Slingsby Castle

Slingsby Castle, North Yorkshire Photo © David Rogers, 8 March 2009

Slingsby Castle was originally a fortified manor house or hunting lodge, founded by the de Mowbrays. In 1344, Ralph de Hastings founded the stone castle, when he was granted a licence to crenellate his manor house. In 1474, another licence was issued to William, Lord Hastings to build, enclose and crenellate the castle or manor. The large rectangular platform, encased by a wide moat, now supports the ruins of an early 17th century Jacobean mansion. Built for Sir Charles Cavendish, it was probably left unfinished, when he fled to the continent in 1644. Built of limestone with ashlar dressings, the two storey house was quadrangular in plan, with five bays and projecting stair turrets on the angles

Slingsby Castle - Photo © Matthew Hatton, 1 October 2009

SLINGSBY

ABOUT nine miles from Malton, was anciently a stronghold of the Mowbrays, given, as to the manor, among other rich possessions, to Roger de Mowbray by the Conqueror. Camden affirms that the family had a castle here for many generations, "the ruins of which are still visible." It came from the Mowbrays to the family of Wyvell, possibly on the confiscation of the Mowbray estates by Edward II. after the battle of Boroughbridge in 1322. Leland wrote : "Wyvel of the Northe, that was the ancientest of that name, had his principal house at Slingesby yn Yorkshire. And this Wyvelle was a man of fair landes. The House of Slyngesby and the landes of this Wyvelle be devolvid to the Lord Hastinges by heires general."

Ralph de Hastings received a licence to crenellate his house at Slingshy and to impark his woods, and this was probably the origin of the old castle, which has now quite passed away, since in the first year of James I. Sir C. Cavendish began to build a mansion on the foundations and vaults of the old structure, which he must have pulled down completely.

This Jacobean house was never completed. The plan is a rectangle, measuring about 40 yards by 30, with a turret at each angle, and the design and the masonry are excellent, the particular features being the large square Tudor windows, now draped in ivy. Slingsby is the property of the Earl of Carlisle. -- The castles of England, their story and structure BY Sir JAMES D. MACKENZIE, 1896

SLINGSBY (ALL SAINTS), a parish, in the union of MALTON, wapentake of RYEDALE, N. riding of YORK, 6 miles (N.) from Whitewell, and 6 (W. N. W.) from New Malton; containing 609 inhabitants. This place, at the time of the Conquest, belonged to the Lacy family, and afterwards to the Mowbrays, who had a castle here. The Wyvilles, the Knights Templars, and others, held lands under the Mowbrays; and the castle subsequently became the property of the noble family of Hastings, who are supposed to have rebuilt it, and of whom William, the great Lord Hastings, was beheaded by Richard III., leaving his son Edward his heir, who by will, in 1497, directed Slingsby to be sold. The castle and manor were purchased, some time previously to 1619, by Sir Charles Cavendish, whose son took down the old castle, and, in 1643, erected on its site a large and elegant mansion, of quadrangular form, with towers on the eastern and western sides, in the style of Inigo Jones, and which afterwards became the property of the poet, Sheffield, Duke of Buckingham. Not being inhabited, however, it fell into decay, and after the death of the duke, was purchased, along with the estate, in 1735, by an ancestor of the Earl of Carlisle, the present proprietor, by whom the dilapidated remains are carefully preserved. -- TOPOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY OF ENGLAND BY SAMUEL LEWIS.