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Castillo de York
Yorkshire , Inglaterra
Clifford's Tower (5259021070).jpg
Torre de Clifford, el torreón del castillo de York
York Castle is located in North Yorkshire
York Castle
Castillo de York
Mostrado en North Yorkshire
Coordenadas53°57′21″N 1°04′48″W / 53.9558 ° N 1.0800 ° W / 53.9558; -1.0800 Coordenadas : 53.9558 ° N 1.0800 ° W53°57′21″N 1°04′48″W /  / 53.9558; -1.0800
Referencia de cuadrículareferencia de cuadrícula SE603514
TipoShell mantiene y bailey
Información del sitio
DueñoEnglish Heritage , York Museums Trust, Her Majesty's Courts Service
CondiciónTorre del homenaje en ruinas, muro cortina parcialmente restaurado, edificios del siglo XVIII que se conservan como museo y el Crown Court de York
Historia del sitio
MaterialesCaliza Magnesiana
Batallas / guerrasAsedio de York en 1644
EventosMasacre judía de 1190
Edificio catalogado - Grado I
Designado14 de junio de 1954
Numero de referencia.1259325 [1]
1259360 [2]
1259324 [3]
1259328 [4]
1259329 [5]

York Castle es un complejo fortificado en la ciudad de York , Inglaterra. Consiste en una secuencia de castillos, prisiones, juzgados y otros edificios, que fueron construidos durante los últimos nueve siglos en el lado sur del río Foss . La torre del castillo medieval normando, ahora en ruinas, se conoce comúnmente como la Torre de Clifford . Construido originalmente por orden de Guillermo I para dominar la antigua ciudad vikinga de Jórvík, el castillo sufrió una tumultuosa historia temprana antes de convertirse en una importante fortificación con extensas defensas contra el agua. Después de una gran explosión en 1684 que hizo que las defensas militares restantes fueran inhabitables, el castillo de York continuó siendo utilizado como cárcel y prisión hasta 1929.

El primer castillo motte and bailey en el sitio se construyó en 1068 después de la conquista normanda de York. Después de la destrucción del castillo por rebeldes y un ejército vikingo en 1069, el castillo de York fue reconstruido y reforzado con extensas defensas contra el agua, incluido un foso y un lago artificial. El castillo de York formó una importante fortificación real en el norte de Inglaterra.

En 1190, 150 judíos locales fueron asesinados en un pogromo en la torre del castillo de madera; la mayoría se suicidó para no caer en manos de la turba. Enrique III reconstruyó el castillo en piedra a mediados del siglo XIII, creando un torreón con un diseño de cuatrifolio único , sostenido por una muralla exterior y una puerta de entrada sustancial . Durante las guerras escocesas entre 1298 y 1338, el castillo de York se utilizó con frecuencia como el centro de la administración real en Inglaterra, así como una importante base militar de operaciones.

El castillo de York cayó en mal estado en los siglos XV y XVI, y se utilizó cada vez más como cárcel para delincuentes locales y presos políticos. En la época de Isabel I, se estimaba que el castillo había perdido todo su valor militar, pero se mantuvo como un centro de autoridad real en York. El estallido de la Guerra Civil Inglesa en 1642 vio el Castillo de York siendo reparado y refortificado, desempeñando un papel en la defensa realista de York en 1644 contra las fuerzas parlamentarias . El castillo de York continuó estando guarnecido hasta 1684, cuando una explosión destruyó el interior de la Torre de Clifford. El castillo bailey fue remodelado en estilo neoclásico en el siglo XVIII como centro deadministración del condado en Yorkshire, y fue utilizado como cárcel y prisión de deudores . La reforma de la prisión en el siglo XIX llevó a la creación de una nueva prisión construida en estilo gótico Tudor en el sitio del castillo en 1825; Utilizado primero como condado y luego como prisión militar , esta instalación fue demolida en 1935. En el siglo XX, las ruinas de la Torre de Clifford se habían convertido en un conocido destino turístico y monumento nacional; hoy el sitio es propiedad de English Heritage y está abierto al público. Los otros edificios restantes sirven como el Museo del Castillo de York y el Crown Court .

Historia [ editar ]

Siglo XI [ editar ]

York fue una capital vikinga en el siglo X y continuó como una importante ciudad del norte en el siglo XI. [6] En 1068, en la primera expedición norteña de Guillermo el Conquistador después de la conquista normanda , [7] construyó varios castillos en el noreste de Inglaterra, incluido uno en York. [7] Este primer castillo en York fue un castillo básico de madera de motte y bailey construido entre los ríos Ouse y Foss en el sitio del actual Castillo de York. [7] Fue construido apresuradamente; Los relatos contemporáneos implican que se construyó en solo ocho días, aunque esta afirmación ha sido cuestionada.[8] La mota tenía originalmente alrededor de 200 pies (61 metros) de ancho en la base. [9] Como se construyó en un entorno urbano, cientos de casas tuvieron que ser destruidas para dar paso al desarrollo. [10] William Malet , el sheriff de Yorkshire , fue puesto a cargo del castillo y lo defendió con éxito contra un levantamiento inmediato de la población local. [11]

