Pickering Castle, Pickering, North Yorkshire
This is a reconstruction drawing of Pickering castle in the 13th century. It shows the walls and keep made of stone, before this time they were made of wood. The original wooden motte and bailey castle was built in the 11th century. It was built by William the Conqueror either during or shortly after the 'harrying of the north' in 1069-70. By the reign of Henry VIII Pickering no longer had any military value. Some of its extra buildings, such as its Moot Hall, were still in use, it was a court house. However, a survey of the Moot Hall in 1619-21 showed it to be greatly decayed. By 1651 the Hall had fallen to the ground. All of the buildings were sold in 1652, and the rest of the history of the castle is as a ruin. This site is now in the care of English Heritage (2011). Read detailed archaeological description.
