Spofforth Castle
We cannot say this enough, WATCH YOUR DOGS!
Whether that be putting them on a lead, or if they are then have them on a short one, especially if they are violent with other dogs. We keep Yogi on a lead at all times as Chows have limited recall, but also because he's a nervous rescue and is wary of other people due to the abuse he faced before we got him. But this particular adventure was marred by the fact a woman who was too busy chatting, didn't watch her unsociable dog which attacked Yogi despite us trying to keep away from them. The dog was on a long lead and she just let it run at us, in the end Yogi came away with a hurt leg which ruined the holiday a little and obviously caused us great concern. No apologies given, just 'oh I didn't know you were here.' Spofforth Castle is a public attraction and free to enter at all hours, clearly a popular dog walk. She should have been on her guard especially with a small violent dog.
Anyway, rant over. Spofforth used to be a manor house and now lies in ruins within what is technically a public park by the railway line. It was built by Henry de Percy back in the 14th century as he was given a licence to build a manor house within the area. The initial structure was then added to in the 14th and 15th centuries until it became a fortified house which is what allowed it to become a castle.
Obviously, something bad happened, and this something bad was the English Civil War, but before then, the castle also saw some drama during the War of the Roses.
Percy's estates were seized when he joined the rebellion against King Henry IV in 1408 and were given to Sir Thomas Rokeby. They were eventually returned to the Percy family but in 1461 were seized again when the Percy's supported the wrong side during the War of the Roses. This obviously ended up being the losing side or else they would have kept their lands.
It was eventually returned again and Sampson Ingleby, the steward of the Percy estates, lived at Spofforth. He was of note as he was the father of Sir William Ingleby and Jane Ingleby. He lived there until 1604 and then 38 years later came the English Civil War and thus the castle was destroyed. It has sat ruined ever since, although it isn't recorded if it was slighted due to being on a certain side during the war, or if it was just an innocent bystander.
The castle is very interesting the visit. While it is a complete ruin, there is still plenty to explore. You can go into caverns underneath plus look through upper storey windows to the below due to the ground having risen around it. The site is truly fascinating and no doubt full of local ghost stories, but due to the irresponsible lady and her dog we were unable to find out more as we will always put Yogi first.
We'd love to go back and finish what we started, but for now we're content to let it be.
DISCLAIMER: Now for the official bit. This blog does not receive any paid promotions from the places mentioned above. We have not been approached to promote or act as spokespersons for any attraction mentioned within this post and this is simply a post intended to act as a day in the life of a couple on a cute date. All photos included are taken by ourselves and as such the rights for these images are ours, no links, brands, or companies mentioned otherwise belong or are associated with Phantom Adventures UK. We are responsible only for this blog. Opinions are our own and not influenced by any third party source..
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