Richmond – a Historical Review

My latest post will focus on a visit I made a couple of years ago to the Georgian town of Richmond in North Yorkshire, situated on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales National Park. The town has a proud and rich history stretching from the early medieval period through the Georgian era and right into the present day and I want to discuss this history, and try to put it in context for any intrepid and intrigued explorers who might want to follow in their footsteps. Although the castle in Richmond forms somewhat of a focal point for the town, in this post, I want to provide, if I can, a short, sharp introduction to the place, and my experience visiting it, as a whole.

If you google search ‘Richmond’, you may not be surprised to hear that the North Yorkshire town on the banks of the river Swale is not the top response to your search; Richmond, London takes that prize, and the fact that Richmond is the most duplicated UK place name, with 57 occurrences worldwide, may not make your life easier. But, find the right place, and you have indeed found a gem.

Driving into town (unfortunately there is no train station in Richmond itself), I arrived from the south east, following the wonderfully named ‘Maison Dieu’ (literal translation ‘God House’), perhaps a reference to its passing nearby the dissolved Easby Abbey. Driving up Frenchgate, I parked in the cobbled, sloping Market Place, said by Richmond Online to be one of the largest in England, surrounded by mainly 18th century buildings, the Gothic Church of the Holy Trinity rising from its centre. Already I could see the keep of the Norman castle looming from behind the houses to my immediate left. The market place, as in most of the centre of Richmond, operates a system whereby free parking is available if you use one of the businesses within the centre; make sure that you ask for a permit from the hotel you stay in, or business you visit, if this is applicable and place in your windscreen. My hotel was the Castle Tavern, located on the market place itself, a traditional eighteenth century construction with room for stabling (back in the day) at the rear.

In my visit however, I started, perhaps predictably, with the castle. The castle has its original roots in the post-conquest era, when Alan Rufus of Brittany received the borough of Richmond following William I’s harrying of the north. Count Alan chose the site to build an ambitiously conceived castle, the ‘strong hill’ or Riche Mount’ (giving the town its modern name) as it became to be known. The castle was begun I believe in 1071, and taken together as it now stands in the modern day, form the most complete surviving example of an eleventh century castle in the entire country.

Walking through the English Heritage shop and into the huge courtyard/castle grounds, there is much to explore but for the purposes of this piece I wish to focus on two main points of interest; the 12th century Keep and Scolland’s Hall which has a claim to fame as one of the earliest domestic interiors to survive in England.

First, to Scolland’s Hall. The Hall is located on the opposite side of the main triangular enclosure of the castle which is still surrounded for much of its length by the original eleventh century curtain wall. All the principal medieval domestic buildings are ranged against this wall, including the so-called Robin’s Hood Tower and also St Nicholas’s Chapel, a rare surviving example of eleventh century interior. However, foremost amongst all these buildings is the magnificent main residence, Scolland’s Hall, a two-storied building, with its principal apartments, a great hall and withdrawing chamber raised up on the first floor, adjoining the range at right angles. Although the first floor has now been lost and the hall is no longer two floored but instead one big cavernous space, it certainly maintains an impressive feeling of its original grandeur even today. It was certainly easy to imagine on my visit how the hall may once have looked; even with one floor missing you could still almost

sense the thronging of men on the first floor, bustling around to see their lord. Sadly the only clues to the existence of the first floor is now in the position of the windows and the facing lines of square sockets along the side walls above you.

The castle keep lies opposite this range, and I stood against the exterior (but being careful!!) of Scolland’s Hall, and looked back along the eleventh century curtain wall at its height and robust strength.

The keep stands above the original eleventh century archway entrance to the castle and is set in a stretch of the enclosure wall. Constructed of honey coloured sandstone, it was probably built by Duke Conan IV of Brittany, son of Alan, first earl of Richmond. Looking on at the keep now, you can still see the difference in

the building material that was used in the two constructions; Conan’s masons used well squared stones, as opposed to the rough rubble of the eleventh century wall, and the junction between the old and the new is easy to see. In the picture above, the difference between the rubble and the stone used for the keep is easily identified.

