Richmond Castle North Yorkshire
As a seat of local government and judiciary, Richmond Castle is comparatively well preserved when compared to similar fortifications which were more military based.
After the Civil War, a lot of castles were semi destroyed in order to prevent their future use by any faction that might have wanted to challenge the new regime.
Many suffered the loss of a main wall to render them useless (as at Scarborough and Helmsley, for example).
But Richmond's main tower remains intact together with stairways, running from the lower entrance hall, all the way up to the rooftop battlements.
In between, there is an entrance onto the defensive walls which offers a commanding view of the internal castle grounds and the town outside.
On my visit there was an archaeological dig underway as part of the Richmond 950 year anniversary.
In true 'Time Team' fashion there were lots of beardy types (both men and women) wearing unfeasibly large hats whilsy digging trenches looking for ancient things.
Here they seem to have excavated an entire 15th century family.
On the outer wall of one of the towers is a supersized bird box which is probably home to something more hawk than sparrow.
The main hall is the uppermost room and was used by local judges to hear the requests and disputes brought before them by the townsfolk.
They sat in impressive chairs and had a device into which they could whisper (and hear) advice from each other that they might not wish to be made public.
Such as, "have you seen the tits on that one?!".
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