Appleby Castle Ticket Office
Appleby Castle

Early Origins & The Border

From Roman signals to Norman power.
  • 50BC Roman fort or signal station protects the River Eden crossing below the Castle.
  • 400 Romans leave; land becomes marshland.
  • 1092 The area is part of Scotland until William Rufus comes north to Carlisle.
  • 1100 The Keep is converted from a wooden structure to stone by Ranulph le Meschin — a canny Norman.
  • 1100s Burgage plots are established in the fields running up what is now the drive.
  • 1121 Ranulph leaves Appleby to become Earl of Chester; the land returns to the Crown until later grants.
  • 1134 Queen Matilda allows King David of Scotland to control Appleby Castle and Westmorland — Scotland again.
  • 1134+ King David appoints Hugh de Morville; father and sons become Barons of the Castle.
  • 1157 Henry II annexes Appleby Castle and Westmorland for England again.
  • 1170 Hugh de Morville (junior) is one of the knights involved in the assassination of Thomas Becket, Bishop of Canterbury.
  • 1203–1250 Round Tower built by the Viponts to protect the gatehouse and drawbridge.
  • 1388 Scots raid Appleby but cannot get into the Castle.
  • 1449 Thomas, 8th Lord Clifford builds two towers, a new Great Hall and chapel.
  • Frontier For centuries Appleby stands on the shifting border of England and Scotland — contested, rebuilt, and fortified.
  • Strategy The River Eden crossing makes the site a natural strongpoint for controlling movement through the valley.
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Visit the Norman Keep, Museum & Historic Grounds

Appleby Castle is home to one of only three intact Norman Keeps in the UK. The Norman Centre houses a museum explaining the early Normans and the history of the Castle.

  • Explore over 1,000 years of history
  • Visit the Norman Centre museum
  • Walk 25 acres of riverside grounds
  • Wildlife includes red squirrels, hedgehogs, abundant birdlife and occasional otters
Free Audio Tour Included
Explore at your own pace using your phone.
Choose Grounds Only, or the Norman Centre (which includes full access to the grounds).
Tip: Choose either Adults/Children or a Family ticket. Family ticket = 2 adults + up to 4 children.
Date of Visit Adult Most common Child Family 2A + up to 4C
Norman Centre & Grounds Select number of adults Select number of children Family = 2 adults + up to 4 children
Grounds Only
Amount to Pay

£0.00
Car Parking Required
All day parking is £5 per vehicle. Please enter your vehicle registration.
Secure payment Free audio tour included

Wars, Vengeance & Restoration

Cliffords, kings and Lady Anne Clifford.
  • 1454 Thomas, 8th Lord Clifford is killed in the First Battle of the Wars of the Roses.
  • 1461 His son John swears vengeance and kills the Earl of Rutland, in line to the Yorkist throne.
  • 1461 John becomes known as “John the Butcher”; he is later killed by the Yorkists and the lands are taken.
  • 1483 Richard III, Warden of the North, controls Penrith Castle as well as Appleby Castle.
  • 1485 Henry Clifford lives for years in hiding as a farmhand; after Henry Tudor defeats Richard III, he is restored — the “Shepherd Lord”.
  • 1500 His son Henry marries Eleanor Brandon (the King’s niece); Henry VIII attends the wedding.
  • 1558 George Clifford is born at Brougham — sea captain and the Queen’s Champion.
  • 1605 George dies; the inheritance passes to his brother Francis rather than his daughter, Lady Anne.
  • 1641 Francis dies; the estate passes to his son Henry.
  • 1643 Henry dies with no male issue; Lady Anne Clifford inherits Appleby.
  • 1648 Royalists surrender in the inner bailey to Ralph Ashton and Parliamentary forces.
  • 1649 Lady Anne returns to Appleby after years in London; she spends her last 26 years between her castles in Westmorland and Skipton.
  • 1652–53 Major rebuilding and restoration; the Keep is restored.
  • 1653 Almshouses built for poor and destitute women.
  • 1676 Lady Anne Clifford dies.
  • 1686 Last major rebuilding by Thomas Tufton, Lady Anne’s grandson, who wants Appleby as his main residence.
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