En respuesta al empeoramiento de la situación de seguridad, William llevó a cabo su segunda campaña en el norte en 1069. Construyó otro castillo en York, en lo que ahora es Baile Hill en la orilla oeste del Ouse, frente al primer castillo, en un esfuerzo por mejorar su control sobre la ciudad. [12] Este segundo castillo también fue un diseño de motte y muralla, con la mota de Baile Hill probablemente alcanzada por un puente horizontal y escalones cortados por el costado de la mota. [13] Más tarde ese año, una flota vikinga danesa navegó hasta York a lo largo del Humber y el Ouse, y atacó ambos castillos con la ayuda de Cospatrick de Northumbria y varios rebeldes locales. [14]Los normandos, intentando hacer retroceder a los rebeldes, prendieron fuego a algunas de las casas de la ciudad. [14] El fuego creció fuera de control y también prendió fuego a York Minster y, algunos argumentan, los castillos también. [15] [nb 1] Los castillos fueron capturados y parcialmente desmantelados, y Malet fue tomado como rehén por los daneses. [dieciséis]

William llevó a cabo una secuencia generalizada de operaciones punitivas en el norte de Inglaterra tras los ataques de 1069 y 1070. [14] Este " Enriquecimiento del Norte " restauró el orden suficiente para permitir la reconstrucción de los dos castillos, nuevamente en madera. [14] El patio interior del castillo de York se amplió ligeramente en el proceso; Los edificios que se cree que se encontraban dentro del patio de armas en ese momento incluyen "pasillos, cocinas, una capilla, cuarteles, tiendas, establos, forjas [y] talleres". [17] Cuando se escribió Domesday Book en 1086, el castillo de York también estaba rodeado por un foso lleno de agua y un gran lago artificial llamado King's Pool, alimentado por el río Foss por una presa construida para tal fin.[18] Hubo que destruirmás propiedades, incluidos dos molinos de agua , para dar paso a las defensas contra el agua. [9] Con el tiempo, el sitio de Baile Hill fue abandonado en favor del primer sitio del castillo, dejando solo la mota, que aún existe. [19]

Siglo XII [ editar ]

Una sección transversal de la mota del castillo de York, realizada en 1903 por Sir Basil Mott ; Marcas "A" los concretos del siglo 20 bases de la motte; los muros bajos que encierran la base de la mota son una adición del siglo XIX

Enrique II visitó el castillo de York cuatro veces durante su reinado. [20] Las cámaras reales en ese momento estaban dentro del torreón por seguridad, y Enrique pagó £ 15 por las reparaciones del torreón. [20] [nb 2] Durante su visita de 1175, Enrique utilizó el castillo como base para recibir el homenaje de Guillermo el León de Escocia. [20] Los molinos del castillo se construyeron cerca para apoyar a la guarnición, y la orden militar de los Caballeros Templarios obtuvo la propiedad de los molinos a mediados del siglo XII. [22] Los molinos demostraron ser vulnerables a las crecidas de los dos ríos y tuvieron que ser reparados repetidamente. [23]

Masacre de judíos [ editar ]

Audio externo
audio icon The Medieval Massacre of the Jewish of York , Speaking with Shadows , publicado por English Heritage, recuperado el 6 de abril de 2021

En 1190, el castillo de York fue el lugar de uno de los peores pogromos de Inglaterra durante la época medieval. [24] Los normandos habían introducido las primeras comunidades judías en Inglaterra , donde algunas ocupaban un papel económico especial como prestamistas , una actividad esencial pero prohibida. [25] Los judíos ingleses estaban sujetos a considerables prejuicios religiosos y trabajaban principalmente desde pueblos y ciudades en los que había un castillo real local que podía proporcionarles protección en caso de ataques de la mayoría de la población cristiana. [26] La protección real generalmente se otorgaba como Norman y Angevin.Los reyes habían determinado que las propiedades judías y las deudas contraídas con los judíos pertenecían en última instancia a la corona, volviendo al rey en caso de muerte de un judío. [27]

Ricardo I fue coronado rey en 1189 y anunció su intención de unirse a las Cruzadas ; este enardecido sentimiento antijudío. [28] Comenzaron a difundirse rumores de que el rey había ordenado que se atacara a los judíos ingleses. [29] En York, las tensiones estallaron en violencia al año siguiente. Richard de Malbis, que le debía dinero al poderoso comerciante judío Aaron of Lincoln , aprovechó un incendio accidental en una casa para incitar a una turba local a atacar la casa y la familia de un empleado judío de Aaron recientemente fallecido en York. [24] Josce de York , el líder de la comunidad judía, condujo a las familias judías locales al castillo real, donde se refugiaron en el torreón de madera. [24]La turba rodeó el castillo, y cuando la policía dejó el castillo para analizar la situación, los Judios, por temor a la entrada de la mafia o de ser entregado a la sheriff , se negó a permitir que él de nuevo. [24] El agente hizo un llamamiento a la sheriff , que llamó a sus propios hombres y sitió el torreón. [24] El asedio continuó hasta el 16 de marzo, cuando la posición de los judíos se volvió insostenible. [24] Su líder religioso, el rabino Yomtob , propuso un acto de suicidio colectivo para evitar ser asesinado por la turba, y el castillo fue incendiado para evitar que sus cuerpos fueran mutilados después de sus muertes. [24]Varios judíos murieron en las llamas, pero la mayoría se suicidó en lugar de entregarse a la turba. [30] Algunos judíos se rindieron, prometiendo convertirse al cristianismo, pero fueron asesinados por la multitud enojada. [24] Alrededor de 150 judíos murieron en total en la masacre. [31] La torre del homenaje fue reconstruida, nuevamente en madera, sobre la mota, que se elevó en altura 13 pies (4 metros) a un costo de £ 207. [32] [nb 3]