Going inside the keep, extensive re-working has taken place since the time of Duke Conan, most noticeably by Edward I, who spent lavishly on the castle. Principal amongst his work was the insertion of an internal spiral stair connecting the ground and first floor and the central pillar covering the old well in the centre of the basement. On entering the external archway into the keep, I entered the doorway to the right which led to the first floor of the building, a high chamber with a central pillar, with small chambers built into the thickness of the wall. From the left lobby door a straight stair rises to the second floor and, via a lobby which was presumably the visitor’s waiting room, leads onto a main chamber. The chamber probably served as a great hall, with a dais (a raised platform) set beneath a pair of windows at the far end of the room.

It is a highly impressive space, magnificently proportioned and atmospheric. Much like Scollands Hall, you can imagine the scene of the lord or king at his table, entertaining guests, toasting occasions and enjoying culinary delights made in some of the chambers below. There are doors to the left and right of the dais, but on the right is a door giving access to the roof stair. On reaching the summit, the fantastic sights of the Georgian town of Richmond below were stunning. I was particularly impressed with the clear sights below of how the regular, circular plan of the town of Richmond, which now forms the majority of the market place, shows how the town and castle were laid out together in the eleventh century.

Talking of views, and leaving the keep once more, I walked back towards Scolland’s Hall and looked down across the Swale valley, first to the football pitch immediately below, and then onto the fields beyond. Here you really get a sense of the strength of positioning of the castle and dominance it has over the local area.

Another unique view of the castle is from underneath and I later headed from the castle down the cobbled Bar Castle Hill, through a collection of lovely cottages and found a lovely wall walk which gives again a different perspective and has a number of benches and other resting spots to really take in the view.

However, the best place in my opinion to view the castle is from down below, beside the river Swale on the south bank/on the bridge itself. To get there, there is a small cobbled street slightly further down from Bar Castle Hill. Follow New Road for fifty yards and then turn left. This lane also has the added benefit of taking you through one of the surviving gates into the old city; although isolated and small, this is an added extra of heading this way. Rejoining New Road, head down to the bridge and turn back. The view you get is stunning, looking up at the castle’s lengthy curtain wall and splendour perched on the rocky promontory above, the river in the forefront.

Leaning on the bridge on the sunshine, it is a truly stunning view back up to the town and castle.

After leaving the bridge, I walked back, underneath the shadow of the castle alongside the river Swale. It is an easy enough walk, although there is no pavement so caution is advised. This led me, perhaps half a mile downriver to the wonderful and atmospheric River Swale waterfalls, a series of cascades which create a very peaceful atmosphere, a great place for a picnic or just to stop and reflect. There is good parking here so you can park up and walk either under the castle or back towards ‘The Batts’, a small park located further downstream. In the event, I walked back up the hill toward Richmond castle. Be aware that if heading this way, the hill is a significant slope, so prepare to work hard!

The hill, Millgate, leads back up to Tower Street Castle Wynd, a small cobbled street passing again by the castle (there is no escape!) but this

Richmond Castle viewed both from the bridge over the River Swale (left) and from across the river – both views allow some of the finest photos of the Castle and show its impressive position above the river

time I fancied refreshment so headed to The Bishop Blaize for a pint and sat out in the sun in the wonderful beer garden underneath the castle keep

Suitably refreshed, I wanted to check out the market place in more detail; there had been several attractions that had stood out. Firstly, in the centre of the market place stands the Trinity Church. Nowadays though it does not serve congregations, but instead houses the Green Howards Regimental Museum, the museum of that infantry regiment of the British Army. Within the museum’s collection are 3,750 medals and decorations presented to members of the regiment including 16 Victoria Crosses (VC) and three George Crosses, although I regret that I did not have time during my time in Richmond to pay a visit.

The Richmond Obelisk is an additional and peculiar point of interest within the centre of the market place, a cone shaped monument which replaced the original medieval Market Cross in 1771. I learnt that when it was built a large reservoir was built below it, capable of holding up to 12,000 gallons of water.

Also in the market place is the Town Hall, built in 1756. This building lost a lot of its local responsibility with the creation of Richmondshire District Council in 1974, but does retain the titles and ceremonial roles of both the Mayor and Town Clerk. Interestingly, inside what is now called the Common Hall can be found the only remaining Georgian Court of the four which previously existed in Richmond. This historic Court was extensively restored in 2002.

Also attached to the Town Hall building and forming part of its complex is an eatery named the Town Hall Pub and Dining (‘The Town Hall’).

