Hellifield Peel Castle

Hellifield Peel Castle is the home and "restored from ruin to castle" Bed & Breakfast by Karen and Francis Shaw in the Yorkshire Dales, close to Skipton.

The origins of the castle date from 850 CE as a Saxon Aisled Hall House. The Saxon Hall was encased in stone in 1150 and modernized into a Norman Manor House. In 1250, a solar tower was added by Elias de Knole. The main house is from early 1300s and was built by the last Templar Sir John Harcourt. Chapel Bedroom (see below) was part of this enhancement.

Chapel Bedroom (left) and Old Bedroom (right) with original 17th century four-poster beds. Chapel Bedroom also has the original 14th century vaults and arches.


The Hammerton family owned it in the late 14th century and added towers and crenelations in 1440s. Some of the Hammertons ran afoul Henry VIII with predictable results. The Crown was happy to annex their vast holdings from Lancaster to York.

The castle was restored to the Hammertons in 1570 and extensive construction was undertaken to expand and modernize the place. The current turrets and mullioned windows date from this period. In 1780, large Georgian windows and paneled ceilings were added, the interiors updated, and a stone cantilevered staircase installed. In 1914, the castle was leased to Sir William Nicholson, who along with architect Sir Edwin Lutyens set about salvaging the ruins.

Unfortunately, the up-to-do castle came to the attention of the Ministry of Defense during World War II to house POWs. The ruined castle was then shunted off to the Hammertons briefly before being sold to Harry Lund of Otley. Lund and archeologist Tot Lord stripped the castle of all accoutrements, including paneling, and sold them piecemeal to all comers. In 1965, the Hargreaves bought it and sold it in 2004 to the Shaws.

The name Peel is a corruption of the word pale, which meant within a safe enclosure of wooden palisades, from whence the term beyond the pale arises meaning to be outside the safe area. The name Hellifield comes from the Norse name Helgsfield or Hellsfield, where hell means holy and also representative of Hell, the Norse Goddess of the Underworld.

To raise money and support from Grand Designs on BBC's Channel 4, Francis sent off this teaser: "Restoring castle in the dales, total ruin, previous owner hung drawn and quartered. Are you interested?" To his surprise, they were.

Survey Plans from 1772 that the Shaws are using, among other records, for their resoration work.


Important personages, such as Bonny Prince Charlie during the 1745 uprising, the last Templar Knight Sir John Harcourt, and the Duke of Devonshire have stayed here.

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