Spofforth Castle

Museum | Harrogate | England | United Kingdom

Visit castle ruins in Harrogate

Spofforth Castle in Harrogate, United Kingdom, is a fascinating castle ruin with a rich history dating back to the 14th century. Originally built as a residential fortress for the de Verdun family, the castle played a significant role during the English wars and in the history of the region. Today, visitors can explore the impressive remains of the castle, which are located on a picturesque hill and offer stunning views of the surrounding landscape.

History of de Verdun family

The castle is best known for its well-preserved ruins, which create a captivating atmosphere and provide insight into medieval life. The remnants of the tower, walls, and gatehouse are still clearly visible, giving an idea of what the structure must have looked like in its prime.

English castles from the 14th century

During the 16th century, the castle fell into disrepair as it was no longer used as a residence. The destruction continued in the following centuries, but the building remained an important historical landmark.

Contact details

Web

Phone

Address
Castle St
Spofforth
HG3 1ND Harrogate

Map view

Opening hours

Sunday10:00 - 18:00
Monday10:00 - 18:00
Tuesday10:00 - 18:00
Wednesday10:00 - 18:00
Thursday10:00 - 18:00
Friday10:00 - 18:00
Saturday10:00 - 18:00

Reviews

792 Reviews

Sue Ruddick
25.01.2025

Spofforth Castle is a fortified manor house owned by the Percy family it is situated in a grass area. Ideal for dog walkers and free to enter. Ruinous now but still interesting to explore. Parking is on road then a short walk across grass. Worth a visit
howard smith
30.12.2024

Lovely old ruins
Stephen Caldwell
18.12.2024

Free place, such fun and wonderful history. We played knights and fights for an hour at least. This is a super we family visit to a ruin, parking is good, access is fair and easy. Great fun!!
jonathan corbett
09.11.2024

Superb little find, interesting, even had a picnic in the grounds, ample bin provided.
Marit Veenhof
03.11.2024

Als je in de buurt ben, zeker langsgaan! Er is geen parkeerplaats maar je kan gewoon langs de weg parkeren. Het is gratis openbaar toegankelijk. Mooie infoborden erbij. Je kan er ook heel fijn picknicken.
David Keogh
16.09.2024

Lovely open space out front - great place for a picnic. Not much to the castle itself and not particularly accessible by wheelchair, but the fact that it’s free and well maintained makes it a pleasant enough spot and my two year old loved it! - parking is limited roadside although we caught it on a good day…
Sarah 1 Butterworth
11.09.2024

Lovely, all free & I nice walk round which can take as little a half a hour
Lisa Sutherland
06.09.2024

Went here for a visit whist at harrogate. Only 20 minutes away from the harrogate town centre. Free to entre, parking just around the site. Lovely place to take kids for a play and picnic.
Steven Mcbeth
02.09.2024

Free. Parking also free on the roadside just on the perimeter. Information boards dotted around. This is an unmanned site.
Gary Eaton
22.08.2024

Nice place to visit for hour
Ross Galvin
20.08.2024

Interesting historical monument, well, very much an ancient ruin now, but scenic. You can park on the bays as you approach it after turning off the main road
Alan Whitehead
08.04.2020

Interesting manor house later crennalated.
Mick Saunders
13.08.2024

Nice place for a visit on a sunny afternoon. Nice little village, castle pub is lovely and there are a number of walks from castle around countryside. Castle grounds are a good place for a picnic. free access and parking on road nearby.
Febe Martin
26.07.2024

Lovely little castle to have a couple of hours of fresh air and explore around
Alex Gledhill
26.07.2024

Disappointing. Advertised as a castle but is actually a small manor house. No wonder it's free to enter. Over and done with in 2-3 minutes. Not worth the fuel to drive there.
Mo DFTBA
24.07.2024

Free to visit nice place to spend a couple of hours.
Stephen Cheetham
15.07.2024

Not much to see but overall the history is interesting.
Margaret Bell
08.07.2024

English heritage maintained castle. Interesting, but it needs more information boards. Free to enter. Parking is just on the street, room for about 6 cars. Once you have seen it, you probably don't need to go back.
Stuart Lammie
06.07.2024

Beautiful castle, great history, beautiful walks around, also a very pleasant picnic area that we made use of. Dog friendly, does loved it after there long run down from Scotland. Also a charming little village
pamela johns
05.07.2024

Amazing ruin of impressive manor house, details of decorative stonework still visible.

 

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