Scarborough Castle Castles

Situated at the edge of a cliff along the North Yorkshire coast, a naturally defended area and a perfect look out spot, Scarborough Castle still dominates the town and harbour some 300 ft below.

The silhouette of Scarborough Castle's dramatic, 12th-century structure conceals over 2,500 years of turbulent history. There has been a stone castle in the town since about 1135, when William Le Gros, Earl of Albemarle, first decided to fortify this important headland. Built in the early 13th century and later enhanced by King John and Henry III, the present keep has come to dominate the headland. Its northerly location has meant that Scarborough was on the front line against the Scots, coming under attack on numerous occasions. Later, the strategic importance of Scarborough made it an obvious target throughout both World Wars. The castle suffered from German naval bombardment in 1914 and during World War Two played a more covert role, playing host to a secret listening post. .