Castlefacts³

Kirkbymoorside no 2

Has been described as a Questionable Timber Castle (Other/Unknown)

There are earthwork remains

Name	Kirkbymoorside no 2
Alternative Names
Historic Country	Yorkshire
Modern Authority	North Yorkshire
1974 Authority	North Yorkshire
Civil Parish	Kirkbymoorside

Kirkby Moorside No. 2 SE 693870. Traces of what may have been an earlier castle. (V.C.H. (NR), i, 511.). (King 1983 p. 531)

East of the market-place is the church of All Saints, behind which are the ruins of the fortress of the Stutevills. In 1282 the park appurtenant to it was a league in circuit and contained seven score beasts. The moat of the castle can still be traced on Vivers Hill, a name possibly a corruption of 'Vivaria'; the ponds here which once supplied the town with water were popularly called 'Bibbers.'

The old toll-booth in the market-place was built in the 18th century of materials taken from the ruins of another castle at the north end of the town. The present toll-booth contains two large rooms and is used for various public purposes. This castle was the hunting-box of the Nevills, Earls of Westmorland and lords of Kirkby Moorside, during the Tudor period. It was described in 1570 as 'but symple for an erle, but a good house for a gentleman of worshipp.' The park was then 2½ miles in circuit and 'well replenyshed with fallow deere.' (VCH)

Gatehouse Comments

Gatehouse is uncertain what King was referring to but it is seems not to be Neville Castle at Manor Garth or Stutevilles Castle at Vivars Hill which he separately mentions. In this context this would be a castle earlier than the Vivar's Hill castle. He rejects the Neville Castle writing "a later structure has been excavated, and appears to have been of early 16th cty. date, and not genuinely fortified." (King 1983 p. 520). However it is possible that King was referring to the Neville castle and his references separated by some pages (and possibly derived from different working notes possibly made many years apart) have lead him and/or me into some confusion. His given map reference is certainly close to the Neville Castle and should exclude the Vivar's Hill site. The Neville Castle is a site that has been broken up and damaged by later quarrying which makes it difficult to understand on the ground.Doubtful as a third 'early' castle in Kirkby Moorside.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

Not Listed

County Historic Environment Record

www.northyorks.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=3080

OS Map Grid Reference	SE693870
Latitude	54.2739715576172
Longitude	-0.937300026416779
Eastings	469300
Northings	487000