Knaresborough
OS grid reference:- NZ 170 009
The historic market town of Knareborough lies on the River Nidd, around 4 miles to the east of Harrogate.
The origin of the town's name is unclear, “borough” derives from Anglo-Saxon word “burgh”, meaning a fortress or fortified settlement. “Knare” may come either from the name of a chieftain, or from “knar” – a rocky outcrop, therefore meaning “the fortress on the rock”. The town is recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 where it is referred to as as “the Manor of Chenaresburg”, the castle is not mentioned.
The earliest identified Lord of Knaresborough is Serlo de Burgh who held Knaresborough in 1115, it later passed to Hugh de Morvile in 1158.
Hugh de Morville was constable of Knaresborough and one of the four knights who, during the reign of King Henry II, murdered Archbishop Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral on 29 December 1170. After the murder, the four knights fled to Knaresborough and hid at the castle. Hugh de Morville forfeited his lands in 1173. Knaresborough was then granted to the Stuteville family, when they died out in 1205 on the death of Robert Stuteville, King John took the Honour of Knaresborough for himself and it was there that he distributed the first Maundy Money on 15 April 1210. Knaresborough Forest, which in medieval times extended far to the south of the town, is said to have been one of King John's favourite hunting grounds.
Knaresborough is a town of much character, it spills down the river bank while high above is the iconic viaduct and the ruins of Knaresborough Castle. Cobbled paths and stone staircases lead down to the riverside where boats are available for hire. Behind the main High Street lies a charming Market Square. A circular route around the historic town takes in quiet lanes, river side paths and ancient rights of way as it circles the town.
Route literature can be found in the Knaresborough and Harrogate Tourist Information Centre.
Sights in the town include the remains of Knaresborough Castle, Mother Shipton's Cave, nearby is a petrifying well which is the oldest charging tourist attraction in England, having been open since 1630. The cave is associated with the legendary soothsayer and prophetess Mother Shipton (circa 1488 - 1561), born Ursula Southeil, and the wife of Toby Shipton.
The House in the Rock, known as the Chapel of Our Lady of the Crag, is situated on Abbey Road and is a fascinating local curiosity. The Chapel was built by John the Mason in 1408. Legend relates that his son was almost killed by a rock fall in the quarry. John fervently prayed to the Virgin Mary to save him. When he emerged, miraculously unscathed, from the rubble, John built this chapel in thanksgiving.
St Roberts Cave beside the River Nidd is a rare survival of a medieval hermit's home. This site attracted thousands of pilgrims in the Middle Ages. Robert of Knaresborough lived in the cave site in the late twelfth and early thirteenth centuries, visiting pilgrims believed that their ailments could be cured by Robert, and following his death, by the cave itself. The small cave is carved into the face of the limestone cliff, and the remains of a chapel and St. Robert's living area still remain.
Knaresborough is also the site of Ye Oldest Chymist Shoppe, which stands in the Market Square, it is the oldest chemist shop in England. Records reveal a John Beckwith was dispensing medicines in the shop in 1720, but this use of the premises may actually date from much earlier because the building is 200 years older and contained volumes of "dispensatories and herbals" from the seventeenth century.
John Metcalf (1717-1810), also known as Blind Jack of Knaresborough, was the first professional road builder to emerge during the Industrial Revolution. Born into a poor Knaresborough family, he was blind from the age of six following a smallpox infection. John had an eventful life, which was well documented by his own account just before his death. In the period 1765 to 1792 he built about 180 miles (290 km) of turnpike road, mainly in the north of England. A statue of Metcalf stands in the market square, across from Blind Jack's pub.
Knaresborough Castle
A stronghold of medieval kings, Knaresborough Castle was built in around 1100 on a cliff top overlooking the River Nidd.
In the 1170's Hugh de Moreville, one of the knights responsible for the murder of Thomas Beckett, sought refuge there, along with his followers, following the assassination of Archbishop Beckett in Canterbury Cathedral.
In 1205 King John took over the castle and spent £1,290 on improvements to the building.
The castle was rebuilt between 1307 and 1312 by John's grandson, King Edward I and later completed by his son Edward II. John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, the son of Edward III, acquired the castle in 1372, it remains part of the Duchy of Lancaster to the present day.
The castle consisted of two walled baileys one positioned behind the other, the outer bailey stood on the town side and the inner bailey on the cliff side. The enclosure wall had solid towers along its length, a pair of towers, still visible to the present day, once formed the main gate. At the junction between the inner and outer baileys, on the north side of the castle stood a tall five-sided keep, the eastern parts of which have now been pulled down.
During the Civil War, Knaresborough Castle was taken by Parliamentarian troops in 1644 and later slighted on the orders of Parliament in 1648. Much of the stone was taken and reused in local buildings.
The castle ruins are now open to the public and the grounds are used as a public leisure space, with a bowling green and putting green open during the summer months. It is also used to host to frequent events. The Courthouse Museum is housed in the Castle's oldest building where visitors can learn about Knaresborough's royal residents, and infamous locals.
The Courthouse Museum
