STAINBOROUGH CASTLE

West Riding of Yorkshire

Stainborough Castle, West Riding of Yorkshire

Stainborough Castle is one of the largest and most important Follies in Yorkshire.

It stands in the grounds of Wentworth Castle, a mansion built in two stages (1670 and 1760-5). The folly was built by the First Earl of Strafford who died in 1739, making it quite an early folly.

It is a roughly circular enclosure surrounded by a 'curtain' wall with four square castellated towers and a Gatehouse complex (pictured above).  It is a very well observed folly whose architect is sadly unknown; few big windows and an attention to detail lacking in some of the later follies built when they had become a fashionable necessity for any great house.

Sadly the folly is not in the best of repair and we would urge the owners, a local college, to clean it up and keep it in better condition than it currently does.

Back to Castles of the West Riding

Back to Castles of the West Riding

© Text copyright - Raving Loony Productions, Andrew J. Müller and Roy Barton
© Photos and Artwork - Andrew J. Müller and Roy Barton
© Web Design and Layout - Andrew J. Müller
2001

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