Siglos XIII y XIV [ editar ]

Una reconstrucción del castillo de York en el siglo XIV, visto desde el sureste

El rey Juan usó el castillo de York ampliamente durante su reinado, usando el torreón como su alojamiento personal para su propia seguridad. [34] El castillo se mantuvo en buen estado durante ese tiempo. [35] Durante este período, aparecieron los primeros registros del uso del castillo como cárcel, con referencias a prisioneros tomados durante las campañas irlandesas de John en el Castillo de York. [36] En el siglo XIII existía un sistema bien establecido de guardias del castillo, en virtud del cual se concedían varias tierras alrededor de York a cambio de la provisión de caballeros y ballesteros para ayudar a proteger el castillo. [37]

Enrique III también hizo un uso extensivo del castillo, pero durante su visita en la Navidad de 1228 un vendaval destruyó la torre de madera de la mota. [38] Al parecer, la torre del homenaje no se reparó, y en su lugar se construyó un edificio para uso del rey en el patio. [39] En 1244, cuando los escoceses amenazaron con invadir Inglaterra, el rey Enrique III visitó el castillo y ordenó que se reconstruyera en piedra caliza blanca , a un costo de aproximadamente £ 2.600. [40] [nb 4] El trabajo se llevó a cabo entre 1245 y 1270, e incluyó la construcción de un muro cortina con torres, una puerta de entrada de tamaño considerable con dos grandes torres, dos puertas de entrada más pequeñas, una pequeña compuerta de agua, una pequeña puerta de entrada a la ciudad, una capilla y una nueva torre de piedra, primero conocida como la Torre del Rey y luego la de Clifford. [41] [nb 5]

La Torre de Clifford tiene un diseño inusual. La torre de dos pisos tiene planta cuatrifolio con cuatro lóbulos circulares. Cada lóbulo mide 22 pies (6,5 metros) de ancho, con paredes de 9 pies y 6 pulgadas (3 metros) de espesor; en su parte más ancha, la torre tiene 79 pies (24 metros) de ancho. [42] Una puerta de entrada cuadrada, de 21 pies (6,5 metros) de ancho, protegía la entrada en el lado sur entre dos de los lóbulos. [42] Hay torretas defensivas entre los otros lóbulos. [42] Grandes ménsulas y un pilar central soportaban el enorme peso de la piedra y el primer piso. [43] Las lagunas de un diseño exclusivo del castillo de York proporcionaron puntos de tiro. [44]Se construyó una capilla sobre la entrada, que mide 15 pies por 14 pies (4,5 metros por 4,2 metros), que funciona como una cámara de rastrillo como en los castillos de Harlech y Chepstow . [45] Se cree que la torre es un experimento para mejorar el fuego flanqueante al hacer más terreno visible desde la cima del torreón. Aunque es único en Inglaterra, el diseño de la torre se parece mucho al de Étampes en Francia, y puede haber influido en el diseño de la futura torre del castillo de Pontefract . [46]Henry empleó al maestro albañil Henry de Rayns y al carpintero jefe Simon de Northampton para el proyecto, y el costo de la torre representó la mayor parte del gasto total en el castillo durante este período de trabajo. [47]

Un plano de la Torre de Clifford. A = puerta de enlace; B = escalera a la capilla arriba; C = Escaleras a niveles superiores y parapeto; D = Huecos de orificios de bucle; E = Bueno; F = Chimeneas; G = Cámaras de guardabarros

El nuevo castillo necesitaba una inversión constante para mantener su calidad de fortificación militar. [48] Las inundaciones invernales de 1315-1616 dañaron el suelo en la base de la mota, requiriendo reparaciones inmediatas. [49] Alrededor de 1358-1360, la pesada torre de piedra volvió a sufrir hundimientos y el lóbulo sureste se agrietó de arriba a abajo. [50] Los funcionarios reales recomendaron que la torre se reconstruyera por completo, pero, en cambio, se reparó el lóbulo a un costo de 200 libras esterlinas. [49] [nb 6]

Edward I otorgó amplios poderes al sheriff de Yorkshire para hacer cumplir la ley y el orden en la ciudad de York, y los sheriffs establecieron su cuartel general en Clifford's Tower. [51] Durante las guerras contra los escoceses bajo Edward y su hijo, el castillo de York también formó el centro de la administración real en Inglaterra durante casi la mitad de los años entre 1298 y 1338. [52] Muchas instituciones de Westminster siguieron al rey al norte de York. basándose en el recinto del castillo. [52] Los edificios del castillo existentes eran insuficientes para albergar todas las instituciones administrativas; se construyó un edificio temporal dentro del castillo para el Tribunal de Apelaciones Comunesal comienzo del período y reconstruido a mayor escala durante 1319-20. [52] El Exchequer se hizo cargo de la Torre de Clifford. [52] Otros edificios alrededor de la ciudad tuvieron que ser confiscados para absorber el desbordamiento del propio castillo. [52] Como resultado del uso extendido del castillo para estos fines, los tribunales de justicia del castillo de York comenzaron a competir con los de Londres, un patrón que duró hasta la década de 1360. [52] El castillo finalmente adquirió su propia ceca en 1344, cuando Eduardo III decidió crear una ceca permanente en el castillo de York para producir monedas de oro y plata para satisfacer las necesidades del norte de Inglaterra. [53]Los acuñadores europeos fueron llevados a York para establecer la instalación. [53]

