Enjoying retirement
In The Red Rose County
A nice day, so we decided to see if the six million crocuses on Harrogate's famous Stray were any further out. They were. What a bright display at this time of year. For lunch French onion soup at Weeton's Food Hall. Well worth the trip. Next stop nearby Knaresborough which we had never really explored before. It was full of interest. Here a Methodist Chapel........ Some interesting houses falling down one of the main roads.... We had parked by the river - the Nidd - so walked into town via Waterside and noted the cafe and boathouse for future use. It was then up a lot of steps to the town centre, Knaresborough being built on a steep hill. More wonderful views with the famous railway viaduct and river at the centre of every scene..... .......until we reached the castle. The first written evidence of a castle in Knaresborough is in financial records called the Pipe Rolls dating from the reign of Henry I (1100-1135). These show that £11 was spent in 1129-1130 on strengthening the 'King' Works at Knaresborough’ by custodian Eustace Fitz-John. Between 1204 and 1216 King John spent £1,290 to turn Knaresborough Castle into a military fortress. The castle also developed as a munitions centre, its forges were one of the country's most important manufacturers of 'quarrels' or crossbow bolts. The main parts of the castle that we can see today date from the early 14th century. Knaresborough had become strategically important to Edward I (1272-1307) in his campaign against the Scots. His modernisation of the castle brought high levels of comfort and fashionable elegance, as well as an awesome display of prestige and power. Following the death of Edward I in 1307, the rebuilding work was completed under his son, King Edward II (1307-1327). He oversaw the construction of a magnificent new keep - known ever since as the King's Tower - as a luxury residence for his controversial favourite, the nobleman Piers Gaveston (c 1284-1312). Queen Philippa, wife of King Edward III (1327-1377) received the Honour and Castle of Knaresborough as part of her marriage settlement. She made Knaresborough Castle into a royal residence in the truest sense of the word. Whereas previous monarchs had used the castle to consolidate their power in the North, Queen Philippa spent most of her summers in Knaresborough with her young family, transforming the castle into a comfortable and lavish court residence.In 1372, Knaresborough Castle came into the possession of Queen Philippa's youngest son John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster. From that time onwards, Knaresborough belonged to the Duchy of Lancaster. After the Civil War the castle was sleighted, and over the centuries became the romantic ruin we see today. Some of the adjoining houses are quite prestigious and include the courthouse which today houses a museum which we must visit on a future occasion... The town itself is a warren of interesting streets, medieval and later buildings, and a characterful market place. There are several good pubs but the one I fancied was shut so off we went to Harrogate again to Betty's for a Fat Rascal and a Bury simnel cake (entirely different from what most people call a simnel cake) which I was so glad to remember as the same as my Nana always bought for us all those years ago in the Chorlton of my youth.
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August 2023
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