Harrogate Borough Council

Knaresborough Castle opening times and admission charges

The museum is open daily from Good Friday until 5 October from 10.30am - 5pm

Admission charge

Adult £2.70
Child £1.50
Concessions £1.70
Family £7.50
Group rates on application

30 minutes tours run at:
11am
12pm
2.30pm
3.30pm

ADDRESS:
Castle Yard
Knaresborough
HG5 8AS

Find us on Google Maps

Directions and access information can be found on the Visitor Information page

You can contact Harrogate Museums and Arts

by telephone on 01423 556188

by fax on 01423 556130

by post at

Mercer Art Gallery
Swan Road
Harrogate
HG1 2SA

by email

or by calling into any of our venues.

Knaresborough Castle

About the Castle:
A stronghold of Medieval Kings, Knaresborough Castle still stands towering over the River Nidd. A visit to the site includes a tour to discover what Royalty got up to in the King's Tower, get a glimpse of the dungeon and walk through the underground sallyport.

Visit the Courthouse Museum, housed in one of the Castle's oldest surviving buildings. Find out about Knaresborough's fascinating history and the colourful characters who have contributed to it, such as Eugene Aram, the infamous 18th century murderer!

Get a glimpse of what life was like for children and adults alike living in a Medieval Castle and view the rare surviving Tudor courtroom.

Knaresborough town is a short walk away where you can explore the riverside, cobbled streets and much more.

Find out what events are happening at Knaresborough Castle.

Find out about 2007's Artist in Residence

Explore the King's Tower	Discover Knaresborough's history	Step back in time

The King's Tower was the site of Royal visitors and is the glory of the Castle to this day. It also houses the dungeon where you can find out for yourself how it felt to be at the King's mercy.	The Courthouse Museum is housed in the Castle's oldest building where you can learn about Knaresborough's royal residents, infamous locals and more!	Sample life in a Medieval Castle in our hands-on Life in a Castle exhibition. Try on chain mail and Civil War costumes. Play Medieval games and find out about food, drink and schooling all those centuries ago.
Visit the Tudor Courtroom	The secret Underground tunnel	So much to do!

Come and see the original Tudor Courtroom. Discover the laws of the land in Tudor times and what it felt like to be tried in the dock.	Join a tour to journey through the 80-foot underground sallyport, cut through the solid bedrock under the Castle. The tunnel provided secret access in and out of the Castle in times of siege.	Why not enjoy a game of bowls or practice your putting skills whilst visiting the Castle?

A different view of the Castle?

Discover:

Mr Monkey's visit to the Castle and museum
About artists in residence
how this fabulous site can be used by the local community in these pictures of 'Castle Rocks 2006', an outdoor rock concert put on by Knaresborough Youth Assocation in September 2006.
See the pictures here!

ARTIST IN RESIDENCE 2007

'Surroundings' by Jo Millett

As an artist I am interested in landscape and how it is represented. Although this has traditionally been the province of painters, in recent years many artists have used film and video to investigate landscape.

Knaresborough Castle is a place with layers of meaning which have been formed over the centuries. It is imbued with history, but it is also a place to sit and eat lunch or play bowls. It is an important public space with many activities going on in it and these work in different ways.

I have used video and sound to investigate and examine these layers and the activities that are taking place. The geography, topography and the communal use of the site interest me, as well as the details of sounds and sights of that make up an overall impression to an observer.

I talked to the people that use the Castle, to examine the significance of the place to them and let this lead me on to further examinations of the site.

Additionally, there are views to, as well as views from the castle, so I videoed the castle from the area around it to see how it works in relationship to the surroundings.

From the imagery and audio material that I gather, I intend to make a work that responds to the place, in other words, make a work that is 'site-specific'. This may take the form of an installation or event that involves projection and sound.

A Sense of Place: Knaresborough Castle Artist in Residence 2006

.Andrew Cheetham is an artist who prefers to work by drawing in location.

Having a studio base at his location gave Andrew the chance to work on a larger scale and expand his drawing materials to include watercolour and soft pastels as well as charcoal.

As well as drawing his surroundings, Andrew's art documents the day to day running of the Castle and its grounds, from the staff and gardeners, to people using the grounds for walking dogs, eating lunch etc.

See some of Andrew's work.