| Set spectacularly above the
precipitous valley of the River Swale, the great castle of Richmond was
the hear of one of the largerst estates of medieval England. The Honour of
Richmond was a vast inheritance of land extending over eight counties and
grew out of a gift from William the Conqueror to Alan Rufus, Count of
Penthièvre in Britanny. Count Alan built the huge triangular
castle, most of whose buildings survive and form the most complete
surviving example of an eleventh-century castle in England.
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| The info plaque on the castle. (695kb) | The entrance gate to the castle. (155kb)
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The tower keep, which was added in the 12th century. (173kb) |
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| A view from the tower balcony, looking south towards The Gold Hole tower. (188kb) | A view of Scolland's hall and the Gold Hole
tower from the keep. (259kb)
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The from the keep, looking to the southwest (291kb) |
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| The view from the keep, looking east towards Easby Abbey. (192kb) | Debbie in the keep. (189kb)
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Debbie finds a nice window seat in the keep. (229kb) |
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| The Swale river running along the south side of the castle. (272kb) | The existing of Scolland's hall, the
residence of the lord of the castle. (254kb)
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Looking into the Cockpit garden, outside the Gold Hole Tower. (315kb) |
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| A view of the keep from across the castle grounds. (166kb) | A stone mould for casting strap ends. (50kb)
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Info on the stone mould. (48kb) |
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| A model of Scolland's hall. (164kb) | A different angle on the model (167kb)
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Info on the 14th century half groat. (150kb |
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| A close up of the half groat. (195kb) | ||
St Agatha's Monastery, now known as Easby Abbey, stands about a mile downstream from Richmond Castle on the banks of the River Swale. Beside the abbey ruins in a fine parish church, and beyond this the abbey gatehouse.
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| The info sign on Easby Abbey. (95kb) | A view of the Abbey ruins as we walked down
the road towards it. (220kb)
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The Abbey gatehouse. (264kb) |
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| The cemetery around the parish church, looking at the abbey refectory.. (301kb) | A side view of the abbey ruins. (219kb)
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Debbie, in one of the abbey undercrofts. (176kb) |
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| Debbie sitting on a stone bench in the cloister. (351kb) | Peter, in the abbey kitchen (looking for the
brewery). (446kb)
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An interior of the refectory. Notice the neat tracery in the window. (316kb) |
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| A view of the Abbey dormitory remains.
(180kb)
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