city york england fortified complex comprising centuries sequence castles prisons law courts buildings south medieval norman castle commonly referred tower built originally orders william dominate viking city york castle suffered tumultuous early history developing major fortification extensive water defences major explosion rendered remaining military defences continued jail prison bailey castle site built following norman conquest york destruction castle rebels viking army rebuilt reinforced extensive water defences including moat artificial lake formed important royal fortification north england local jews killed castle committed suicide order fall hands mob rebuilt castle stone middle 13th century creating unique design supported outer bailey wall substantial gatehouse scottish wars frequently centre royal administration england important military base operations fell disrepair 15th 16th centuries increasingly jail local political prisoners time elizabeth castle estimated lost military value maintained centre royal authority york outbreak english civil war saw york castle repaired playing royalist defence york parliamentary forces continued garrisoned explosion destroyed interior tower castle bailey redeveloped style 18th century centre county administration yorkshire jail prison prison reform 19th century led creation new prison built tudor gothic style castle site county military prison facility demolished 20th century ruin known tourist destination national monument today site owned english_heritage open public remaining buildings serve history 11th century york viking capital 10th century continued important northern city 11th century william northern expedition built number castles north east england including york castle york basic wooden bailey castle built rivers site present day built contemporary accounts imply constructed days assertion challenged originally feet metres wide base built urban environment hundreds houses destroyed way development sheriff yorkshire placed charge castle successfully defended immediate uprising local population response security situation william conducted second northern campaign built castle york hill west bank opposite castle effort improve control city second castle bailey design probably reached horizontal bridge steps cut later year danish viking fleet sailed york attacked castles assistance number local rebels attempting drive rebels set fire city houses fire grew control set fire argue castles castles captured partially dismantled taken hostage william conducted widespread sequence operations north england aftermath attacks north restored sufficient order allow rebuilding castles wood bailey york castle enlarged slightly process buildings believed inside bailey time include halls chapel barracks stores stables workshops time book written surrounded water filled moat large artificial lake called fed river dam built purpose property including destroyed way water defences time hill site abandoned favour castle site leaving exists 12th century henry_ii visited times reign royal chambers time inside safety henry paid repairs visit henry castle base receiving homage castle mills built close support garrison military order granted ownership mills century mills proved vulnerable flooding rivers repeatedly repaired location worst england medieval period introduced jewish communities england occupied special economic role essential banned activity english jews subject considerable religious prejudice primarily worked towns cities local royal castle provide protection event attacks majority christian population royal protection usually granted norman kings determined jewish property debts owed jews ultimately belonged crown king jew death richard crowned king announced intention join anti jewish sentiment rumours began spread king ordered english jews attacked york tensions broke violence following year owed money powerful jewish merchant aaron lincoln exploited accidental house fire local mob attack home family recently deceased jewish employee aaron york leader jewish community led local jewish families royal castle took refuge wooden mob surrounded castle constable left castle discuss situation jews fearing entry mob handed sheriff refused allow constable appealed sheriff called men laid siege siege continued march jews position religious leader proposed act collective suicide avoid killed mob castle set fire prevent bodies mutilated deaths jews perished flames majority took lives mob jews surrender promising convert christianity killed angry crowd jews died total massacre rebuilt wood raised height feet metres cost 13th 14th centuries king john extensively reign personal quarters security castle kept good repair time period records use castle jail appeared references prisoners taken john irish campaigns held york castle 13th century established system castle guards place lands york granted return provision knights assist protecting castle extensive use castle visit christmas gale destroyed wooden apparently repaired building king use built bailey instead scots threatened invade england king visited castle ordered rebuilt white limestone cost work carried included construction curtain wall gatehouse considerable size large towers smaller small small gateway city chapel new stone known king later tower unusual design storey tower plan circular lobe measures feet metres walls feet inches metres thick widest tower feet metres square gatehouse feet metres wide protected entrance south defensive turrets large central pier supported huge weight stone floor design unique provided firing points chapel built entrance measuring feet feet metres metres doubling chamber tower believed experiment improving flanking fire making ground visible summit unique england design tower closely resembles france influenced design future henry employed master mason chief carpenter simon project cost tower accounted majority overall expenditure castle period work new castle needed constant investment maintain quality military fortification winter floods damaged soil base requiring immediate repairs heavy stone suffered south eastern lobe cracked royal officials recommended completely rebuilt instead lobe repaired cost edward gave wide reaching powers sheriff yorkshire enforcing law order city york established headquarters tower wars scots edward son formed centre royal administration england half years westminster institutions followed king north york basing castle compound existing castle buildings insufficient house administrative institutions temporary building inside castle built beginning period rebuilt larger scale took tower buildings city absorb overflow castle result extended use castle purposes law courts york castle began compete london pattern lasted castle eventually acquired mint decided create permanent mint york castle produce gold silver coins serve needs north england european brought york establish facility extended castle role jail holding wide range prisoners sheriff responsible jail time deputy usually took role time prisoners held castle time conditions prisoners held led widespread loss life prison escapes relatively common break prisoners successful military order dissolved england hold arrested knights castle mills property returned royal control time castle jail campaign rebellious barons battle defeated rebel leaders executed york castle end 14th century castle bailey primarily occupied local county administration extensively jail prisoners kept towers bailey old castle guard system securing castle changed system crown local royal lands hire local guards castle increasingly royalty preferred stay staff resided mary abbey area 15th 16th centuries 15th century considered key security asset north england investment