Page 1 of 4

Posted: Fri 04 May, 2012 11:22 am
by cap
I have been reading that we had a castle in leeds once upon a time n that it was where the scarborough hotel pub is near train station. is there anything still left of it? maybe in the cellars of the pub? also is there any remains of a city wall? did we even have a city wall like the one in york?

Posted: Fri 04 May, 2012 2:50 pm
by Chrism
It was more of a manor house than a castle I think, it was where the Scarbrough Taps is, don't think there is anything left of it and I don't think Leeds had a city wall. Someone may be along later with more info.

Posted: Fri 04 May, 2012 3:14 pm
by Jogon
Hi capThe thing in Kent gets all the glory and makes finding 'ours' a tad more diff.http://www.gatehouse-gazetteer.info/Eng ... 45.htmlThe Thoresby Society might be a good port of call. Think it was known as 'Castelhyll'. Never a Castle, rather a fortified manor house. There is a woodcut of it and it's moat in 'History of Ripon' by Thos. Gent published 1733.(it says in my copy of Illustrated History of Leeds, Burt + Grady which inlcudes the pic).

Posted: Fri 04 May, 2012 7:41 pm
by chameleon
A well known china manufacturer was once commissioned to produce a set of illustrated comemorative plates for our Leeds. When released, there was considerable deliberation over just where our castle was and how everyone had failed to notice its very existence.One manufacturer very red faced and with a large number of plates to sell in Kent!

Posted: Sat 05 May, 2012 11:13 am
by Si
cap wrote: I have been reading that we had a castle in leeds once upon a time n that it was where the scarborough hotel pub is near train station. is there anything still left of it? maybe in the cellars of the pub? also is there any remains of a city wall? did we even have a city wall like the one in york? Here's the 1847 OS map of the site. Unfortunately, it's right in the corner. No, there were no surrounding walls, as Leeds was a tiny, relatively unimportant settlement when the York city walls were built. I doubt if there is anything left of the "castle" as the area has been altered so much over the years (railways, mill goits, etc.) However, there were town defences put up during the Civil War (1642-51.)(Click on the red X to view.)        

Posted: Sat 05 May, 2012 2:45 pm
by cap
thanks for the information, its a shame nothings left over from it tho chances are if it was still there it wouldnt be long until it was turned into flats!!

Posted: Sat 05 May, 2012 7:34 pm
by Jogon
capHere's the only remaining "photo" of it.

Posted: Sat 05 May, 2012 7:50 pm
by jim
Rmember that the Scarbrough's Hotel shown in the the map that Si posted the link to above was demolished for road widening in c1899. The present day Scarbrough Hotel (note slightly different spelling) consists of the two small buildings immediately east of its predecessor with an additional section built on the next in line and the access way to the yard behind.    

Posted: Fri 29 Jun, 2012 1:19 pm
by chameleon
Would seem good to move Leodian's offering to here -[b/]Location: LeedsJoined on: 10-Jun-2010 12:33:50Posted: 2329 posts # Posted on: 29-Jun-2012 11:45:15.    Edit | Quote I thought the following may be of interest. It is taken from John Mayhall's 'Annals of Yorkshire' vol I.1081 A.D. "The Doomsday Book, containing an exact account of all the landed property in England, was now finished after a labour of six years.THE CASTLE OF LEEDS.--It is probable that the Castle of Leeds was erected about this time by the De Lacies of Pontefract. It occupied the site at present surrounded by Mill-hill, Bishopgate, and the western part of Boar-lane. It was in all probability surrounded by a moat, and an extensive park, as we may gather from the names Park-row, Park-square, &c.--In excavating for the foundations of the warehouses on the south side of West-bar, (in 1836), the workmen employed by J. Kendall, Esq., discovered the remains of the Castle Moat. It appeared to have had a semicircular form, and to have terminated in the Mill Goit, extending considerably on each side of Scarborough's Hotel, on which site the castle is supposed to have stood.A tower also stood near Lydgate, in Woodhouse-lane, called Tower Hill; which was probably connected with the castle; but not a vestige of either fabric remains."

Posted: Fri 29 Jun, 2012 1:27 pm
by Leodian
Thanks chameleon for merging my 'The Castle of Leeds' thread into this one where it is better placed.