Top 4 Castles around Brayton

All that remains of Cawood Castle is the gatehouse. But the garth still exists: a 5.3-hectare open space that is the site of the former Castle. Its name comes from the Old English word for "garden". This medieval enclosure served as the castle gardens and has evidence of moats, fishponds, and earthworks. In the 1980s, the community purchased the Garth to protect it from housing development. It is now owned by the Cawood Parish Council and managed by the Cawood Castle Garth Group.

Scholars describe Ryther Castle as a modest, fortified manor, likely never having substantial defences. It is also known by the name Hall Garth, referring to the field where it stood. The castle's decline is suggested by a 1440 report on Sir William Ryther's estate, which described the manor house and several cottages as being in a "ruinous" or "waste" condition. By the time the de Rhythre family relinquished the estate, the structure was a total loss. Today there is nothing to see here, merely an overgrown beck and bog, largely obscured by trees.

Grade I listed building. The surviving fifteenth-century structures formed part of a fortified medieval palace belonging to the Archbishops of York, which was dismantled in the aftermath of the English Civil War. The only remaining parts of the castle are the gatehouse and the banqueting hall. Stones from the destroyed castle were used in the construction of surrounding houses. The foundations of some other structures do remain as well as the castle's cellar, which was excavated in the 19th century. The gatehouse served as a courthouse until the 1930s, before being used as an officers' mess and a building for the Home Guard during World War II. The first fortifications on this site are believed to be those built by King Athelstan in the 10th Century.

Wressle Castle is a medieval ruin built as a palace-fortress in the 1390s. Once owned by Thomas Percy it is now privately owned, but open to the public on occasion. The castle was once much bigger with four sections that formed a square around a courtyard, now only one remains.

A Grade I listed Victorian Gothic building, Carlton Towers is a beautiful historic house standing in 250 acres of farmland. The house belongs to the 18th Duke of Norfolk, although today it is mostly used for weddings and events. Carlton Towers also offers accommodation and has a 'Walled Garden Vineyard' where you can easily spend an afternoon enjoying wine in the sunshine. You can find out more information here - https://carltontowers.co.uk/