York Castle is a fortification in the city of York, England. The principal remains of the 13th-14th century castle are the keep, which is known as Clifford’s Tower, and some of the curtain wall. From its start in 1068 through the English Civil War, the castle had a particularly noteworthy history. In 1068, during the Norman Conquest of 1066–1069, William I had a basic wood motte-and-bailey castle built at York between the Rivers Ouse and Foss on the site of the present-day York Castle, and placed it under the command of William Malet. The local population soon harassed the castle; to aid in its defense and to strengthen his grip on the north, William had a second castle built in 1069 on what is now Baile Hill on the west bank of the Ouse. Later that year, a Danish fleet sailed up the Humber and attacked the castles and the Norman occupiers with the assistance of Cospatrick and a number of locals. The Normans, as part of their attempt to defend themselves, set fire to the houses around the castles, with the unintended consequence that the castles too were destroyed. Nice for sightseeing tour.
GPS travel destination: 53° 57′ 21″ N, 1° 4′ 48.3″ W
May 082008
