Whorlton Castle
Whorlton Castle near Swainby.
This is actually only the castle gatehouse - which survived being ransacked for stone to build houses in nearby Swainby because it was used as a 'Henhouse' by an adjoining farm!
A few years ago it was put on the buildings at risk register and the owner suggested sympathetically including it in a 'Grand Designs' style house.
Nothing seems to have happened, it was suggested the cost would be near £2m.
The main claim to fame of Whorlton is that when William the Conqueror 'Harried the North' between 1068 and 1070, this is where he stayed.
Not in the gatehouse presumably, in fact this structure was probably built about 300 years later but the cellars below are older and probably formed part of the original castle.
It is remarkable that there is no security, you can just go in and look around.
There was a spate of unfortunate incidents involving drunken parties fires and vandalism (it is not far from Teesside so almost Urban Fringe)
Seems to have gone quiet again for now.
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