Читать книгу Walking in the Yorkshire Dales: North and East. Howgills, Mallerstang, Swaledale, Wensleydale, Coverdale and Nidderdale онлайн

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From the junction by St Andrew’s Church, walk east along Main Street through the centre of town. Meeting Long Lane at the end, go left and immediately left again, beside Westwood Books, up a track signed to Castlehaw. Breaking from the trees above the town, the mound of Castlehaw comes into view across to the right. The access is over a stile as the track shortly curves right.

CASTLEHAW

An early Norman stronghold dating from the end of the 11th century, the castle held a commanding position above the entrance to the Rawthey valley. Exploiting a small outcrop, the steep-sided motte, on which stood a defensible wooden tower, still dominates the site, and would have been further defended by a deep ditch and wooden palisade. The living area lay within the bailey, the lower apron projecting to the west, and contained the lord’s hall as well as quarters for his retainers and dependants. With the consolidation of Norman rule it became redundant, and was never rebuilt in stone as were those further to the north. It was, however, brought back into use during the last war as a lookout for the Royal Observer Corps.