I had a very pleasant morning reliving my childhood last week. I went to Clitheroe Castle, which is about 10 miles from where I live. It was built sometime towards the end of the 12th Century by the Normans. It really is a tiny castle. The keep itself is probably only about the same area as my house. As a kid I never noticed this, but it was glaringly obvious to me last week.
There has been quite a lot of work done over the last few years, not particularly to the castle but mainly to the museum. This was really interesting and would probably have something for everyone. It does not just talk about the history of the castle, it goes right back into pre-history and looks at the geology of the area. As you walk through the museum it is as though you are travelling in a time machine as they describe the various events of both local and national significance to affect the area. Being Lancashire there is plenty about the cotton mills, but there are also sections on various dignitaries and a great video piece on the history of the castle itself.
For instance I was not aware that the castle was given to the town as a memorial to those who fell in the First World War. The townspeople then organised various events to pay for the memorial that still stands in the grounds today. The grounds are lovely, well kept and well used. In my late teens and early twenties Clitheroe Castle was the place myself and my best friend would go to on a Sunday afternoon to chill out watching pensioners bowling aster we had been out clubbing. Halcyon days!
The castle does provide some spectacular views of the Ribble Valley and Pendle Hill, home of some of the infamous Lancashire Witches. Talking of home, as I said earlier the keep is very small, though it was probably on three floors, the castle was the home to five knights and 15 men of arms. It must have been very cramped in there and I can imagine that tempers must have flared on many occasions with all that testosterone in such a confined space.
Clitheroe itself is a market town and there are plenty of good pubs, café’s and restaurants for you to sample if you do pay a visit. We went to Mitchell’s at the back of the Swan & Royal pub on the high street.
I had a really great time and would suggest that anybody with an interest in history pays Clitheroe Castle and its museum a visit.
I took a number of photo’s and you can view them on my Flickr stream.