Henry III extended the castle's role as a jail for holding a wide range of prisoners.[54] The sheriff was responsible for the jail at this time, and his deputy usually took the role of a full-time jailer.[55] Up to three hundred and ten prisoners were held in the castle at any one time.[56] The conditions in which prisoners were held were "appalling", and led to the widespread loss of life amongst detainees.[57] Prison escapes were relatively common, and many of them, such as the break-out by 28 prisoners in 1298, were successful.[55] When the Military Order of the Knights Templar was dissolved in England in 1307, York Castle was used to hold many of the arrested knights.[58] The castle mills, as former Templar property, returned to royal control at the same time.[59] Edward II also used the castle as a jail in his campaign against his rebellious barons in 1322, and after the battle of Boroughbridge many of the defeated rebel leaders were executed at York Castle.[60]

By the end of the 14th century, the castle bailey was primarily occupied by the local county administration. It was used extensively as a jail, with prisoners being kept in the various towers around the bailey.[54] The old castle-guard system for securing the castle had changed into a system whereby the crown used rents from local royal lands to hire local guards for the castle.[61] Increasingly, royalty preferred to stay at the Franciscan friary, between the Castle and King's Staith on the Ouse, while their staff resided at St Mary's Abbey and St Andrew's Priory in the Fishergate area.[49]

15th and 16th centuries[edit]

A panorama of 15th century York by E. Ridsdale Tate; York Castle is on the right hand side of river, opposite the abandoned motte of Baile Hill

In the 15th century, York Castle, along with Nottingham Castle, was considered a key security asset in the north of England, but investment even in these castles diminished.[62] Repairs to York Castle grew infrequent from 1400 onwards, and it fell into increasing disrepair.[63] Richard III recognised the issue and in 1483 had some of the most decrepit structures removed, but he died at the Battle of Bosworth before replacement work could commence.[64] By the reign of Henry VIII, the antiquary John Leland reported that the castle was in considerable disrepair; nonetheless the water defences remained intact, unlike those of many other castles of the period.[65] As a result of the deterioration, Henry had to be advised that the king's councillors no longer had any official residence in which to stay and work when they were in York.[66] The castle mint was shut down after the death of Edward VI in 1553, and the castle mills were given to a local charitable hospital in 1464.[67] The hospital was then closed during the Reformation, and the mills passed into private ownership once again.[59]

The castle continued to be used as a jail, increasingly for local felons, and a location for political executions.[68] By the 16th century it had become traditional to execute traitors by hanging them from the top of Clifford's Tower, rather than killing them at Micklegate Bar, the usual previous location for capital punishment in York.[69] In 1536, for example, the political leader Robert Aske was executed at York Castle on the orders of Henry VIII, following the failure of Aske's Pilgrimage of Grace protest against the Dissolution of the Monasteries.[69] For most of the period the sheriffs of Yorkshire remained in control of the castle, although there were some notable exceptions such as the appointment of the royal favourite Sir Robert Ryther by Edward IV in 1478.[70][nb 7] At the end of the 16th century, however, the Clifford family (Earls of Cumberland), became the hereditary constables of the castle, and Clifford's Tower took its name from the family at around this time.[71]

The deterioration of the castle continued into the reign of Elizabeth I, who was advised that it no longer had any military utility.[72] Robert Redhead, the tower keeper, became infamous at the time for taking parts of the castle to pieces and selling off the stonework for his own profit.[69] Despite numerous attempts by local city and crown officials to halt this, Redhead continued to cause considerable damage before being forced to stop.[73] Proposals were made to pull down Clifford's Tower altogether in 1596, but were turned down because of the strength of local feeling.[72]

17th century[edit]

York Castle in 1644 during the English Civil War, after Francis Place

Maintaining the castle was becoming increasingly expensive, and in 1614 King James sold the lease on Clifford's Tower and the surrounding land to John Babington and Edmund Duffield, a pair of property speculators.[74] In turn, Babington and Duffield sold Clifford's Tower to a York merchant family.[75] In 1642, however, the English Civil War broke out between the rival factions of the Royalists and Parliament. Forces loyal to Charles I, under the command of Henry Clifford, garrisoned York Castle and the surrounding city in 1643. York effectively became the "northern capital" for the Royalist cause.[76] Clifford repaired the castle and strengthened the walls to permit them to support cannon, placing his arms alongside those of the king above the entrance.[77] Clifford's Tower's gatehouse was substantially remodelled, losing its original medieval appearance.[71] Baile Hill, on the other side of the river, became a gun emplacement.[77] The castle mint was reopened to supply the king's forces with coins.[78]

