Pictures of Richmond Castle

a Castle in the town of Richmond, in the county of North Yorkshire

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About Richmond Castle

This castle, occupying a dramatic cliff-top site above the River Swale, led a fairly quiet life without any military action to cause defect. The fact that it is in a ruinous state is entirely due to neglect from the 16th-century onwards. Once it was recognised that there was no military purpose for the castle, it was simply left to fall into a state of decay.

Richmond Castle is a very interesting castle and has some quite early remains. The site on which it stands belonged to Edwin, Earl of Mercia, but later, following the Conquest it was granted to Alan the Red of Brittany at about 1080, and he was responsible for the early building works.

Scollards Hall, the hall block of the castle situated in a corner of the courtyard, is believed to be the oldest castle hall in England. It was built soon after the initial building of the exceptionally thick curtain walls, which are triangular in build to follow the oddly shaped site on which the castle stands. Before the keep was built, the hall would probably been used for storage, or as a servants hall. The solar, or withdrawing room was reached via a flight of steps at the castle's eastern end.

The most prominent feature left of Richmond Castle is its great keep. It is thought this may have been added in the 12th-century, possibly by Henry II. This was built as an upwards extension of the original gatehouse, thus the fine 11th-century archway is very well preserved.

This is a romantic, atmospheric site, where it is easy to imagine how grand this historic place would have looked in its "hey-day" when the countryside was more peaceful than it is now. However, from the top of the keep and castle walls there are fantastic views of Richmond, the Swale and surrounding countryside.
Please see below for other recommended attractions and towns to visit near Richmond Castle.

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Distances and directions shown below are approximate. For true driving distances please visit the AA Route Planner

Recommended attractions near Richmond Castle

Easby Abbey	(1.1 miles, 1.7 km)	Pictures
Constable Burton Hall Gardens	(5.7 miles, 9.1 km, direction S)	Pictures
Crakehall Water Mill	(7.7 miles, 12.5 km, direction SE)	Pictures
Swaledale	(8.2 miles, 13.3 km, direction W)	Pictures
Middleham Castle	(8.6 miles, 13.9 km, direction S)	Pictures
Braithwaite Hall	(9.5 miles, 15.3 km, direction S)	Pictures
Bolton Castle	(10.2 miles, 16.3 km, direction SW)	Pictures
Arkengarthdale	(10.3 miles, 16.6 km, direction W)	Pictures
Thorp Perrow Arboretum	(10.8 miles, 17.4 km, direction SE)	Pictures
Egglestone Abbey	(11.3 miles, 18.2 km, direction NW)	Pictures

All attractions in North Yorkshire
Complete A to Z of attractions in England

Recommended towns near Richmond Castle

Richmond, a Historic Market Town in the county of North Yorkshire (0.5 miles, 0.8 km)
Richmond is a lovely old market town on the River Swale in North Yorkshire.
Info | Pictures | Hotels

Reeth, in the county of North Yorkshire (8.2 miles, 13.3 km, direction W)
An area of startling clarity, populated with beautiful old stone buildings, Reeth is a famous centre from which to tour the beautiful Yorkshire Dales.
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Darlington, in the county of County Durham (11.3 miles, 18.2 km, direction NE)
Darlington, bustling though it is today was once a small Saxon settlement, this flourished as evidenced by the beautiful building of the church dedicated to Saint Cuthbert which lies at the heart of the town.
Info | Pictures | Hotels

Aysgarth, in the county of North Yorkshire (12.4 miles, 19.9 km, direction SW)
The ground rises sharply as you head towards this high upland village which is dominated by what are renowned as the prettiest...
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Barnard Castle, a Historic Market Town in the county of County Durham (12.6 miles, 20.3 km, direction NW)
Info | Pictures | Hotels

Gunnerside, in the county of North Yorkshire (13.5 miles, 21.7 km, direction W)
This is an attractive village lying at the heart of a landscape made famous in the TV series "All Creatures Great and Small".
Info | Pictures | Hotels

Askrigg, in the county of North Yorkshire (14.9 miles, 24.0 km, direction SW)
In 1587, Queen Elizabeth II granted a charter to this lively little village and in the 20th-century Askrigg claimed its place in history as the setting for the T.V. series based on the James Herriot stories of a vet's life in the Yorkshire Dales.
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Bainbridge, in the county of North Yorkshire (16.0 miles, 25.8 km, direction SW)
Bainbridge is the epitome of a typical Dales village, it comprises of picturesque old stone cottages, with a lively, well quarried stream running through it.
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Muker, in the county of North Yorkshire (16.4 miles, 26.4 km, direction W)
Apart from having a place in the history of the Yorkshire Dales, Muker is a walkers paradise and a wonderful relaxing place to stay whilst discovering the beauty of the area.
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Keld, in the county of North Yorkshire (17.1 miles, 27.5 km, direction W)
Keld is a wonderfully scenic area at the head of Swalesdale. It is a lonely landscape with a small hamlet of stone cottages and outlying farms.
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All towns in North Yorkshire
Complete A to Z of towns in England

Nearby travel help

A1(M) Junction 56	(5.5 miles, 8.9 km, direction NE)
Leyburn Station	(6.9 miles, 11.2 km, direction SW)
A1(M) Junction 57	(8.7 miles, 14.0 km, direction NE)
Leeming Bar Station	(9.7 miles, 15.6 km, direction SE)
Teesside International Airport	(14.7 miles, 23.7 km, direction NE)
Leeds Bradford International Airport	(37.0 miles, 59.5 km, direction S)
Richmond Castle to London	(210.8 miles, 339.2 km, direction S)

Accommodation & Hotels near Richmond Castle

Hotel Name
The Kings Head Hotel	(0.4 miles, 0.7 km)
Bridge House Hotel	(3.8 miles, 6.1 km, direction E)
Scotch Corner Hotel & Leisure Club	(4.1 miles, 6.6 km, direction NE)
Elmfield Country House	(5.3 miles, 8.5 km, direction SE)
The White Swan Hotel	(8.2 miles, 13.2 km, direction S)
Buck Hotel	(8.2 miles, 13.3 km, direction W)
Best Western The Croft	(9.4 miles, 15.2 km, direction NE)
The Morritt Arms Hotel	(9.6 miles, 15.5 km, direction NW)
The Lodge At Leeming Bar	(9.8 miles, 15.8 km, direction SE)
Blackwell Grange Hotel	(10.3 miles, 16.5 km, direction NE)
All of our hotels are available to book online & with special discounts