▲ North YorkshireDestinations
← All things to do Historic Sites · Richmond

Richmond Castle

One of the oldest stone castles in Britain, with a hundred-foot Norman keep over the Swale — and a cell block whose graffiti records the conscientious objectors of 1916.

Where
Richmond
Time needed
1-2 hr visit
Tickets
£9
Norman keep of Richmond Castle above the River Swale and the town's market place Norman keep of Richmond Castle above the River Swale and the town's market place

What to expect at Richmond Castle

Richmond Castle was begun around 1071 by Alan Rufus, a Breton follower of William the Conqueror, and parts of its curtain wall are among the oldest standing stone castle fabric in Britain. Scolland's Hall, in the south-east corner, dates from around 1080 and is one of the earliest surviving domestic halls in the country. The great keep — 30 metres tall, walls three metres thick — was raised over the original gatehouse in the 1170s, which is why you walk through its base to enter. The town of Richmond grew in its shadow, its market place still shaped by the outer bailey. In 1916 the castle's cell block held the Richmond Sixteen, conscientious objectors court-martialled and sentenced to death before reprieve, and their pencil graffiti survives on the cell walls — one of the most affecting things in English Heritage's care.

The site is compact and you climb it. From the ticket desk you cross a wide grassed bailey towards the keep, then take the stairs — around 130 of them — through three floors to the roof, where the view runs over the town's cobbled market place, the falls of the Swale, and out towards Swaledale and the Dales beyond. It is one of the finest castle views in the north. Back down, the Cockpit Garden along the eastern wall is a quiet formal space with benches, and Scolland's Hall stands roofless at the far corner above a steep drop to the river. The cell block, conserved and only viewable through a window or on scheduled tours because of the fragility of the graffiti, is close to the entrance and easy to walk past without noticing.

An hour to ninety minutes covers it. Take the audio guide, included with admission, because the site's most important story — the Richmond Sixteen — is not obvious on the ground. Check at the desk whether a cell block tour is running that day; access is limited and conservation-driven, and it is the thing most worth catching. Do the keep first while your legs are fresh. Afterwards, walk out of the gate, turn right and take the Castle Walk, a Georgian promenade cut around the castle rock above the Swale — it is open at no charge, takes 25 minutes, and gives you the castle from below. Richmond's market place is 200 metres from the gate.

Richmond sits at the mouth of Swaledale, three miles off the A1(M) at Scotch Corner via the A6108. From York allow an hour, from Northallerton 30 minutes, from Darlington 25. The castle is at the top corner of the Market Place: Nuns Close car park is a five-minute walk, the Station Yard car park by the old station about ten minutes downhill, and market-place spaces are short-stay and busy on Saturdays. Richmond has had no railway station since 1969; the nearest is Darlington on the East Coast Main Line, 12 miles away, with the X26 and 34 buses running into Richmond in around 30-40 minutes for a few pounds. The 159 connects Northallerton and Leyburn. There is no station shuttle.

Adult tickets have been running at around £9, children about £5-6, family tickets near £24, with English Heritage members entering at no further charge and small reductions in the winter season. The audio guide is included, as is the Cockpit Garden and the keep climb. There is no cafe on site — only a small shop — so budget for the Market Place, where you can eat well for £8-12. Parking is separate at roughly £2-3 for two hours. If you are also doing Middleham, Bolton Castle, Rievaulx or Whitby Abbey in the same week, English Heritage membership at roughly four admissions' worth becomes the sensible purchase before your first ticket rather than after.

Mornings are quiet, particularly midweek; the keep stair is single-file in places and by mid-afternoon in August there are waits at the top landing. The best months are May, June and September, when the Dales weather behaves and the town is lively without being full. From November to March the castle opens Wednesday to Sunday only, closing at 16:00, so Mondays and Tuesdays in winter are wasted journeys. It shuts 24-26 December and 1 January. The keep roof is fully exposed and Richmond sits high; even summer visitors regret leaving a jacket in the car. Richmond's Saturday market and its summer Georgian Theatre season are good reasons to time a visit around the town rather than only the castle.

