Spofforth Castle - Spofforth, North Yorkshire (EH)
Not really a castle, these Manor house remains bear testimony to the power and influence of the Percy family in the North of England during the Middle Ages. Once their power base moved north to Alnwick, the site became less important, and, as elsewhere, was partly demolished by Cromwell's army.
The earliest parts of the building date from the thirteenth century, although the family stronghold was on this site long before then. In the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, the building was enlarged and fashionable gothic tracery can still be seen at the top of the windows in the great hall.
The site is in the peaceful village of Spofforth, with the open green in front giving way to the rock on which it stands. You can clearly see the rock on which the building partly rests. On what is now the ground floor, the evidence of the once vaulted roof remains in the bottom of the octagonal pillars, which their echoed capitals on the walls on either side. The springs of one set of vaulting remains on the right as you enter, with the far left capitals embedded into the rock. Above them the rock has been carved out to create space for the vaulting.
Directly above was the great hall, and the space is still impressive. By going outside again and climbing the steps up from the undercroft, you come up to the level of the great hall, and can enter the hall, albeit carefully as the drop is a bit worrying. From this vantage point, the tower towards the right can be seen to advantage. It was obviously built to last, as it is intact on the outside right up to the stone tiles and finial on the top.
There is a very peaceful atmosphere to this accessible site beside a babbling stream, and the absence of labels, signs and fences inside the building is very refreshing.