York Castle in the UK, York Resort
Rating: 8,9/10 (1203 votes)  York Castle is a beautiful castle in the city of York, North Yorkshire. The castle is of the mott-and-bailey type, which is a citadel on a hill surrounded by a palisade.
The first castle on this site was built in 1068, after the arrival of the Normans. The buildings were wooden, hastily put together. Some sources claim that the first castle was built in eight days. Henry II visited this castle four times, it was here that he took the oath of William the Lion of Scotland.
In the middle of the XIII century, by order of Henry III, the castle was rebuilt in stone. At this time, an unusual citadel in the form of a four-leafed leaf was built. During the Scottish Wars of Independence, York Castle was the stronghold of royal power in the northern part of England. In the XV-XVI centuries. the castle has lost its former military significance. It is mainly used as a prison. It contained both simple local robbers and petty thieves, and political prisoners.
In 1642, the civil war began, and in this connection the York Castle was restored and strengthened. The city is occupied by troops loyal to Charles I, under the command of Henry Clifford. In 1644 the city was besieged by parliamentary troops, the castle and the city held out for several months, despite the fact that the number of besieged was about 30,000 people. In the summer, the city surrendered.
After the end of the war and after the Restoration period, there was a long debate about whether to restore the castle. The castle tower was used as a gunpowder store during this time. In 1684, there was a powerful explosion, as some sources say, deliberate. As a result, the tower of the castle was completely destroyed, and the walls of the castle covered with limestone, under the influence of the high temperature, acquired today's pink hue.
The prison at York Castle operated until 1900. When all prisoners were transferred to Wakefield Prison, however, until 1929, York Prison held war criminals.
Today, the castle in York is protected by the state as a historical and architectural monument; there is a museum here that tells about the history of the castle and the city.
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