The Hidden Dungeon of PONTEFRACT CASTLE

Described by Oliver Cromwell as 'one of the strongest inland garrisons in the kingdom', Pontefract castle was one of England's mightiest medieval castles. Owned by Edward II's cousin, the Earl of Lancaster, who was beheaded outside the castle walls for his role in Piers Gaveston's death. The dungeons date from the Norman period and witnessed the demise of Richard II, whose interference in Henry Bolingbroke's affairs ultimately led to his imprisonment at the castle, where his death still remains a mystery and was immortalised in the words of William Shakespeare.
#medievalcastle #kingedward #richardii #kinghenry
A huge special thanks to Kyle Carpenter for permitting us to use his amazing 3D models of the castle, which he has spent years creating to bring the castle back to life.
Check out his work at / pontefract-castle-a-jo...
The castle have plenty of events on and operate tours of the dungeon, check them out here -
www.wakefield....
Plan your castle visits here - www.govisitcas...

[@keithwatson8055]

Thats nice ,two good friends with a great love of history 😀

[@james_baker]

Two minutes into the premier and my boss says go back to work. Bah! Bet he would look good in a dungeon. Anyway, another great video! You really do great work. Thank you. 😺

[@govisitcastles]

Cheers James!

[@keithwatson8055]

i have been to this castle many many years ago,I love the way you can reconstruct to what it was in its hay day. I have a great passion for castles ,and I really love the way your passion comes across in your videos. Its nice that a man and wife ? share the passion for castles. Thank you .Keith Watson.

[@govisitcastles]

Thanks keith, glad you enjoyed it! And not husband and wife, just two good friends with a great love of history :D

[@skister82]

I just wanna go again because I went through the whole thing and I love it

[@loriedgerly7229]

That looked like a huge castle, that dungeon was really creepy, very interesting history, you guys always do such a great job !!

[@staceymccook5424]

Hi. I’ve just found and subscribed to your KZbin channel and I love it. Thank you so much.

[@govisitcastles]

Thanks Stacey!

[@staceymccook5424]

@@govisitcastles I’m just watching the latest episode and it’s brilliant! What was the first castle you visited and filmed for the channel?

[@joanneouchterlonie8166]

@@staceymccook5424 it was Peveril castle in the Peak District just over a year ago, we’ve visited a lot of castles since then!

[@staceymccook5424]

@@joanneouchterlonie8166 thank you. I’m from Northern Ireland and we have 3 castles over here, carrickfergus castle, hills borough castle and dunloos castle.

[@Dracomouthboi]

Went there yesterday was great!

[@GazNeon]

The dungeon is possibly my favourite part of the castle. The graffiti down there tells so many stories.

[@govisitcastles]

It's amazing! So much of it and you're right, some good stories behind some of them

[@stephenmudiecastles.2938]

I still really,really need one of them sweatshirts..

[@govisitcastles]

After the sweltering heat we filmed in on Monday, I think we need to branch out into some GVC summer wear :D

[@Angie2343]

In 1541, during a royal tour of the provinces, it was alleged that King Henry's fifth wife, Queen Catherine Howard, committed her first act of adultery with Sir Thomas Culpeper at Pontefract Castle, a crime for which she was apprehended and executed without trial. Mary, Queen of Scots was lodged at the castle on 28 January 1569, travelling between Wetherby and Rotherham.

[@govisitcastles]

If memory serves, Catherine was also approached by her former lover, Francis Dereham, at Pontefract too!

[@Angie2343]

@@govisitcastles Exactly. Why didn't you guys say this in the video?

[@govisitcastles]

There's only so much we can cover in a short video sadly, and some castles, like Pontefract, just have so much history and so many tales to tell that it isn't possible to fit it all in!

[@Angie2343]

@@govisitcastles Awwww

[@ellanv]

Shakespeare was wrong; King Richard II was not hacked to death, as we know because his body was returned to London and publicly displayed in St Paul's Cathedral on February 17th (Wikipedia). He was more likely placed in a small chamber, measuring around 7' x 7' in the bailey. As I write, on Nov 29, 2022, this chamber, accessed by a trapdoor, has been lost but a search will be made in the spring. He was more likely killed by dehydration as starving to death would have resulted in his body showing signs of abuse.

[@govisitcastles]

Absolutely, but Shakespeare was a playwright and dramatist :D Great to hear a search for the chamber will be taking place, will follow that with interest!

[@user-id9qc5nc2o]

As a school boy we had regular trips to Pontefract castle, mainly with it been so local to the school, we are talking the mid to late 70's. Back then the dungeons were never hidden, they were open to the public, albeit with a guide. The small chamber you talk about would have been the Oubliette, which if I remember was almost at the bottom of the dungeon and off to one side, just about wide enough for a man to be lowered in above his head but no space to move!

[@WakefieldTolbert]

My ancestors built this and other structures in West Yorkshire. I'm umbled.

[@skister82]

I just wanna go again 😢

[@heathernicholson3080]

Have they ever thought about rebuilding the castle. What a project.they did something simular in France, but from scratch. Nort only would it bring in tourists but it would bring in lots of work.for the surrounding community

[@govisitcastles]

Absolutely, but I imagine the cost involved would be enormous!

[@paul111287]

What a castle that was. Bet that dungeon is creepy late in the day🤣🤣

[@govisitcastles]

It wasn't actually that bad as far as creepy dungeons go! Wouldn't like to be a prisoner in there though...

[@Roscoe.P.Coldchain]

Does Mike Dunk still work there..? He used to take us down the dungeons there in the late 80s and worked for the Historical Society

[@bremnersghost948]

Pontefract, Broken Bridge in Latin, Wonder if the name came from the Angled/Crooked Bridge that led into the Gatehouse?

[@govisitcastles]

Interesting point! Is it broken bridge or to break the bridge though? The latter may refer to the castle's defences?

[@bremnersghost948]

@@govisitcastles Pass, I'd always assumed the bridge in question was at Ferrybridge just up the road from Pontefract, Then I saw the following video which shows that the gatehouse and drawbridge are built at a crooked angle to the Wall, A feature I haven't seen at any other Castle, Check it out:-kzbin.info/www/bejne/qKPCk5aVlrmmoZo

[@govisitcastles]

An excellent video, thanks for sharing!

[@dennisgarrison3537]

The monarchy should pony up some of their millions to restore their castle history.