Scarborough Castle, Scarborough, North Yorkshire
The castle was begun by William le Gros, Earl of Albermarle, in c1135 It was then taken over by Henry II in 1154. The Great Keep, shown here, was built between 1158-64. It stayed as a royal castle until the reign of James I (1603-25). It was a royalist stronghold in the Civil War and suffered badly in sieges of 1645 and 1648. The castle was used as a prison and barracks from the 1650s. The barracks were almost completely destroyed by shelling from the German fleet on 16 December 1914. This site is now in the care of English Heritage (2011). Read detailed archaeological description.
