Photo Malcolm Butler

The first castle was an 11th century motte & bailey built to the south-west of the present Middleham Castle to protect the road from Richmond to Skipton. It was superseded by the Norman castle which lies about 1000 feet to the north soon after 1180. The summit of the motte is about 160 by 115 feet and 40 feet in height, surrounded by a strong ditch 20 feet wide with counterscarp banks 9 feet deep.

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