The war turned against the Royalist factions, and on 23 April 1644 Parliamentary forces commenced the siege of York. A Scottish army under Alexander Leslie came from the south, while a Parliamentary force under Ferdinando Fairfax came from the east.[79] Six weeks later, Edward Montagu brought a third contingent to York, bringing the number of forces besieging the city to over 30,000 men. William Cavendish commanded the city during the siege, while Colonel Sir Francis Cobb was appointed the governor of the castle.[77] Despite bombardment, attempts to undermine the walls and attacks on the gates, the city held out through May and June.[80] Prince Rupert, sent to relieve York, approached with reinforcements, and through clever manoeuvring was able to force the besiegers to withdraw, lifting the siege on 1 July.[81] The next day, Parliamentary forces defeated Rupert at the Battle of Marston Moor, six miles west of York, making the surrender of York and the castle inevitable.[82] On 14 July the city and castle surrendered to the Parliamentary forces, who permitted the Royalists to march out with full honours.[83]

Parliament then appointed Thomas Dickenson, the local mayor, as the governor of Clifford's Tower.[77] Control of the castle rested with the post of mayor until the Restoration.[84] Efforts were made to separate the structures of Clifford's Tower, which Parliament used as a garrison, from the buildings of the bailey, which continued to be used as a prison.[85] Oliver Cromwell visited Clifford's Tower in 1650, and received a salute from the guns stationed on top of it.[85] The cost of the garrison was levied on the city of York.[86]

A massive explosion in 1684 destroyed the roof, floor and central pillar of Clifford's Tower, leaving only the walls intact

After the Restoration of Charles II, the pre-war owners of the property laid claim to Clifford's Tower, eventually being granted ownership.[87] A garrison continued to be stationed there, however, which prevented the owners from actually occupying or using the property.[88] Repairs were made to the tower, and it became a magazine for storing gunpowder and shot.[88] Attempts were made to restore the condition of the moat, which had become badly silted.[89] Some political prisoners continued to be held at the castle during the Restoration period, including George Fox, the founder of the Society of Friends.[90]

The county facilities in the bailey were expanded during these years, with improvements to the Grand Jury House and the Common Hall, but by the 1680s the role of the military garrison at York Castle was being called into question.[91] Sir Christopher Musgrave produced a report for the Crown in 1682; he argued that it would cost at least £30,000 to turn the castle into a modern fortification, producing a proposal for the six bastions that such a star fort would require.[91] This work was never carried out.[91] Meanwhile, the garrison and the castle had become extremely unpopular with the people of York, who disliked both the cost and the imposition of external authority.[92]

On St George's Day in 1684 at around 10 pm, an explosion in the magazine destroyed the interior of Clifford's Tower entirely.[88] The official explanation was that the celebratory salute from the guns on the roof had set fire to parts of the woodwork, which later ignited the magazine.[93] Most historians, however, believe the explosion was not accidental.[88] At the time, it was common in the city to toast the potential demolition of the "Minced Pie", as the castle was known to locals; suspiciously, some members of the garrison had moved their personal belongings to safety just before the explosion, and no-one from the garrison was injured by the event.[94] The heat of the fire turned the limestone of the tower to its current, slightly pink, colour.[71] The now-ruined tower was returned fully to private ownership, eventually forming part of the lands of the neighbouring house and gardens belonging to Samuel Waud.[95]

18th century[edit]

A sketch of the York Castle site in around 1730; left to right, the site of the former bailey, including the Sessions House, the County Gaol and the Jury House; Clifford's Tower, with the River Foss in front and the Ouse behind; Samuel Waud's house and gardens

By 1701, the conditions of the county jail had become scandalous and the decision was taken to redevelop the area occupied by the old bailey.[54] A local tax helped to fund the development, and the king agreed for the ruins of St Mary's Abbey to be cannibalised for building stone.[54] Three new buildings were erected to the south of Clifford's Tower. A new county jail, built between 1701 and 1705 by William Wakefield, was placed on the south side, closely resembling the fashionable work of John Vanbrugh.[96] The local architect John Carr then built the Assize Courts on the site of the old Jury House between 1773 and 1777 on the west side, and oversaw the replacement of the Sessions House and Common Hall by the Female Prison between 1780 and 1783 on the east side.[97] The Female Prison and county jail were later combined to become the Debtors' Prison.[54] Both of Carr's buildings were designed in a distinctive neoclassical style; the Assize Court building was particularly praised at the time as being "a superb building of the Ionic order".[98] The castle courtyard was grassed over to form a circle in 1777 and became known as the "Eye of the Ridings" because it was used for the election of members of parliament for York.[99]

Visits by the prison reformer John Howard as part of the research for his book The State of the Prisons found these prisons flawed, but in relatively good condition compared to others at the time.[100] The Debtors' Prison as a whole was an "honour to the county" of York, with "airy and healthy" rooms, but the felons' wing of the prison attracted some criticism.[101] The felons' wing was "too small" and had "no water" for the inmates; felons were forced to sleep on piles of straw on the floor.[101] Indeed, conditions were so bad in the felons' wing that nine prisoners suffocated in one night during 1739.[99]

Just outside the main walls, the castle mills had become increasingly ineffective from the 16th century onwards because of a reduction in the flow of the rivers driving the water-wheels.[102] As a result, in 1778 they were rebuilt with a new steam engine to drive the machinery; this steam engine caused considerable discomfort to the prisoners affected by the smoke and noise.[103]

19th and 20th centuries[edit]

The crenelated Tudor Gothic gatehouse of the new 1825 prison at York Castle, alongside Clifford's Tower, depicted in 1830

