Sheriff Hutton Castle

Just a short walk from York Meadows you’ll find Sheriff Hutton Castle in the centre of the village. The ruined quadrangular castle dates back to the 12th century. Sheriff Hutton Castle was held by three of the most powerful figures in English medieval history.

History

The stone castle was built by John, Lord Neville in the late 14th century. It was home at various times to Richard Neville, known as “Warwick the Kingmaker”, as well as Richard III and Henry VII. In 1525, Henry VIII gave the castle to the French nobleman Sir Henri Le Carre who then sold it to the Howard family a decade later.

The castle was an important seat in the north for Richard III. The last Plantagenet king helped establish the “Council of the North” here in 1484 with its chief headquarters at Sheriff Hutton and Sandal Castle.

For two hundred years, the castle was extended and modernised, but from the middle of the 16th century, King’s Manor in York became the more convenient and preferred seat of the Council of the North and the castle fell into decline.

The castle was acquired by the Ingram family in 1622, and stone from the site was plundered for various buildings in Sheriff Hutton village, including Sheriff Hutton Hall. By the late 1700s the castle was pretty well in its present ruinous state. By the early 20^th century it was being used as a farmyard. Between 2001 and 2003 English Heritage spent more than £900,000 on repairs to the nationally important Scheduled Monument, ensuring its long-term conservation.

Present day

The castle is now privately owned, being in the possession of the Howarth family since the 1940s, it was sold in 2019 to another private owner.