Home for a Future King

Following the death of Richard, 2nd earl of Salisbury in 1471, the castle was granted to Richard, duke of Gloucester (1452-1485), who later became King Richard III.

It is likely that service and storage rooms were located on the ground floor of the castle, with the principal apartments on the first floor. The rooms labelled on the plan are based on the 1565 description of the partly decayed castle © English Heritage The future king resided at the castle for periods between 1471 and 1485, as he held the position of sheriff of Cumberland.  His role was to secure the county against the Scots and keep rival local families under control.

Richard carried out alterations at the castle, transforming it into a suitable residence.  Large windows, probably to light private apartments, were inserted in a raised external wall.  A new gatehouse and a tower were also constructed at this time.

After Richard became king, the castle remained Crown property, but it was not used again as a permanent residence.  Surveys from the mid-16th century describe the castle as partly decayed.

After brief use during the Civil War in 1648 as the headquarters for the parliamentarian general John Lambert, the castle was further dismantled. Various farm buildings and a house were cleared from the site before Castle Park was laid out in 1920.