CSG Annual Conference - April 2017 -

Helmsley Castle. The East Tower

THE CASTLE STUDIES GROUP JOURNAL THENO 29: CASTLE 2015-1680 STUDIES GROUP JOURNAL NO 31: 2017-18 CSG Annual Conference - April 2017 - Helmsley

Helmsley Castle Later buildings include a bakehouse and brew- house in the north-west corner, while the The castle, built on a rocky outcrop above the chamber block and west tower were trans- river Rye, is one of the country’s most impres- formed as part of an Elizabethan mansion be- sive castles, even in its ruined state. Walter longing to the Manners family, earls of Espec, founder of nearby , built Rutland, with a long gallery running across the the castle in the early twelfth century (after site from the medieval chamber block. 1122), although we cannot be certain whether the impressive banks and ditches date to his time After the battle of Marston Moor in July 1644, or to the period from around 1200 when Robert and the subsequent fall of the city of York, Sir de Ros Il (Fursan) transformed the castle. Thomas Fairfax turned his attention to Helms- ley Castle in August. The siege lasted several On Espec’s death about 1154 Helmsley passed to months, during which Fairfax was wounded. A his brother-in-law, Peter de Ros I, and the castle major royalist attempt to relieve the siege was remained in the hands of the family and their de- unsuccessful and in November the castle’s scendants into the seventeenth century. In the commander, Sir Jordan Crosland, set out terms twelfth century a wall running south-west/north- for a surrender in a letter that now resides in east divided the castle in two halves; we cannot be the British Library. The terms were accepted, certain if the wall was fronted by a ditch. Robert de with the garrison being allowed to march out Ros II (d. 1226/7) transformed Espec’s castle with freely to join the garrison at Scarborough Cas- a curtain wall with north and south gatehouses and tle. The castle at this time was owned by the mural towers. In the centre of the east curtain is the duke of Buckingham, and the terms stated that east tower, heightened in the early fourteenth cen- the dowager duchess’s possessions would re- tury, with its rounded front now lying in the ditch main in the castle under Fairfax’s protection; after destruction following the 1644 siege of the Fairfax would later acquire the castle, in 1650. royalist stronghold. On the west side lies Ros’s The Elizabethan mansion appears to have sur- chamber block, with the attached west tower. vived the siege and remained occupied until at The main approach to the castle, through the least the later seventeenth century, until new earthworks of the outer bailey on the southern owners of the estate built , the side, was strengthened later in the thirteenth cen- new house dating from 1713. tury with a barbican consisting of a twin- towered Description gatehouse from which a line of curtain ran to a mural tower to the east and west, and the south The South Barbican gate strengthened with a drawbridge pit. The The main approach to the castle is via the north gate, which led to the castle gardens by this earthworks of the outer bailey; geophysical time, had a smaller barbican. A chapel was dedi- survey of this area has shown that some ma- cated in the mid-thirteenth century, awkwardly sonry buildings survive, but along with the angled close to the east tower. section of curtain wall on the Victoria County From the later thirteenth century and in the early History plan, there is no indication of the date fourteenth some work was undertaken on the of these features. defences, linking the south barbican to the main Beyond stands the impressive south barbican, body of the castle, with accommodation added the best surviving section of the medieval de- to the south barbican, including a latrine in the fences. The gatehouse frontage and passage gatehouse. Within the castle a new hall was were refurbished in the later sixteenth century, built, presumably replacing an earlier one, with with a handsome tympanum and arcading (one a range that incorporated the kitchen, pantry and of the features of the historiography of the buttery, and the west tower was extended out- castle is the difference in opinion over these wards by one bay, heightened and re-fenestrated. features of the gatehouse!).

THE CASTLE STUDIES GROUP JOURNAL THENO 29: CASTLE 2015-1681 STUDIES GROUP JOURNAL NO 31: 2017-18 CSG Annual Conference - April 2017 - Helmsley