Outside again, a mixture of local shops and national chains ring the market place, arching around the Trinity church at its centre, mirroring the shape and form of the castle walls,

Richmond Trinity Church (now the Green Howards Regimental Museum) and Obelisk

allowing a real understanding and appreciation of the formation of medieval Richmond. A cluster of shops is attached on the back of the church, a wall of commerce splitting the market place in two. One of these shops was a fine second hand bookshop, Richmond Books, where I purchased several fine and well-priced books; another was Barkers of Richmond, a fish and chip shop where I bought a huge tea for myself later in the evening.

Beyond the market place there are a few little lanes winding out from the central area, all with stories to tell and pubs and shops lining the streets but perhaps the most interesting of these and the one I spent most time investigating was Friars Wynd, a narrow alley which I learnt was used by Dominican monks to reach their friary, located beyond the market place, where the current Friary Gardens and Tower now stand. There is also a fragment of medieval town wall which you pass through using this passageway. Leaving Friar’s Wynd (passing the Georgian Theatre Royal which I shall come back to in a moment) I spent some time enjoying the view of the Tower inside the gardens which dates to the 14th century and was built by the Greyfriars of Richmond, and originally served as a bell tower for the Friary church. A visit to the Friary Gardens is a must for any visitor to the town - especially in the spring and summer taking advantage of the beautiful, well-kept gardens.

Turning back is the gem I remarked on a minute ago; the Georgian Theatre Royal. The theatre and historic Georgian playhouse is the oldest working theatre in its original form. It has a checked history of existence; opened in 1788, closed in 1848, and was used as an auction house and warehouse before being restored and reopened as a theatre in 1963. Recently it has been restored and extended in 2003 with ongoing work continuing, and is both a thriving community playhouse and a living theatre museum.

Unfortunately I did have a chance to go inside the Theatre Royal but, if you do get chance to visit, see a show or generally explore its surroundings, then do so - it is a wonderful survival which allows Georgian Richmond to be more fully understood.

To the east of Richmond stands a place I visited last but I was glad I did so. I was unaware of the presence of St Agatha’s Monastery, or Easby Abbey as it is also known, until arrival (the English Heritage guide book for Richmond Castle and Easby Abbey is a combined publication), but I was glad I made the short drive over to the abbey grounds. The abbey has a history that links it intrinsically with the castle and settlement at Richmond, being originally founded by Roald, Constable of Richmond Castle, in 1152 and is one of the best preserved monasteries of the Premonstratensian 'white canons', in the country. It is located about a mile downstream on the banks of the River Swale.

Turning back down Maison Dieu, away from Richmond, I soon turned right down a small lane, following the signs to Easby Abbey and Easby Hall. Turning right again before I reached the hall, you pass narrowly by what would have been the gatehouse to the abbey, passing through to the

spacious car park in front of the church. The entrance to the abbey grounds (it is free) is past the church but I first went back to have a closer look at the gatehouse, standing proud and sturdy in the fields right next to the road. After this I spent about an hour in the Abbey itself, weaving from room to room and the abbey came to life before my eyes, despite the masonry being minimal in some places. Although now these wide open spaces dominate, it was a place of worthy visit. Not wishing to overly dwell on this place, I would only stress the tranquillity of the place as well as the fine buildings many of which still survive today as you duck and weave through arches and up staircases and into huge chambers which must have looked so impressive, indeed spiritually daunting to the medieval eye. In particular, the fantastic refectory and canons' dormitory remain, their walls protruding out of the field in which they sit. It is easy to move from building to building, moving in the footsteps of the canons. Moreover, the abbey is a great place to really relax in pleasant surroundings and there were plenty of families there on the day I visited, walking and playing with dogs, or just exploring the ruins.

Before leaving I visited the parish church, which is still in use, which contains rare 13th century wall paintings.

My 24 hours in Richmond was therefore done. I visited a number of the pubs in the centre during the evening and there is plenty of choice in this regard. Although I only spent these 24 hours in Richmond (I went onto Middleham on my second day which I will come onto in later posts) but I thoroughly enjoyed my time in the town. I had no idea what to expect when I arrived there apart from the fact that there was a castle in the town, and I was nothing but surprised at the range of attractions and diversity of experience Apologies to those businesses (pub, shops and other places) I spent time in which I have not mentioned – there simply wasn’t time to talk about everywhere.

So, my ask now is simple - go out and explore it for yourself!