History
Pontefract Castle was built following the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The first castle was a wooden motte-and-bailey style castle constructed by Ilbert de Lacy in 1086, who received land in Yorkshire from William the Conqueror for his services to the King. De Lacy's family would later gain the title of Earls of Lincoln.
After 1177, Robert de Lacy began replacing wood with stone. The Keep was added in the 13th century, and a great gate flanked by twin semi-circular towers were added in the 14th century.
The last Earl of Lincoln, Henry de Lacy, died in 1311 with no male heir. His daughter Alice was married to the powerful Thomas, Earl of Lancaster, so the castle was transferred to the House of Lancaster.
Thomas opposed King Edward II and the influence of Edward's favorite, Piers Gaveston. In 1322, Thomas was defeated at the Battle of Boroughbridge and held prisoner at his castle at Pontefract before being executed by beheading outside the castle walls six days later. The castle passed to his brother Henry, who regained the Lancaster estates in 1326 and rose to become the first Duke of Lancaster.
John of Gaunt, third son of King Edward III, would take ownership of Pontefract Castle through marriage, and his son, Henry Bolingbroke, should have inherited the Honour of Pontefract and Pontefract Castle following his father's death in 1399. Still, King Richard II claimed the land and title for himself. Bolingbroke would eventually force Richard to abdicate the throne and proclaim himself King Henry IV. He had Richard imprisoned in several castles, including the Tower of London, before Richard finally ended up at Pontefract Castle, where he starved to death in 1400.
Pontefract also housed other prominent prisoners, including James I of Scotland. It also witnessed several executions. Its moniker of "bloody prison" was well earned.
In 1460, during the Wars of the Roses, the castle played its part when forces from the castle attacked Richard, Duke of York, outside the castle at the Battle of Wakefield.
On June 25th, 1483, Richard III had two relatives of Elizabeth Woodville beheaded at Pontefract Castle, her son, Sir Richard Grey, and her brother, Anthony Woodville, 2nd Earl Rivers.
Edward IV would stay at Pontefract Castle the night before the Battle of Towton.
The castle was enlarged under both Henry IV and Henry VI.
In 1536, Thomas Darcy, 1st Baron Darcy of Temple Hurst, handed over the castle to Catholic leaders of the Pilgrimage of Grace, a rebellion in Northern England against King Henry VIII. King Henry viewed this as an act of treason and executed Lord Darcy.
King Henry would stay at Pontefract Castle in August of 1541 during his summer "royal progress" of the north, ceremonies and festivities held during a King's formal entry into a town during the Middle Ages, known as the Joyous Entry. It is alleged that his fifth wife, Catherine Howard, committed her first act of adultery with Thomas Culpeper at Pontefract Castle during this visit, for which she was later beheaded at the Tower of London without trial.
On January 28th, 1569, Mary Queen of Scots stayed at Pontefract Castle while on her way to Rotherham from Wetherby.
During the English Civil War, Pontefract Castle supported King Charles I and withstood three sieges by Parliamentarian forces. During the siege in December of 1644, mining and artillery fire caused the Piper Tower to collapse, before royalist reinforcements caused the Parliamentarians to retreat and lifted the blockade. The royalists again had to surrender the castle on March 24th, 1649, after a five-month siege, led by Oliver Cromwell, two months after King Charles I was beheaded.
Pontefract Castle was the last royalist stronghold in England to surrender to the Roundheads. Parliament ordered the castle to be "demolished and leveled to the ground" three days later.
Castle Highlights
Pontefract Castle was once one of the grandest castles in England and the key to the north. Now just fragments remain, and with woodland surrounding the castle, it isn't easy to get a sense of its size from the outside. I always come away from Pontefract a bit disappointed that so little remains from such an important castle in England's history.
The most significant remains of the castle include parts of the Keep and battered walls, including dungeons where prisoners carved their names. The Keep or donjon at Pontefract had a rare quatrefoil design, like Clifford's Tower at York Castle.
Parts of the 12th century rampart walls, the postern gate of the Piper Tower, and the foundations of St Clement's Chapel are the oldest ruins.
Pontefract Castle had a detached tower called Swillington Tower located some 30 meters outside the castle walls to the north, which was accessible from the north wall by a bridge.
Pontefract Castle can be explored in an hour or two. To make a full day of visiting castles, Conisbrough Castle is just south of Pontefract Castle and can be explored the same day.
