Ryther Castle

Has been described as a Possible Fortified Manor House

There are earthwork remains

NameRyther Castle
Alternative NamesHall Garth
Historic CountryYorkshire
Modern AuthorityYork
1974 AuthorityNorth Yorkshire
Civil ParishRyther Cum Ossendyke

The Ryther family castle, surrounded by its moat, stood to the west of the church (l'Anson). There is no surface indication of the hall. The moat survives as a dry hollow representing the SE angle of the former enclosure (Field Investigator, ECW, 01-MAY-1963). North enclosure of moat destroyed. Stone reported from this area. Modern house on south enclosure (le Patourel). A large quantity of foundation stone was discovered in a field known as Hall Garth in 1841 together with eleven human skeletons, of unknown date, laid in the form of a ring (Speight). OS 6" 1851 shows two arms of a rectangular moat surrounding the site of the hall, west of All Saints' Church. This site lies within a ploughed field with no earthworks or soil marks surviving. The moat immediately to the south has been infilled. The site is thus considered to be below the threshold for national importance. It is thus proposed that no further scheduling action is taken. (PastScape)

Gatehouse Comments

The nearby parish church has many tombs of knights of the Ryther family. A Ryther of Ryther Castle signed the deeds to Appleton Nunnery in the reign of Stephen. It is doubtful if this site ever had substantial fortifications but it is a fairly large site and has been heavily ploughed. The site also controls an old, and now defunct, crossing of the River Wharfe. Mote Hill, Nun Appleton, is on the other side of River.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

Not Listed

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceSE553393
Latitude53.8481101989746
Longitude-1.16041994094849
Eastings455310
Northings439370
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

No photos available. If you can provide pictures please contact Castlefacts

Most of the sites or buildings recorded in this web site are NOT open to the public and permission to visit a site must always be sought from the landowner or tenant.

Calculate Print

Books

  • King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 2 p. 532 (possible)
  • Le Patourel, H.E. Jean, 1973, The Moated Sites of Yorkshire (The Society for Medieval Archaeology Monograph Series 5) p. 127
  • Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (London: Methuen and Co)
  • Speight, Harry, 1902, Lower Wharfedale (London: Elliot Stock) p. 62- online copy

Journals

  • l'Anson, W.M., 1923-4, Yorkshire Archaeological Journal Vol. 27 p. 126