Mary, Queen of Scots (1542 – 1587)
Mary was Queen of Scotland from 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. Following her Scottish imprisonment and defeat at the Battle of Langside in 1568, Mary escaped across the Solway to Workington in Cumbria. From there she was very soon taken into protective imprisonment and remained a prisoner in several castles until her execution in Fotheringhay Castle, Northamptonshire.
The bridge over the moat and outer gatehouse of Carlisle Castle.
The castle was built on the site of the Roman fort, Luguvalium, and in 1092 a wooden motte and bailey castle built by William 11.
Rebuilt in stone in 1157, the castle was repeatedly attacked by the Scots and needed regular repair including a new outer gatehouse in the 14th century. It was restored in 1541 but again was badly damaged in the Civil War and then in 1745 during the Jacobite uprising.
Mary Queen of Scots was held captive here under the guardianship of Sir Francis Knollys from 16 June 1567 until July 1568 when she was moved to Bolton Castle in Yorkshire. Knollys allowed Mary to walk along the outside of these walls (now known as 'Lady's Walk').
From the 1820s to the mid 20th century the castle saw considerable renovation as it became an army barracks for the Border Regiment.
The keep of Carlisle Castle and part of the city wall.
The castle was built on the site of the Roman fort, Luguvalium, and in 1092 a wooden motte and bailey castle built by William 11.
Rebuilt in stone in 1157, the castle was repeatedly attacked by the Scots and needed regular repair including a new outer gatehouse in the 14th century. It was restored in 1541 but again was badly damaged in the Civil War and then in 1745 during the Jacobite uprising.
Mary Queen of Scots was held captive here under the guardianship of Sir Francis Knollys from 16 June 1567 until July 1568 when she was moved to Bolton Castle in Yorkshire. Knollys allowed Mary to walk along the outside of these walls (now known as 'Lady's Walk').
From the 1820s to the mid 20th century the castle saw considerable renovation as it became an army barracks for the Border Regiment.
Bolton Castle, Castle Bolton in Wensleydale, North Yorkshire.
The castle was built between 1378 and 1399 by Richard, 1st Baron Scrope of Bolton, and it still belongs to his descendants. Mary Queen of Scots was held here for six months in 1568 following her defeat in Scotland. Admission charge.
Bolton Castle, Castle Bolton in Wensleydale, North Yorkshire.
The castle was built between 1378 and 1399 by Richard, 1st Baron Scrope of Bolton, and it still belongs to his descendants. Mary Queen of Scots was held here for six months in 1568 following her defeat in Scotland. Admission charge.
Bolton Castle with a backdrop of Redmire Moor, Wensleydale, North Yorkshire.
The castle was built between 1378 and 1399 by Richard, 1st Baron Scrope of Bolton, and it still belongs to his descendants. Mary Queen of Scots was held here for six months in 1568 following her defeat in Scotland. Admission charge.
Egremont Castle, Egremont, Cumbria.
Egremont Castle stands on a hill overlooking Egremont town and the River Ehen. The castle was built by William le Meschin around 1130 on the site of an older motte and bailey fortification. The gatehouse and curtain wall show signs of early Norman herringbone stonework. Egremont was sacked twice by Robert Bruce in the early 14th century. During the Rising of the North in 1569, several noblemen took part in a rebellion to place Mary Queen of Scots on the throne of England. The rebellion failed and Egremont Castle was destroyed. It crumbled into ruin, and only one room survived which was used as a courthouse until 1786. Grade 1 Listed
The Shawl, Leyburn in Wenseydale, Yorkshire Dales National Park, North Yorkshire.
Local folklore suggests that this limestone escarpment offering fine views of Penhill and Wensleydale was named The Shawl because Mary Queen of Scots lost her shawl here as she attempted to escape captivity from Castle Bolton.
The toposcope on Leyburn Shawl in Wenseydale, Yorkshire Dales National Park, North Yorkshire.
Woodland path along the Leyburn Shawl in Wenseydale, Yorkshire Dales National Park, North Yorkshire.
Woodland path along the Leyburn Shawl in Wenseydale, Yorkshire Dales National Park, North Yorkshire.
A view over Wensleydale to Penhill from the Leyburn Shawl in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, North Yorkshire.
Workington Hall / Curwen Hall at Workington in Cumbria.
Ancestral home of the Curwen family who obtained a licence to crenellate in 1380 and owned by them until sold to the local council in the 1900s.
In 1568, Mary Queen of Scots suffered defeat at the Scottish Battle of Langside and fled across the Solway Firth in a fishing boat to Workington, where she spent the night as a guest of John Curwen at Workington Hall. She wrote a letter to Queen Elizabeth I from here. Two days later Mary was taken into protective custody at Carlisle Castle and remained imprisoned for 19 years until her execution in 1587.
John Christian Curwen was lord of the manor at Workington Hall from 1783-1828, a period during which the town prospered. Grade 1 Listed.
Workington Hall / Curwen Hall at Workington in Cumbria.
Ancestral home of the Curwen family who obtained a licence to crenellate in 1380 and owned by them until sold to the local council in the 1900s.
In 1568, Mary Queen of Scots suffered defeat at the Scottish Battle of Langside and fled across the Solway Firth in a fishing boat to Workington, where she spent the night as a guest of John Curwen at Workington Hall. She wrote a letter to Queen Elizabeth I from here. Two days later Mary was taken into protective custody at Carlisle Castle and remained imprisoned for 19 years until her execution in 1587.
John Christian Curwen was lord of the manor at Workington Hall from 1783-1828, a period during which the town prospered. Grade 1 Listed.
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