Scarborough Castle — Attraction in Great Britain

We thought we'd visit Scarborough for the day, having never been before (a bonus it wasn't far away, from the place we were staying at!) After looking around some of the shops and having an ice cream, I decided to go solo and make my way towards the dominating figure that still stands tall, as if watching over the land below. Although I wasn't an English Heritage member, I was able to purchase a ticket for a little over £10, which I think was pretty reasonable. If you're part of English Heritage however, this is free with your membership. There isn't parking inside the castle grounds, the closest being down the hill next to the cemetery, where the grave of Anne Brontë is located. The hill up to the castle entrance is a little steep, so do take care. Once inside, you are given the option of having a free sound guide too, which allows you to get a deeper understanding of the castle and its history, boards prompting you which number to press on your device. It's not an overly huge site to look around, but a fantastic relic of the past to explore and learn about, nonetheless! There are remains of buildings that once existed during the castle's existence. And if you have a thirst to quench, there's a place for coffee and a seating area too, to sit and simply take it all in. The views of Scarborough from the top, are pretty incredible, so don't forget to take a look! It's unfortunate that there was no access to the keep, but understandable seeing as it was due to structural maintenance, I believe. But it was still incredible to look around and admire, picturing in my mind what it must have been like back in the day. All the sounds, the sights, the smells... Everything! There's a little gift shop too, if you want to pick something up (the lady who served me, Sophie, was super pleasant!) So if you're into history and feel like walking in the footsteps of royalty, soldiers and the likes, head over to Scarborough Castle and immerse yourself in its...

Scarborough Castle is a former medieval royal fortress situated on a rocky promontory overlooking the North Sea and Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England. The site of the castle, encompassing the Iron Age settlement, Roman signal station, an Anglo-Scandinavian settlement and chapel, the 12th-century enclosure castle and 18th-century battery, is a scheduled monument of national importance.

Fortifications for a wooden castle were built in the 1130s, but the present stone castle dates from the 1150s. Over the centuries, several other structures were added, with medieval monarchs investing heavily in what was then an important fortress that guarded the Yorkshire coastline, Scarborough's port trade, and the north of England from Scottish or continental invasion. It was fortified and defended during various civil wars, sieges and conflicts, as kings fought with rival barons, faced rebellion and clashed with republican forces, though peace with Scotland and the conclusion of civil and continental wars in the 17th century led to its decline in importance.

Once occupied by garrisons and governors who often menaced the town, the castle has been a ruin since the sieges of the English Civil War, but attracts many visitors to climb the battlements, take in the views and enjoy the accompanying interactive exhibition and special events run by English Heritage.

With its stunning location, fascinating history and panoramic views over the coast, Scarborough Castle is one of North Yorkshire’s finest historic sites. This once-mighty fortress has endured attacks from Vikings, medieval barons, Tudor rebels and a Parliamentary army during an epic Civil War siege.

Today you can explore the castle’s majestic ruins, follow the long curtain wall with its many towers and climb viewing platforms in the Inner Bailey and the 12th-century Great Tower. Set on a 16-acre headland home to wildflowers and wildlife, it’s the perfect place for a family-friendly adventure in...

Scarborough Castle and Castle Hill are awesome and well worth a visit. If you really want to explore everything, plan to spend the whole day. And, remember to bring sunscreen.

It is a part of english Heritage and if you're a member, you get in free. Otherwise, there is about a £15 charge to get in. They have a guided tour on these special players that you carry with you. If you have your own lanyard and plug in earbuds, you can use those. If not, you have to hold it up to your ear as you walk around. There are 12 points where hold it near the unit on the sign and it uses RFID to start the player. Very interesting bits of info. Similar to Stonehenge, you have optional buttons for even more detailed information.

The staff are very friendly and there is a gift store at the Barbican Gatehouse where you pay to enter the castle grounds, bailey, and keep. You also have to exit this way and if you save a bit of time, you can buy some rather nice gifts on the way out.

From the ruins of the Roman signal tower, you can see over the cliff into the ocean. On the left is the North Bay and when you go up on the Curtain Wall where the gun turret for defence in the Napoleonic War was located, you can see the South Bay and all of Scarborough from Oliver's hill to Prospect Park.

The total castle grounds are quite extensive. They said it was about 90 acres. There is also Royal Albert Park where you can see the Curtain Wall and such from the outside and you can walk down to the pier and lighthouse afterwards.

Even though most of the castle itself was destroyed during the Civil War by the Parliamentarians and Cromwell, it's still very much worth the views and relaxing walk about...