Criticism of the castle prison increased at the end of the 18th century.[104] The facilities were felt to be inadequate and the crowds of spectators who gathered outside the prison to see inmates being taken into York for execution unseemly.[104] Attempts were made to improve the way executions were carried out from 1803 onwards: the former castle courtyard, the Eye of the Ridings, was used for this purpose instead, although crowds still gathered outside the bailey to watch the slow deaths of the prisoners.[99] By 1813 the execution process had been sped up by the introduction of the "short drop" method of hanging, allowing the unusually rapid execution of fourteen Luddite agitators at the castle in 1814.[99] Overcrowding in the jail was now also a problem, with up to 114 prisoners being held at any one time; occasionally, around forty prisoners awaiting trial had to be kept in the jail yard for lack of space elsewhere.[66]

The suitability of the prison was finally brought to a head at the 1821 assizes in York, when an official complaint was made and an investigation begun.[104] The decision was taken to purchase Clifford's Tower and the Waud house, with the aim of demolishing them both to make room for a new, more modern prison.[105] Sydney Smith, the famous wit, writer and vicar of Foston-le-Clay, successfully led a campaign to save Clifford's Tower, emphasising the historic importance of the location for the surrounding city.[106] An alternative proposal, put forward by architect Robert Wallace, would have seen the conversion of Clifford's Tower back into a habitable building to form the hub of a radial prison design, but this was turned down.[99]

In 1825, Clifford's Tower and the Waud house were purchased by the county of Yorkshire at the cost of £8,800 (£665,000 at 2009 prices).[107][108][disputed – discuss] The new prison buildings, designed by architects P. F. Robinson and G. T. Andrews, were constructed in a Tudor Gothic style, including a gatehouse 35 feet (11 metres) high and a radial prison block, protected by a long, high stone wall.[109] The prison, considered to be the strongest such building in England, was built entirely of stone to be both secure and fireproof.[110] Dark grey gritstone was used in the construction to produce a forbidding appearance, although the prison itself was considered healthy and well ventilated.[111]Clifford's Tower played no part in the formal design of the prison, although the talus, or sloping edge of the motte, was cut away and replaced by a retaining wall to allow more space for the new prison building.[112] The backyard of the Female Prison, concealed from public view by the new wall, was used for hangings from 1868 onwards.[99] The Prison Act, 1877, reformed the English prison system, and York Castle gaol was passed into the control of central government the following year.[113] It was used as the county prison until 1900, when the remaining prisoners were transferred to Wakefield Prison, and from then onwards the facility was used as a military prison instead.[114]

Architects Robinson and Andrews' original design for the front (l) and interior (r) elevations of the new 1825 York Castle prison gatehouse

By the early 19th century, dredging and other improvements to the river Foss had made it possible to import flour into York by river, reducing the economic significance of the castle mills.[115] In 1856, the castle mills were finally demolished as part of a further sequence of improvements to this part of the river.[116] The King's Pool that formed part of the castle's water defences was drained.[115] With the construction of several new bridges near the castle, the site became "surrounded by roads instead of moats".[115] Some major trials took place at the Assizes (now Crown Court) building of York Castle in the 19th century, including that of Mary Fitzpatrick who was accused of murder.[117]

In 1890 the Prison Commissioners agreed to declare Clifford's Tower a national monument and to conserve it as a historic location.[113] In 1902 Clifford's Tower was given to the York Corporation, together with a grant of £3,000 (£242,000 at 2009 prices) arranged by Lord Wenlock for conservation and repairs.[108][118] The removal of the talus and the damage to the castle stonework in the 16th century had put excessive pressure on the supporting motte, causing a recurrence of the 14th century subsidence.[119] Sir Basil Mott, a leading Victorian engineer, installed concrete underpinnings to stabilise the structure beneath the gatehouse.[119] By the early 20th century, Clifford's Tower was regularly open to visitors, and in 1915 it was passed to the Office of Works as a national monument.[120]

Today[edit]

The Female Prison, now part of York Castle Museum
In the 20th century daffodils were planted on the side of the motte. They flower annually around the anniversary of the massacre of Jews at the castle in 1190.[121]

York Prison finally closed in 1929, and the Tudor Gothic Victorian prison buildings were demolished in 1935.[114] The Assize Courts building now houses the York Crown Court, while the former Debtors' Prison and Female Prison, together with a modern entrance area, are now the Castle Museum. The circular grassed area between these buildings that was once known as the "Eye of the Ridings" is now known as Castle Green, or the "Eye of York".[99] Clifford's Tower is the most prominent surviving part of the original medieval fortification, although the stone steps up the side of the motte are modern.[30] Fragments of the bailey wall, parts of the south gatehouse and one of the corner towers also survive.[122]

The castle is classed as a Grade I listed building and a Scheduled monument.[123] The site, managed by English Heritage, is open to the public. Until the 1970s, the pogrom of 1190 was often underplayed by official histories of the castle; early official guides to the castle made no reference to it.[124] In 1978, however, the first memorial tablet to the victims was laid at the base of Clifford's Tower, and in 1990 the 800th anniversary of the killings was commemorated at the tower.[124] Recently, commercial interests have sought to introduce retail development to the area surrounding it. Citizens, visitors, academics, environmentalists, local businesspeople and Jewish groups have opposed the development with some success, winning a lengthy and bitter public inquiry in 2003.[125]

