County guide · The Castle Rolls
Best castles in Yorkshire
18 castles across Yorkshire's four historic ridings - North, West, South and the East Riding.
Map
Every castle on this list - 18 in total, 5 free to enter, 2 you can stay overnight in
Scarborough Castle
North Yorkshire
Clifford's Tower, York
North Yorkshire
Keep of York Castle; new roof deck
Skipton Castle
North Yorkshire
One of England's best-preserved medieval castles
Knaresborough Castle
North Yorkshire Free entry
Free grounds; keep and museum seasonal
Helmsley Castle
North Yorkshire
Richmond Castle
North Yorkshire
Ripley Castle
North Yorkshire
Guided tours; check current availability
Sandal Castle
West Yorkshire Free entry
Wars of the Roses battlefield site
Conisbrough Castle
South Yorkshire
Cylindrical keep with restored floors
Pontefract Castle
West Yorkshire Free entry
Free entry with visitor centre
Middleham Castle
North Yorkshire
Richard III's childhood home
Pickering Castle
North Yorkshire
Hazlewood Castle
North Yorkshire
Medieval-core castle hotel and spa
Spofforth Castle
North Yorkshire Free entry
Skipsea Castle
East Riding of Yorkshire Free entry
Earthworks of Norman motte and bailey
Harewood Castle
West Yorkshire
Conserved 14th-century fortified hall-house viewable via a free footpath; interior currently closed to visitors.
Cawood Castle
North Yorkshire
Gatehouse holiday let
Bolton Castle
North Yorkshire
Mary Queen of Scots imprisonment site