invme Place
Everywhere
All cities · Everywhere →
EN
ENEnglish RURussian FRFrench DEGerman ITItalian ESSpanish PTPortuguese PT-BRBrazilian Portuguese ES-MXLatin American Spanish FR-CACanadian French EN-GBBritish English UKUkrainian PLPolish JAJapanese NLDutch KOKorean SVSwedish DADanish NBNorwegian FIFinnish CSCzech HEHebrew ELGreek ZH-HANTTraditional Chinese HUHungarian RORomanian HRCroatian SKSlovak SLSlovenian ETEstonian LVLatvian LTLithuanian BGBulgarian TRTurkish

Scarborough Castle

Castles & palaces ·Scarborough ·Closed
4.611.3K
#6Things to do in Scarborough Scarborough District North Yorkshire EnglandTravelers' Choice 2026
Make a plan here
Directions Website Call Bookmark

Sign up free — See who's going and message them.

Is this your place? Get the badge for your website

About

Scarborough Castle is a ruined former royal fortress on a rocky headland above the North Sea.

More photos 11

1 / 11
Scarborough Castle

Scarborough CastleScarborough CastleScarborough CastleScarborough CastleScarborough CastleScarborough CastleScarborough CastleScarborough CastleScarborough CastleScarborough CastleScarborough Castle

Why go

  • The Bronze Age sword found in 1980 is the Master Gunner’s House exhibition’s centrepiece.
  • The views take in both Scarborough bays from the headland.
  • The 16-acre headland is maintained as a wildflower meadow.
  • The visible remains of an Anglo-Saxon chapel stand at the signal-station site.

Opening hours

Today10:00 – 17:00Show all
Monday10:00 – 17:00
Tuesday10:00 – 17:00
Wednesday10:00 – 17:00
Thursday10:00 – 17:00
Friday10:00 – 17:00
Saturday10:00 – 17:00
Sunday10:00 – 17:00

Don't miss

  • Master Gunner’s House exhibitionIts finds span the headland’s history and include prehistoric tools and pottery, a Civil War cannonball, and a shell nose-cap from 1914.Master Gunner’s House
  • Roman signal stationThe cliff-top station warned of hostile vessels; its ruins overlook the North Sea.Headland
  • Entrance bridge and barbicanThe stone bridge, built in 1337–1338, replaced two drawbridges. The barbican gateway was completed in the 14th century and has two half-circular towers.Castle entrance
  • KeepThe 86-foot keep survives as a shell after bombardment destroyed its west wall, floors and roof.Inner bailey
  • Medieval hall foundationsThe excavated foundations are the remains of a hall once used for royal visitors.Outer bailey

Interesting facts4

1/4

  1. A 150-foot-deep well lies in the inner bailey.

    Scarborough Castle - Wikipedia (part 2)

  2. The keep contained a Great Hall, rooms for visitors or the governor, and basement storage.

    Scarborough Castle - Wikipedia (part 2)
  3. 20 years

    During his 20 years as governor in the 13th century, Geoffrey de Neville used the garrison to seize goods from the harbour.

    Scarborough Castle - Wikipedia

  4. Henry II granted the settlement below the fortress Royal Borough status.

    Scarborough Castle - Wikipedia

Shorts

History

During the Hundred Years War, Scarborough was an important wool-trade port and faced several attacks.

  1. 900–500 BCA hillfort stood on the headland; archaeological digs in the 1920s found evidence of it.
  2. 1130s–1138Wooden fortifications were established. William le Gros built a wooden fortification after receiving the Earldom of York in 1138.
  3. 1157Henry II began rebuilding the castle in stone.
  4. 1159–1169Most stonework was completed, including the keep and a stone wall replacing the wooden palisades.
  5. 1312Piers Gaveston became governor in April and surrendered after a siege the following month.
Show all
  1. 1424–1429Henry VI ordered extensive repairs.
  2. 1645Parliamentarians besieged the castle twice during the Civil War. The 1645 siege lasted five months and partly destroyed the keep.
  3. 1746Following the Jacobite Rebellion of 1745, the castle was refortified with gun batteries and barracks for 120 people.

What's inside

  • Inner bailey — Once held workshops, offices, a kitchen and storage spaces; surveys traced outlines of additional 12th-century buildings.
  • Visitor centre — Provides access to artefact displays, surviving remains and viewing platforms.

Tips for your visit

  • Use the visitor platforms to view the surviving remains.
  • At the signal-station ruins, pause for views over the North Sea.
  • In the inner bailey, look for outlines of additional 12th-century buildings traced by later surveys.

With kids

  • Follow the World Builder trail and imagine a forest with its plants and animals.
  • Summertime events include pirate- and Robin Hood-themed activities, plus an annual kite festival.

Tours and audio guides

Audio tour
Tells the story of the castle headland

Sources: Scarborough Castle - Wikipedia · Scarborough Castle - Wikipedia (part 2) · Scarborough Castle - Wikipedia (part 3) · Scarborough Castle | English Heritage · Plan your visit to Scarborough Castle | English… · Things To see and do at Scarborough Castle | En… · Scarborough Castle - Wikipedia · Château de Scarborough - Wikipedia · checked 24 Sep 2026

Where
Castle Road, Scarborough

Plan from here: A day out →

Questions and answers

What can I see in the Scarborough Castle exhibition?

It features a Bronze Age sword found in 1980, along with prehistoric tools and pottery, a Civil War cannonball and a shell nose-cap from 1914.

Can you climb the battlements at Scarborough Castle?

Yes. Visitors can climb the battlements and take in views of both Scarborough bays.

What can children do at Scarborough Castle?

Children can follow the World Builder trail, which invites them to imagine a forest and its plants and animals.

Is there an audio tour at Scarborough Castle?

An audio tour tells the story of the castle headland.

How invme works
  1. See who's going — faces, not ticket counts.
  2. Write to someone who shares your interests — no swipes, no matches, no paywall.
  3. Pick the event or the place to meet at — and go together.
Join free

Reviews on invme

Sign in to review
Comment Share
Loading comments…