Apparently the Castle was a firm favourite with King John (1166-1216), and he is known to have used it on many occasions whilst hunting in the Forest of Knaresborough. During his reign, large sums of money were spent on the expansion of Knaresborough Castle, and King John was responsible for the excavation of the dry moat, which is the earliest surviving visible feature of the ruins today. When Edward I had succeeded in his subjugation of the Welsh, his focus then centred on Scotland. Knaresborough Castle became strategically important in this quest, and the king commissioned further modernisation of the Norman castle. Surviving features from this period include the substantial twin towers of the East Gate, as well as some fragments of curtain wall.

English Castles

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