. Thomas, Earl of Lancaster (1278–1322) was beheaded outside the castle walls six days after his defeat at the Battle of Boroughbridge, a sentence placed on him by King Edward II himself in the great hall. This resulted in the earl becoming a martyr with his tomb at Pontefract Priory becoming a shrine.[2] Later John of Gaunt, a son of Edward III of England, as Duke of Lancaster was so fond of the castle that he made it his personal residence, spending vast amounts of money improving it.
Richard II of England (1367–1400) was probably murdered within the castle walls,[1][3] in the Gascogne Tower. William Shakespeare's play Richard III mentions this incident:
In 1536, Pontefract Castle was handed over to the leaders of the Pilgrimage of Grace, a Catholic rebellion from northern England against the rule of King Henry VIII, by the castle's guardian, Thomas Darcy, 1st Baron Darcy de Darcy. Lord Darcy was later executed for this alleged "surrender," which the King viewed as an act of treason.
In 1541, during a royal tour of the provinces, it was alleged that King Henry's fifth wife, Queen Catherine Howard, first committed adultery with Sir Thomas Culpeper at Pontefract Castle, a crime for which she was later apprehended and executed without trial.
The castle has been a ruin since 1644 when it held as a Royalist stronghold during the English Civil War [3] and besieged at least three times by Parliamentarian forces, the latter being responsible for the castle's present dilapidated state and many of its scars. Pontefract Castle was noted by Oliver Cromwell, leader of the Parliamentarians, as "[...] one of the strongest inland garrisons in the kingdom".[1]
Apparently the destruction of the castle at the conclusion of the Second English Civil War had the full support of the surrounding population. They were grateful to destroy the castle and thus stop the fighting in their area. In the view of the locals, the castle was a magnet for trouble.[2]
It is still possible to visit the castle's 11th-century cellars which were used to store military equipment during the civil war.
The most remarkable feature of the current site is the remains of the donjon. Very few examples of this multilobed type exist. One is Clifford's Tower in nearby York. An identical example to York can be found at Étampes, France.
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