It suits history readers, view-hunters and anyone touring the Dales from the north. Families do reasonably well — the bailey is a huge grassed space to run in and the keep climb is an adventure — but there is no playground and no cafe, so a picnic helps. Wheelchair users can reach the bailey, shop and Cockpit Garden on mostly level ground, and the views from the bailey towards the Swale are good, but the keep is stairs only, with no lift. On a rainy day this is a poor choice: there is almost nothing under cover. Nearby, the Georgian Theatre Royal of 1788 is four minutes away, the Green Howards Museum sits in the Market Place, and the Castle Walk starts at the gate.

Honest caveats. The interior of the keep is essentially empty — a great stone box with floors and a stair — and visitors who expect furnishing or a museum find it thin. The Richmond Sixteen cell block, arguably the most important thing here, has restricted access to protect the graffiti, so on many days you will only read about it rather than enter, which frustrates people who came for it specifically. There is no cafe, and the toilets are basic. The town's parking is genuinely tight on Saturdays. And Richmond is a long way from a station — do not plan this by train without checking the Darlington bus timetable first, because evening services thin out sharply.

Plan your visit Tickets£9 Time needed1-2 hr visit WhereRichmond Opening hours Daily 10:00-18:00 (April-September) Daily 10:00-17:00 (October); Wed-Sun 10:00-16:00 (November-March) Closed 24-26 December and 1 January Hotels near Richmond Castle

Questions about Richmond Castle

What does Richmond Castle cost?

Adult admission runs around £9, children about £5-6 and a family ticket near £24, with slightly lower prices in the winter season. English Heritage members enter without further payment. The audio guide, the keep climb and the Cockpit Garden are included in the price. There is no cafe on site, so the only additional spend is the small shop. Parking in the town's car parks is separate at roughly £2-3 for two hours.

Is any part free to visit?

The castle interior is ticketed at all times, with no free days. However, the Castle Walk — a Georgian promenade cut around the base of the castle rock above the River Swale — is open at no charge and gives excellent views of the walls and the falls, taking about 25 minutes from the Market Place. The Market Place itself, shaped by the castle's outer bailey and one of the largest in England, also costs nothing to wander.

How much time should I allow?

One to two hours. The keep climb and roof take around 30 minutes including time at the top, the bailey and Cockpit Garden another 20, and the audio guide runs roughly 45 minutes end to end. If a cell block tour is running, add 20 minutes and take it. Combine with the Castle Walk below the walls and Richmond's Market Place and you have a comfortable half-day in town.

Which days is Richmond Castle closed?

From November to March it opens Wednesday to Sunday only, usually 10:00-16:00, so Mondays and Tuesdays in winter are closed days. April to September it opens daily 10:00-18:00, and daily 10:00-17:00 in October. It closes 24, 25 and 26 December and 1 January. The keep roof can be closed in high winds independently of the rest of the site, which is worth checking on a blustery Dales day before you pay.

Do I need to book?

No — tickets are sold at the desk on arrival and the castle does not usually operate timed entry. Booking online can save a small amount and a few minutes in summer. The exception is the conservation-restricted cell block: access runs on limited scheduled tours rather than open access, so ask at the desk on arrival or ring ahead if the Richmond Sixteen story is your main reason for coming.

What is the nearest station or bus stop?

Richmond has had no railway station since 1969. The nearest is Darlington on the East Coast Main Line, 12 miles away, with X26 and 34 buses running into Richmond Market Place in around 30-40 minutes for a few pounds. The 159 connects Northallerton and Leyburn. The Market Place stops are a three-minute walk from the gate; Nuns Close car park is five minutes and Station Yard about ten minutes downhill.

Where to stay

Hotels near Richmond Castle

Live prices · free cancellation
Browse

Every hotel we cover in Richmond

24 with a full page

More things to do

All things to do

From the journal

All posts