castles diminished repairs york castle grew onwards fell increasing disrepair recognised issue structures removed died battle replacement work commence reign henry_viii reported castle considerable disrepair nonetheless water defences remained intact unlike castles period result deterioration henry advised king longer official residence stay work york castle mint shut death castle mills given local charitable hospital hospital closed reformation mills passed private ownership castle continued jail increasingly local location political executions 16th century traditional execute hanging tower killing usual previous location capital punishment york example political leader executed york castle orders henry_viii following failure protest period yorkshire remained control castle notable exceptions appointment royal favourite sir end 16th century family cumberland hereditary castle took family time deterioration castle continued reign elizabeth advised longer military utility tower keeper infamous time taking parts castle pieces selling stonework profit despite numerous attempts local city crown officials halt continued cause considerable damage forced stop proposals pull tower altogether turned strength local feeling 17th century maintaining castle increasingly expensive king james sold lease tower surrounding land pair property turn sold tower york merchant family english civil war broke rival factions parliament forces loyal charles command garrisoned surrounding city york effectively northern capital royalist cause repaired castle strengthened walls permit support cannon placing arms alongside king entrance tower gatehouse substantially losing original medieval appearance river gun castle mint reopened supply king forces coins war turned royalist factions april parliamentary forces commenced siege york scottish army came south parliamentary force came east weeks later brought contingent york bringing number forces besieging city men commanded city siege colonel sir appointed governor castle despite bombardment attempts undermine walls attacks gates city held june sent relieve york approached reinforcements clever able force withdraw lifting siege july day parliamentary forces defeated battle miles west york making surrender york castle inevitable july city castle surrendered parliamentary forces permitted march honours parliament appointed local mayor governor tower control castle rested post mayor restoration efforts separate structures tower parliament garrison buildings bailey continued prison visited received salute guns stationed cost garrison levied city york restoration charles_ii pre war owners property laid claim eventually granted ownership garrison continued stationed prevented owners actually occupying property repairs tower magazine storing gunpowder shot attempts restore condition moat badly political prisoners continued held castle restoration period including founder county facilities bailey expanded years improvements grand jury house common hall role military garrison york castle called question sir produced report crown argued cost turn castle modern fortification producing proposal star fort require work carried garrison castle extremely unpopular people york disliked cost external authority explosion magazine destroyed interior tower entirely official explanation celebratory salute guns roof set fire parts later ignited magazine historians believe explosion accidental time common city potential demolition pie castle known locals members garrison moved personal belongings safety explosion garrison injured event heat fire turned limestone tower current slightly pink colour ruined tower returned fully private ownership eventually forming lands neighbouring house gardens belonging 18th century conditions county jail decision taken area occupied old bailey local tax helped fund development king agreed ruins building stone new buildings erected south tower new county jail built placed south closely resembling fashionable work local architect built courts site old west oversaw replacement east female prison county jail later combined prison buildings designed distinctive style building particularly praised time superb building order castle courtyard form circle known eye election members parliament york visits prison reformer research book state prisons found prisons flawed relatively good condition compared time prison honour county york healthy rooms wing prison attracted criticism wing small water inmates forced sleep piles straw floor conditions bad wing prisoners night outside main walls castle mills increasingly ineffective 16th century onwards reduction flow rivers driving water wheels result rebuilt new steam engine drive machinery steam engine caused considerable discomfort prisoners affected smoke noise 19th 20th centuries criticism castle prison increased end 18th century facilities felt inadequate crowds spectators gathered outside prison inmates taken york execution attempts improve way executions carried onwards castle courtyard eye purpose instead crowds gathered outside bailey watch slow deaths prisoners execution process sped introduction short drop method hanging allowing unusually rapid execution fourteen castle jail problem prisoners held time occasionally prisoners awaiting trial kept jail yard lack space prison finally brought head york official complaint investigation begun decision taken purchase house aim room new modern prison famous wit writer vicar clay successfully led campaign save tower historic importance location surrounding city alternative proposal forward architect seen conversion tower building form hub radial prison design turned house purchased county yorkshire cost prices new prison buildings designed architects constructed tudor gothic style including gatehouse feet metres high radial prison block protected long high stone wall prison considered strongest building england built entirely stone secure dark grey construction produce forbidding appearance prison considered healthy tower played formal design prison sloping edge cut away replaced retaining wall allow space new prison building backyard female prison concealed public view new wall onwards prison act reformed english prison system passed control central government following year county prison remaining prisoners transferred onwards facility military prison instead early 19th century improvements river possible import flour york river reducing economic significance castle mills castle mills finally demolished sequence improvements river king pool formed castle water defences drained construction new bridges near castle site surrounded roads instead agreed declare tower national monument conserve historic location tower given grant prices arranged lord conservation repairs removal damage castle stonework 16th century excessive pressure supporting causing 14th century sir leading victorian engineer installed concrete structure beneath gatehouse early 20th century regularly open visitors passed national monument today finally closed tudor gothic victorian prison buildings demolished courts building houses prison modern entrance area circular area buildings known known prominent surviving original medieval fortification stone steps modern fragments bailey wall parts south gatehouse corner towers survive castle classed grade listed building scheduled monument site managed english_heritage open public 1970s official histories castle early official guides castle reference memorial tablet victims laid base tower anniversary killings commemorated tower recently commercial interests sought introduce retail development area surrounding citizens visitors academics local jewish groups opposed development success winning lengthy bitter public inquiry
York Castle