Photo Charles Taylor

The magnificent fortified manor house was built by Lord Scrope, the Lord Chacellor, after being granted a licence to crenellate in 1379. It took 20 years to complete and was used until 1675 when a new residence, Bolton Hall, was built nearby. The castle was beseiged in 1645 by Parliamentary forces and eventually had to surrender in 1646. The castle was then slighted and left to decay, although the south-west tower remained habitable.