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The comprehensive gazetteer and bibliography of the medieval castles, fortifications and palaces of England, Wales, the Islands.
 
 
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Harlsey Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as;
Hatlesey; Hartesey vel Harlesey; Harsley; Harlesey

In the civil parish of West Harlsey.
In the historic county of Yorkshire.
Modern Authority of North Yorkshire.
1974 county of North Yorkshire.
Medieval County of Yorkshire North Riding.

OS Map Grid Reference: SE41539803
Latitude 54.37637° Longitude -1.36274°

Harlsey Castle has been described as a certain Tower House.

There are masonry ruins/remnants remains.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.
This is a Grade 2* listed building protected by law*.

Description

Farmhouse, part of C15 castle. Early C15 and C19. Stone, rendered, pantile roof. 2 storeys, 4 bays. Right-hand bay has a lower roof. To bay 2 a 4-panel door with overlight set in plain doorcase with pilasters, frieze and cornice . All windows are 4-pane sashes with stone sills, those to ground floor have flat stuccoed arches. Stone coping to each end and to left of right-hand bay. End stacks and one to ridge. Rear: a small 4-centred arched window, now blocked. Interior has 3 very large beams. Thick original walls up to eaves level. History: built by Sir James Strangwayes, a judge of Common Pleas; he purchased the manor in 1423. His son James was High Sherriff of Yorkshire 1445-6, 1452 and 1468 and Speaker of the House of Commons 1461. It probably fell into disuse after the manor was forfeited to the Crown in the C16. (Listed Building Report)

An almost rectangular enclosure of 4 1/2 acres, with a 30ft wide ditch on three sides and terraces for defence on the west. Slight remains exist of an inner enclosure, including three cellars with rubble-vaulted pointed roofs which may be the basement of a later keep (Pevsner). Castle taken over by Sir James Strangeways in 1423 and probably fell into disuse after the manor was forfeited to the Crown in the 16th century. (VCH) The moat, now dry, was obviously originally a continuous feature, but its NW angle has been obliterated by the present farmstead. The terraces outside the ditch on the west side have been much mutilated by tree-planting, but were probably intended for cultivation rather than defence, as this is the least vulnerable side. The cellars of the castle are in use as farm buildings (Field Investigators Comment–F1 DS 30-NOV-72) The earthworks are divided into two areas, a more ornamental element to the east containing the ponds and orchards, and the inner court containing the principle buildings (Dennison and Richardson, 2007). (PastScape)
Links to archaeological and architectural databases, mapping and other online resources

Data >
PastScape   County HER   Scheduling   Listing   I. O. E.
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Sources of information, references and further reading
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The bibliography owes much to various bibliographies produced by John Kenyon for the Council for British Archaeology, the Castle Studies Group and others.
Suggestions for finding online and/or hard copies of bibliographical sources can be seen at this link.
Minor archaeological investigations, such as watching brief reports, and some other 'grey' literature is most likely to be held by H.E.R.s but is often poorly referenced and is unlikely to be recorded here, or elsewhere, but some suggestions can be found here.
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*The listed building may not be the actual medieval building, but a building on the site of, or incorporating fragments of, the described site.
This record last updated 15/08/2017 15:56:49

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