The East Tower A feature of the basement of the west tower is Passing over to and through the south gate, the evidence for the hazel centring and the noting the wing walls, drawbridge pit and ‘pos- sockets in the vaulting in which the centring tern’ doorways, one enters the core of the castle. would have been held in position. Some fea- In front, on the eastern side, are the rear and side tures of the original medieval chamber block walls of the great east tower, with the remnants remain, such as evidence for doorways and of the rounded face lying in the ditch below. windows, as well as a staircase that led to a Built originally about 1200, it then consisted of doorway that opened on to a bridge across the vaulted basement with an upper chamber. In the ditch. The main accommodation lay at first— early fourteenth century the tower was height- floor level, a private chamber, with a latrine ened to create additional stately rooms, with block added about 1300. The rooms were al- paired (‘eared’) turrets, and it is possible that it tered on both the floors from the 1570s, were is in this tower that King Edward III was lodged re-fenestrated, including oriel windows, with in 1334. The uppermost floor was vaulted after new fireplaces, panelling and decorated ceil- a fire had damaged the tower. ings, and the heraldry depicting the coat of arms of the Manners family. Additions were The Kitchen Range and Hall also made to the latrine tower. The founda- Moving across to the kitchen range, one passes tions of the long gallery, timber on stone foot- the mid-thirteenth-century chapel, seemingly ings, run across the site from the Elizabethan converted into a kitchen or lodging in the late chamber block and its loggia. sixteenth century, and the castle’s well. The kitchen and adjacent hall form part of the im- The Brewhouse and Bakehouse provements made to the castle from the end of In the north-west corner of the castle are the the thirteenth century onwards. The kitchen itself remains of structures built in the later fifteenth leads into the pantry, with the buttery by the century, when the brewing of beer became corner mural tower, in which is a furnace for more common, or in the sixteenth century. brewing ale. A small room in the middle of the The North Gate and North Curtain Wall range may have housed a member of the house- hold who could check on the food that had been The gate is twin-towered, with circular towers prepared. The large hall, entered from a screens at either end of the north curtain, the latter with passage, was aisled, and the dais was set at the posterns. The internal rooms of the towers vary northern end, close to and accessible from the in shape, and the north-east tower has a sec- west tower and chamber block. The nearest ondary turret on its outer face. Beyond the building that gives some idea of the scale of the gatehouse is the barbican. The gatehouse led hall is the structure that is now a barn at Sinning- out to an area occupied by gardens, now occu- ton, a few miles to the east of Helmsley. pied by the long-stay car park. The West Tower and Chamber Block The West Range Exterior and Parks The west tower was the solar tower to the adja- The visitor is encouraged to find time to walk cent chamber block. The range was originally around the rampart on the west side of the built by Robert de Ros Il in about 1200, although castle, from the north gate and turning left, to major improvements were made to the tower in appreciate the exterior of the chamber block the fourteenth century, with new windows and an and the west tower. This range overlooks two upper floor, as well as latrines at each level. of the medieval parks associated with the cas- However much of the appearance of the chamber tle, and traces of the earthwork that surrounded block is due to the Elizabethan refurbishment the ‘new’ park, lying in the grounds of Dun- from the 1570s. it was in the 1570s that an attic combe Park, are traceable. was added to the west tower, and earlier windows [See also the review of the EH Helmsley Castle blocked in the western face in order to take fire- guidebook in this Journal pp. 303-306]. places, and the floor levels were adjusted.

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CSG Annual Conference - April 2017 - Helmsley Helmsley Castle plan © English Heritage/Historic Heritage/Historic English © plan Castle Helmsley

THE CASTLE STUDIES GROUP JOURNAL THENO 29: CASTLE 2015-1683 STUDIES GROUP JOURNAL NO 31: 2017-18 CSG Annual Conference - April 2017 - Helmsley

ABOVE: Helmsley. The south barbican gatehouse. Its central section with the darker stone, between the rounded towers was remodelled in the 16th century. BELOW: A reconstruction drawing by Philip Corke, of the south barbican in about 1300, showing the approach to the gatehouse and the possible line of hourdings across the full face of the barbican curtain. From the EH guidebook ‘Helmsley Castle’, by Jonathan Clark, of 2004. © English Heritage. Image taken from the onsite display panel.

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The Evolution of Interpretation ABOVE: The drawing (detail) by Alan Sorrell shows the castle as it may have looked in about 1580, after the the hall had been converted into a mansion by Edward Manners [and the barbican gate had been upgraded in Renaissance style]. From the 1990 EH guidebook by Glyn Coppack. BELOW: The digitised modelling (detail) of the same section of the castle from the 2017 EH guidebook by John Kenyon, and the way all current reconstructions are handled. This is of the same period and is captioned ‘Reconstruction of the castle in about 1600 following the creation of the Tudor mansion’ (by Peter Urmston). There are virtues in each of the different approaches.

THE CASTLE STUDIES GROUP JOURNAL THENO 29: CASTLE 2015-1685 STUDIES GROUP JOURNAL NO 31: 2017-18 CSG Annual Conference - April 2017 - Helmsley

The South Barbican from the east. With the bridge and gatehouse left of centre and the east corner tower to the right. Building the towers and curtain commenced c. mid 13th century. The towers were originally open backed. Inset. An internal arrow-loop embrasure of the tower, which do not appear to have any cross-slits.

THE CASTLE STUDIES GROUP JOURNAL THENO 29: CASTLE 2015-1686 STUDIES GROUP JOURNAL NO 31: 2017-18 CSG Annual Conference - April 2017 - Helmsley

Helmsley Castle, the West Tower. Built originally by Robert de Ros II in about 1200, the tower has gone through a number of significant alterations. Much new revised / additional information on this and the adjoining Chamber Block is contained in the new 2017 guidebook. See pp. 303-306.

THE CASTLE STUDIES GROUP JOURNAL THENO 29: CASTLE 2015-1687 STUDIES GROUP JOURNAL NO 31: 2017-18 CSG Annual Conference - April 2017 - Helmsley

Helmsley Castle. The East Tower from within the outer bailey. From Francis Grose’s Antiquities of England and Wales, (London) Vol. 8, 1787.

THE CASTLE STUDIES GROUP JOURNAL THENO 29: CASTLE 2015-1688 STUDIES GROUP JOURNAL NO 31: 2017-18 CSG Annual Conference - April 2017 - Helmsley

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