Kilton Castle

Kilton Castle stood keepless on a steep promontory above Kilton Beck, making it the first known castle in northern England without a central tower. Built around 1190 in orange sandstone for de Brus and later Autrey families, it faced only one narrow western approach protected by ditches. When Peter de Mauley besieged it in 1215, the walls and valley resisted until King John’s death forced an accord. By the 16th century the castle had gone quiet, leaving behind a ridge of stones that still shadows the beck.