More about this scene
THE CURRENT fortification on this site
can be traced back to around 1160. This
was during the reign of Henry II, first of the
Plantagenet kings. But long before this, the
rocky promontory 300ft (91m) above the
sea on which the Castle is built was the scene
of fortification and settlement. The earliest
evidence indicates that Iron and Bronze Age
man lived here. The Romans found it, and
used it for a signal post; the remains of this
are still visible within the walls of the Castle.
Later, the Norsemen came calling (and pil-
laging). During the time that the Castle was
in use, several sieges were laid over the cen-
turies. Royal visitors were quite frequent, as it
was first choice for the Court when on tour.
The condition of today's ruins is large-
ly due to the efforts of Oliver Cromwell's
Roundheads during the Civil War. At the start
of the war, Scarborough declared for the King;
this was unusual, in that most of the eastern
part of England favoured the Roundheads.
The Castle was besieged from February to
July 1645. Starvation, rather than the con-
stant pounding of cannon located in nearby
Peasholm, caused the Castle to surrender. As
a result of this siege, the west wall - some 15ft
(4.6m) thick - was demolished, although the
highest point is still 85ft (26m) tall.
It was then safely in Parliamentarian hands
until 1648, when the governor defected to the
Royalists. Thus the stage was set for another
siege. By coincidence, this also lasted for four
months, and again starvation caused the sur-
render. The Castle itself never fell to pure
force of arms, despite several sieges over the
centuries. Cromwell ordered the Castle to be
partly destroyed so that it could not be used
as a fortification again. But as a result of the
Jacobite rebellion of 1745, a barracks was
built to house the local garrison.
The last forcible adjustment of the Castle
occurred as recently as 1914. Two German
cruisers took up station off Scarborough, and
fired over 500 shells into the defenceless town.
Much damage was done to the curtain wall of
the Castle, and the 1745 barracks were demol-
ished. This action soon spawned a slogan for
the enlistment posters that urged young men
to join up and fight the Germans. It ran:
'Remember Scarborough? Enlist Now!'
Probably the Castle's most famous prisoner
was George Fox. He was the founder of the
Society of Friends (The Quakers), and was
incarcerated for a time in 1666.
Today, the keep, barbican and curtain wall
still stand. The site covers some 7.69 hectares
(19 acres), offering spectacular sea views from
the buttressed walls. The property is looked
after and maintained by English Heritage; it
is open for visitors every day during the sum-
mer, and is closed on Monday and Tuesday
during the winter.