The view today from Clifford's Tower facing York Minster

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Hull (p.98) and others draw on documentary evidence which state that the castles were first burnt, then partially dismantled. Cooper (p.18) disagrees, drawing on archaeological work that shows no evidence of fire having damaged the relevant layers of the mottes.
  2. ^ Comparison of medieval financial figures with modern equivalents is notoriously challenging. For comparison, the majority of the barons of the period would have an annual income from their lands of less than £100.[21]
  3. ^ Comparison of medieval financial figures with modern equivalents is notoriously challenging. For comparison, £207 is slightly more than the £200 a year average income of a baron during this period.[33]
  4. ^ Comparison of medieval financial figures with modern equivalents is notoriously challenging. For comparison, £2,600 is around thirteen times the £200 a year average income of a baron during this period.[33]
  5. ^ For the purposes of this article, the keep is referred to as Clifford's Tower throughout.
  6. ^ Comparison of medieval financial figures with modern equivalents is notoriously challenging. For comparison, this sum corresponds to the £200 a year average income of a baron during this period.[33]
  7. ^ Ryther was unusual in being granted control of the castle as well from 1478 onwards on a personal basis, as this was usually reserved for the sheriff. Cooper, p.146.

References[edit]

  1. ^ Clifford's Tower, Historic England. Accessed 22 June 2016.
  2. ^ Debtors Prison, Historic England. Accessed 22 June 2016.
  3. ^ Female Prison, Historic England. Accessed 22 June 2016.
  4. ^ York Crown Court, Historic England. Accessed 22 June 2016.
  5. ^ Curtain Wall, Castle Precinct, Historic England. Accessed 22 June 2016.
  6. ^ Butler, p.2.
  7. ^ a b c Brown, p.32.
  8. ^ Brown, p.110; Cooper, p.15.
  9. ^ a b Cooper, p.14.
  10. ^ Clark, p.239.
  11. ^ Pounds, p.7; Clark, p.239.
  12. ^ Brown, p.32; Pounds, p.7.
  13. ^ Brown, p.41; Butler, p.3.
  14. ^ a b c d Hull, p.98.
  15. ^ Hull, p.98; Cooper, p.18.
  16. ^ Cooper, p.16.
  17. ^ Cooper, p.18; Butler, p.13.
  18. ^ Clark, p.255; Cooper pp.12–3.
  19. ^ Pounds, p.7.
  20. ^ a b c Cooper, p.23.
  21. ^ Pounds, p.59.
  22. ^ Cooper, p.117; Pounds, p.193.
  23. ^ Pounds, p.193.
  24. ^ a b c d e f g h Butler, p.14.
  25. ^ Hillaby, p.16.
  26. ^ Hillaby, pp.21–2.
  27. ^ Stenton, p.197.
  28. ^ McLynn, pp.120–1.
  29. ^ Hillaby, p.29.
  30. ^ a b Hull, p.99.
  31. ^ Butler, p.15.
  32. ^ Hull, p.99; Cooper, p.25.
  33. ^ a b c Pounds, p.147.
  34. ^ Cooper, pp.27–9.
  35. ^ Cooper, p.28.
  36. ^ Cooper, p.91.
  37. ^ Cooper, p.113.
  38. ^ Brown, p.86; Cooper, p.31.
  39. ^ Cooper, p.32.
  40. ^ Hull, p.99; Butler, p.4.
  41. ^ Brown, p.86; Hull, p.99; Toy, p.133; Cooper, pp.85, 87.
  42. ^ a b c Clark, p.256.
  43. ^ Toy, pp.134–5.
  44. ^ Cooper, pp.42–3.
  45. ^ Clark, p.257.
  46. ^ Brown, p.86; Butler, p.16.
  47. ^ Hull, p.99; Toy, p.133.
  48. ^ Cooper, p.63.
  49. ^ a b c Butler, p.17.
  50. ^ Cooper, p.76; Butler, p.17.
  51. ^ Cooper, p.50.
  52. ^ a b c d e f Musson, p.164.
  53. ^ a b Cooper, p.151.
  54. ^ a b c d e Twyford, p.45.
  55. ^ a b Cooper, p.98.
  56. ^ Cooper, p.111.
  57. ^ Cooper, p.97.
  58. ^ Cooper, pp.102–3.
  59. ^ a b Cooper, p.126.
  60. ^ Cooper, p.51.
  61. ^ Cooper, p.115.
  62. ^ Pounds, p.258.
  63. ^ Cooper, p.143.
  64. ^ Cooper, p.147.
  65. ^ Timbs, p.170; Clark, p.255.
  66. ^ a b Cooper, p.148.
  67. ^ Cooper, pp.126, 155.
  68. ^ Twyford, p.46.
  69. ^ a b c Cooper, p.158.
  70. ^ Cooper, pp.146–7.
  71. ^ a b c Butler, p.4.
  72. ^ a b Cooper, p.149.
  73. ^ Cooper, p.161.
  74. ^ Twyford, p.44; Butler, p.20.
  75. ^ Cooper, p.169.
  76. ^ Wedgwood, p.77.
  77. ^ a b c d Timbs and Gunn, p.170.
  78. ^ Cooper, p.155.
  79. ^ Wedgwood, p.289.
  80. ^ Wedgwood, p.311.
  81. ^ Wedgwood, pp.312–3.
  82. ^ Wedgwood, p.322.
  83. ^ Wedgwood, p.322; Twyford, p.41.
  84. ^ Twyford, p.41.
  85. ^ a b Cooper, p.173.
  86. ^ Cooper, p.172.
  87. ^ Cooper, pp.180–1.
  88. ^ a b c d Clarke, p.261.
  89. ^ Twyford, p.42.
  90. ^ Cooper, p.181.
  91. ^ a b c Butler, p.20.
  92. ^ Cooper, p.183.
  93. ^ Butler, p.21.
  94. ^ Timbs and Gunn, p.170; Twyford, pp.43–4.
  95. ^ Cooper, p.177; Butler, p.21.
  96. ^ Butler, p.22.
  97. ^ Butler, pp.8, 20, 22.
  98. ^ Butler, p.8; Twyford, p.49.
  99. ^ a b c d e f g Butler, p.23.
  100. ^ Twyford, pp.46–7.
  101. ^ a b Howard, quoted Twyford p.47.
  102. ^ Cooper, p.128.
  103. ^ Cooper, p.129.
  104. ^ a b c Cooper, p.191.
  105. ^ Cooper, pp.191–2.
  106. ^ Cooper, p.192.
  107. ^ Twyford, p.44; Cooper, p.195.
  108. ^ a b Financial comparison based on the RPI index, using Measuring Worth Five Ways to Compute the Relative Value of a UK Pound Amount, 1830 to Present Archived 1 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine, MeasuringWorth. Accessed 25 October 2010.
  109. ^ Cooper, p.239; Twyford, p.45; Butler, p.24.
  110. ^ Sears, p.180.
  111. ^ Butler, p.24; Sears, p.180.
  112. ^ Cooper, p.195.
  113. ^ a b Cooper, p.196.
  114. ^ a b Butler, p.24.
  115. ^ a b c Butler, p.8.
  116. ^ Cooper, p.130.
  117. ^ "Yorkshire Assizes". York Herald. British Newspaper Archive. 4 November 1882. p. 3 col5. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
  118. ^ Cooper, pp.196, 200.
  119. ^ a b Cooper, p.200.
  120. ^ Cooper, p.208, Butler, p.24.
  121. ^ "The Massacre of the Jews at Clifford's Tower". English Heritage. Retrieved 10 November 2019.
  122. ^ Butler, p.9.
  123. ^ York Castle Archived 10 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine, National Monuments Record. Accessed 15 October 2010.
  124. ^ a b Dobson, p.145.
  125. ^ Castle Area Campaign News 2003, York Castle Campaign website. Accessed 6 November 2010.

