Wheldrake

Has been described as a Possible Timber Castle (Other/Unknown), and also as a Possible Fortified Manor House

There are cropmark/slight earthwork remains

NameWheldrake
Alternative NamesColdric; Queldric; Qweldric; Queldrike; Queldrik
Historic CountryYorkshire
Modern AuthorityYork
1974 AuthorityNorth Yorkshire
Civil ParishWheldrake

The lord of Wheldrake built a small castle there before 1149, when the king authorized the citizens of York to destroy it. In 1200 Richard Malbis was licensed to fortify a castle that he was building, but its completion was prevented, again at the instance of York. The castle probably stood on a spur of higher ground near the flood-plain of the Derwent, in a position to command the river. It is possible that a manor-house stood at this site after 1200 and it may have belonged to the Darels, who as undertenants of Fountains abbey had a manor-house in 1361. The manor-house of the capital manor probably lay at the east end of the village and it seems likely that it became the site of the abbey's grange. (VCH ER Yorks)

Stephen sought further to enlist their support by handing over to them for destruction a fortalice at Wheldrake on the Derwent (E.R.) which commanded the south-eastern approaches to the city (VCH City York)

Gatehouse Comments

A moated site at Storwood is suggested by Renn as a location for Wheldrake. The Storwood site is not, and never has been, in Wheldrake parish and is on the other side of the River Derwent, which is and, probably always has been, a district boundary making it highly unlikely anyone would ever have thought it was in Wheldrake (and certainly not the people of York) In Early Yorkshire Charters (vol. xi p. 192 No. 164) is recorded a grant of land by Geoffrey Darel 'ante portam castellarii de Queldrik'. This is translated as 'before the gate of the precinct of the castle of Wheldrake' but castellarii may well be translated as village in this context (see Abigail Wheatley's The Idea of the Castle (2004, York Medieval Press) p. 23-4). It is notable that Geoffrey reserves thatching material for his houses in Wheldrake (domos nostras in Queldrike). Thus this charter does not actual mention a castle it mentions a castellarii which might be translated as castlery which itself might mean village. Darel's dwelling is called a house. However, Castellarii is an unusual term and this suggest that Darel's house and/or manor of Wheldrake was unusual in some way. Gatehouse suspects, based on analogue, that it was a house dressed up with military symbolism such as battlements and a gatehouse. It was a castle (with some thatched roofs!) but not a 'military' building. The charter implies that the 'castle' was in the village and not some distance away and this is additional evidence to dismiss Renn suggestion of Storwood as the site. Armitage states 'Thicket Priory, in Yorkshire, occupied the site of the castle of Wheldrake' but does not cite an authority for this statement. This site, 1 mile SE of Wheldrake at SE697435, has many of the difficulties of the Storwood site

- Philip Davis

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law

Not Listed

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceSE683450
Latitude53.896541595459
Longitude-0.962549984455109
Eastings468300
Northings445000
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

  • Turner, Maurice, 2004, Yorkshire Castles: Exploring Historic Yorkshire (Otley: Westbury Publishing) p. 249
  • Salter, Mike, 2001, The Castles and Tower Houses of Yorkshire (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 109
  • Coulson, Charles, 1994, 'The Castles of the Anarchy' in King, Edmund (ed.), The Anarchy of King Stephen's Reign (Oxford University Press) p. 71
  • Neave, Susan, 1991, Medieval Parks of East Yorkshire (Univeristy of Hull) p. 52
  • King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 2 p. 531
  • Allison, K.J. (ed), 1976, 'Wheldrake' VCH Yorkshire: East Riding Vol. 3 online transcription
  • Renn, D.F., 1973 (2 edn.), Norman Castles of Britain (London: John Baker) p. 344
  • Brown, D.R. et al, 1971, Wheldrake: aspects of a Yorkshire village (Wheldrake Local History Society)
  • Tillott, P.M. (ed), 1961, VCH Yorkshire: City of York p. 25 online transcription
  • Armitage, Ella, 1912, The Early Norman Castles of the British Isles (London: John Murray) p. 259n2 online copy

Antiquarian

  • Dugdale, Wm (Caley, J., Ellis, H. and Bandinel, B. (eds)), 1817-30 (originally pub. 1655-73), Monasticon Anglicanum (London) Vol. 4 p. 384-5 online copy

Journals

  • Brown, R. Allen, 1959, 'A List of Castles, 1154–1216' English Historical Review Vol. 74 p. 249-280 (Reprinted in Brown, R. Allen, 1989, Castles, conquest and charters: collected papers (Woodbridge: Boydell Press) p. 90-121) view online copy (subscription required)

Primary Sources

  • Clay, C. (ed), 1963, Early Yorkshire Charters Vol. 11 p. 192 No. 164 (grant of land before the gate of the precinct of the castle of Wheldrake)
  • Raine, J. (ed), 1868, 'John of Hexham, Historia Johannis, prioris Hauhustadensis ecclesiae' in The Priory of Hexham, its Chroniclers, Endowments and Annals (2 vols) (Surtees Society 44) p. 159 (1149 destruction of castle) online copy
  • Arnold, T. (ed), 1885, 'Historia regum, A. D. 616-1129' Symeonis Monachi Opera Omnia (London; Rolls series 75) Vol. 2 p. 356
  • Riley, Henry T. (ed), 1853, The Annals of Roger de Hoveden (London: Bohn) Vol. 2 p. 482 online copy
  • Stubbs, W. (ed), 1871, Chronica Magistri Rogeri de Houedene (Rolls Series 51) Vol. 4 p. 117 online copy
  • PRO Chancery Miscellanea II/I

Other

  • Constable, Christopher, 2003, Aspects of the archaeology of the castle in the north of England C 1066-1216 (Doctoral thesis, Durham University) Available at Durham E-Theses Online