The town of Richmond sits at the mouth of Swaledale, and the castle sits on a cliff overlooking the River Swale.
It was originally called Riche Mount, 'the strong hill'. The castle was constructed from 1071 onwards as part of the Norman Conquest of Saxon England.
William of Normandy, whom the English still remember as ‘the Conqueror‘, gave Alan Rufus, Count of Britanny, this land in reward for his support in that battle.
There had been stirrings of rebellion in Yorkshire and King William needed a loyal ally in the region - and in the front line facing the Scots and the Danes. Alan Rufus also received a large amount of land in other parts of the country. Together his estates were known as ‘The Honour of Richmond‘.
As a castle Richmond had fallen out of use by the end of the 14th century and did not receive major improvements after that date. A survey of 1538 shows it was ruinous but paintings by Turner and others and the rise of tourism and an interest in antiquities led to repairs to the keep in the early 19th century.
The castle was used as a prison during the First World War to house conscientious objectors who refused to play any part in the war.
It later passed into the hands of English Heritage, and it is now registered as a scheduled ancient monument. The views from the walls and keep are impressive, and the town too is a fascinating place to explore.
Great capture! Thank you for the wonderful history. I find this very interesting from a geocaching perspective and would love to find some geocaches hidden in that area!
Thank you Margaret - Richmond is a very interesting castle, although it was never really involved in any conflicts.
Ian
Thank you Lynne, glad you like it.
Ian
Thank you Bob - I loved the way it towers over the river.
Ian
Thank you Dianne - although I'm not sure that swimming here is very sensible, since there are a series of falls just downstream.
Ian
Thank you Ferry, and thank you for the fav - it was a fascinating place to explore.
Ian
Thank you Graham, and thank you for the fav.
Ian
Thank you Brian - I loved the way it towers over the river.
Ian
Thank you Tony, and thank you for the fav - and there will be more history to follow!
Ian
Thank you Steve and Pam - the Swale is a very attractive river, with some great walks along it's banks.
Ian
Thank you Rose - it was well worth a long bus ride to see this interesting castle.
Ian
Thank you Pete - I loved the way the castle towered over the river.
Ian
Thank you Julia - there is indeed geocaching in Richmond - http://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GCK92N_roaming-round-richmond-revived?guid=a0e4fa11-d663-4a9d-8b9f-56e975427f9d
Ian
Thank you Doug, glad you like it.
Ian
Thank you Bruni - I love the way the castle towers over the river.
Ian
Ian