Bibliography[edit]

  • Brown, Reginald Allen. (2004) Allen Brown's English Castles. Woodbridge, UK: Boydell Press. ISBN 978-1-84383-069-6.
  • Butler, Lawrence. (1997) Clifford's Tower and the Castles of York. London: English Heritage. ISBN 1-85074-673-7.
  • Clark, G. T. (1874) "The Defences of York," in The Archaeological Journal, Vol. 31 pp. 221–61.
  • Cooper, Thomas Parsons. (1911) The History of the Castle of York, from its Foundation to the Current Day with an Account of the Building of Clifford's Tower. London: Elliot Stock. OCLC 4246355.
  • Dobson, Barry. (2003) "The Medieval York Jewry Reconsidered," in Skinner (ed) (2003).
  • Hillaby, Joe. (2003) "Jewish Colonisation in the Twelfth Century," in Skinner (ed) (2003).
  • Hull, Lise E. (2006) Britain's Medieval Castles. Westport: Praeger. ISBN 978-0-275-98414-4.
  • McLynn, Frank. (2007) Lionheart and Lackland: King Richard, King John and the Wars of Conquest. London: Vintage. ISBN 978-0-7126-9417-9.
  • Musson, Anthony. (2008) "Court Venues and the Politics of Justice," in Saul (ed) (2008).
  • Pounds, Norman John Greville. (1990) The Medieval Castle in England and Wales: a Social and Political History. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-45828-3.
  • Saul, Nigel. (ed) (2008) Fourteenth Century England, Volume 5. Woodbridge, UK: Boydell Press. ISBN 978-1-84383-387-1.
  • Sears, Robert. (1847) A New and Popular Pictorial Description of England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales and the British Islands. New York: Robert Sears. OCLC 557568051.
  • Skinner, Patricia. (ed) (2003) The Jews in Medieval Britain: Historical, Literary, and Archaeological Perspectives. Woodbridge, UK: Boydell Press. ISBN 978-0-85115-931-7.
  • Stenton, Doris Mary. (1976) English Society in the Early Middle Ages (1066–1307). Harmondsworth, UK: Penguin. ISBN 0-14-020252-8.
  • Timbs, John and Alexander Gunn. (2008) Abbeys, Castles and Ancient Halls of England and Wales: Their Legendary Lore and Popular History, Volume 3. Alcester, UK: Read Books. ISBN 978-1-4437-8400-9.
  • Toy, Sidney. (1985) Castles: Their Construction and History. New York: Dover Publications. ISBN 978-0-486-24898-1.
  • Twyford, Anthony William. (2010) Records of York Castle – Fortress, Courthouse and Prison. Alcester, UK: Read Books. ISBN 978-1-4455-7111-9.
  • Wedgwood, C. V. (1970) The King's War: 1641–1647. London: Fontana. OCLC 254381447.

External links[edit]

  • English Heritage site for Clifford's Tower
  • Gatehouse Gazette for York Castle
  • York Castle Museum