Key facts
- Operator
- English Heritage
- Condition
- Ruin
- Access
- Free, open access
Pinpoint
Castle St, Spofforth, Harrogate HG3 1ND
Telephone 0370 333 1181
Possible Opening hours
Opening times change. Always check the official website before you travel.
| Monday | 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM |
| Tuesday | 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM |
| Wednesday | 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM |
| Thursday | 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM |
| Friday | 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM |
| Saturday | 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM |
| Sunday | 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM |
A fortified manor house, not a true castle, built into a natural outcrop of rock for the powerful Percy family - most of what survives dates from the 14th and 15th centuries. English Heritage manages it as an open, unstaffed site, so there's no gate, no ticket booth, and no fixed hours, just the ruins in a field.
Worth the trip
The way the building is built straight onto the bedrock, with the rock itself forming part of the foundations and outcrops you can still climb.
Before you go
Parking is limited to a short stretch of road, and reviewers note the site is genuinely unmanned - the gate isn't locked and there's no one to buy a ticket from, so bring a picnic and treat it as free all day.
Reviewers consistently note that Spofforth Castle is free to visit with open, unmanned access, and several highlight its unusual construction cut into a rockface as a distinctive feature among the castles they've visited. Picnic tables and green space around the ruins are mentioned as a plus for families. One reviewer found it a fairly modest, unspectacular site given its size, though still worth a stop.
“Lovely little English Heritage site. Great place to investigate on a sunny day. Also found a nice 30min circular walk route that I will try next time :)”— Nick, visitor review
