Hood Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; La Hode; Hod

In the civil parish of Kilburn High And Low. In the historic county of Yorkshire North Riding (Modern Authority of North Yorkshire, 1974 county of North Yorkshire).

Small circular enclosure, adapted to the contours of the isolated summit of Hood Hill, approximating to a motte and bailey. It may be the site of Hood Castle. Licence to crenellate was granted in 1264 to John de Eyvill, with provision for a dyke and wall of stone, but the castle may have been constructed originally by Robert de Stuteville (1086-1106) at whose attainder it passed to Henry I. The castle is last mentioned in 1322. Hood was said in 1218 to have been 'built in Newburgh fee after the war began between King John and his barons of England'. North Yorkshire HER record suggests this an unlikely site for the castle and the location, on an isolated hill top, is unusual for a castle and would be exceptional for a crenellated house, unless intended purely as a hunting lodge. An alternative site may be Hood Grange 100m to the North but the licence was to John de Eyvill leader of the 'disinherited', part of Simon de Montfort forces. This licence was granted shortly after Henry III had been defeated at the Battle of Lewes. The peace of Canterbury, forced on Henry, was signed August 12 and this licence may be part of these provisions and it may be that this was granted purely to recognise Eyvill's lordly status and that there was little serious intent to build.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SE50388141

Air Photo from Air Photo and general mapping	1st edition OS Map from Mid to late 19th century maps
Modern Map from Landscape form and features	Modern Map from General location and route planning
Geograph British Isles occasionally has photos of the site and will usually give an idea of the surrounding landscape.

Sources of information, references and further reading

This site's English Heritage (PastScape) Defra or Monument number is 57312
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is MNY1907 'grey' literature, such as watching brief reports, held by H.E.R.s is often poorly referenced and is unlikely to be recorded in this website.

• Books
  • Salter, Mike, 2001, The Castles and Tower Houses of Yorkshire (Malvern) p48
    Jackson, M.J., 2001, Castles of North Yorkshire (Carlise) p32
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol2 p518-9
    Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol3 pt2 p402
• Journal Articles
  • Dennison, E., 2002-4, 'A survey of Hood Hill Castle' Ryedale Historian Vol21 p26-29
    Coulson, C., 1994, 'Freedom to Crenellate by Licence - An Historiographical Revision' Nottingham Medieval Studies Vol38 p95
    Coulson, C., 1979, 'Structural Symbolism in Medieval Castle Architecture' Journal of the British Archaeological Association Vol132 p85
    Whitaker, A.H., 1970, Ryedale Historian Vol5 p36-40
    Brown, R, Allen, 1959, 'A List of Castles, 1154–1216' English Historical Review Vol74 p249-280 [Reprinted in Brown, R. Allen, 1989, Castles, conquest and charters: collected papers (Woodbridge: Boydell Press) p90-121] http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0013-8266%28195904%2974%3A291%3C249%3AALOC1%3E2.0.CO%3B2-P
    I'Anson, W.M., 1913, 'The castles of the North Riding' Yorkshire Archaeological Journal Vol22 p356
• Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
  • Calendar of Patent Rolls (1258-66) p342