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CLIFFORDS TOWER

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DESCRIPTION

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A castle keep, known as Clifford's Tower, built between 1245 and 1272 for Henry III. It stands on a motte, which was originally larger and surrounded by a deep moat. The stone-built tower is quatrefoil in plan and is entered through a buttressed forebuilding to the south. Spiral staircases set within the thickness of the walls once led to the upper floors and the wall walk. The original forebuilding contained a chapel, which documents indicate was reroofed in lead in 1312. The tower was repaired in 1360-65, after subsidence caused cracks to appear in the masonry. The building was allowed to fall into disrepair over the 15th and 16th centuries and the upper portion of the tower was demolished in 1596 by a gaoler, who dismantled it in order to sell the stone. The forebuilding was largely rebuilt between 1642 and 1643 while the tower was garrisoned by the Royalists. The tower was damaged during the seige of 1644 and repaired in 1652, but was gutted by an explosion in 1684 and largely abandoned. By the 18th century, the keep had become an ornamental feature in the grounds of a large house to the north east and in 1818, parts of the structure were altered to serve as dovecotes. In 1825, the tower was included in the grounds of a new prison. Restoration work was carried out in 1902-3, 1915, 1920-23 and 1936.

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DETAIL

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CASTLE PRECINCT

Clifford's Tower and portions of the outer walls of the Castle.
C12. A roofless massive stone structure standing on a Norman mound. The entrance building with old tile roof was partially reconstructed after being damaged during the seige of York in 1644. The stone panel bearing the Clifford Arms is later C17. The upper floor forms the chapel and has late C13 arcading inside. The tower is of unusual quatrefoil shape. The moats have been filled in and the drawbridge destroyed, but some of the enclosing wall remains. A.M. (RCHM Vol II) (1)

Clifford's Tower SCHEDULED York SE 605515. (2)

SE 60475148. Castle keep, known as Clifford's Tower, built between 1245 and 1272 for Henry III. It stands on a motte, which was originally larger and surrounded by a deep moat. The stone-built tower is quatrefoil in plan and is entered through a buttressed forebuilding to the south. Spiral staircases set within the thickness of the walls once led to the upper floors and the wall walk. The original forebuilding contained a chapel, which documents indicate was reroofed in lead in 1312. The tower was repaired in 1360-65, after subsidence caused cracks to appear in the masonry. The building was allowed to fall into disrepair over the 15th and 16th centuries and the upper portion of the tower was demolished in 1596 by a gaoler, who dismantled it in order to sell the stone. The forebuilding was largely rebuilt between 1642 and 1643 while the tower was garrisoned by the Royalists. The tower was damaged during the seige of 1644 and repaired in 1652, but was gutted by an explosion in 1684 and largely abandoned. By the 18th century, the keep had become a garden feature and in 1818, parts of the structure were altered to serve as dovecotes. In 1825, the tower was included in the grounds of a new prison. Restoration work was carried out in 1902-3, 1915, 1920-23 and 1936. (3-7)

Additional references. (8,9)

NMR aerial photographs (10-13)

The English Heritage members habdbook for 2009/10 includes a brief summary of the tower and details visitor arrangements. (14)

A website, with an overview of the history of the castle, including mention of the wooden castles that preceded the stone keep. The first was begun in 1068 but was destroyed in a rebellion in 1069 and then rebuilt again. In 1190 the wooden castle was again burnt down, this time it was the scene of a terrible pogrom by a mob against the Jewish community in York who had fled to saftey there. (15)

Overview of the relationship between the jews of medieval York and the tower. (16)

SOURCE TEXT

(1) List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest

District of York, 14th March 1997

(2) Scheduled Monument Notification

EH Scheduling amendment, 31st March 1992

(3) Royal Commission on Historical Monuments, England 1972 An inventory of the historical monuments in the City of York. Volume II: the defences

(4) by the late B H St J O'Neil 1982 Clifford's Tower, York Castle

(5) 1987 Clifford's Tower and the castles of York

(6) by D F Renn 1971 Clifford's Tower and the castles of York

(7) by Nikolaus Pevsner and David Neave 1995 Yorkshire : York and the East Riding

The Buildings of England Page(s)190-191

(8) by B H St J O'Neil 1946 Clifford's Tower, York Castle

(9) General reference

Ministry of Works. 1960. Clifford's Tower, York Castle: Guide (BH St J O'Neil)

(10) Aerial photograph

SE 6051/1-12 29/04/1970; SE6051/14 (postcard); SE6051/113-16 01/01/1980; SE6051/17, 62 22/07/1983; SE6051/37-8 05/05/1988

(11) Aerial photograph

SE6051/41-4 03/08/1991; SE6051/45-9, 69-73 29/07/1991; SE6051/50-1 07/08/1991; SE6051/64, 66-8 08/08/1991; SE6051/93-110 24/12/1991

(12) Aerial photograph

SE6051/40, 51-61 11/01/1992; SE6051/75-8 11/06/1992; SE6051/111-12 31/10/1992

(13) Aerial photograph

SE6051/80-7, 92 06/03/1993; SE6051/184-5, 190 27/03/2002

(14) 2009 English Heritage Visitor Handbook 2009/10

Page(s)201

(15) World Wide Web page

Clifford's Tower, Tangled Spider, no date. "Clifford's Tower" http://www.cliffordstower.com/ [Accessed 21-MAY-2009]

(16) English Heritage 1995 Clifford's Tower and the jews of medieval York

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