Middleham Castle - Middleham, North Yorkshire (EH)
The most famous inhabitant of Middleham, Richard III, first came here to live as a boy of nine in 1461. Here he learned Latin and French, law and mathematics, jousting and swordsmanship. The castle was already three centuries old, and was the second to be built on the site.
The Norman keep, which is one of the largest in England, was begun in 1170 by Robert FitzRalph. It measures 105 feet by 78 feet and the walls, which are 12 feet thick in places, rise to 55 feet. The entrance is on the first floor and a modern walkway now leads up to it. Inside, the keep is divided by a central wall, with the great hall on the eastern side. There is a circular staircase in the south-east corner which led down to the kitchens and up to the battlements. A chapel was attached to the east wall in the late thirteenth century and, unusually, this had three floors.
Knights in combat re-enactment in 2000
There is a round tower at the south-west corner of the curtain wall which is traditionally known as the Prince's Tower, after Richard's son Prince Edward, who was born and died at Middleham.
Richard III
To commemorate the enduring controversy over the real Richard III, a modern sculpture provides a focal point to a walk around the remains.