What is recorded here

Mentioned in the 1086 Domesday Book, Tadcaster castle anchored the Norman claim to Yorkshire. Its earthwork still stands beside the River Wharfe, a reminder that conquest required both violence and administration. The motte rose above the town like a warning, while the bailey held the machinery of control. Together they shaped Tadcaster into a centre of power rather than a borderial village.

The National Heritage List for England records Tadcaster motte and bailey castle as a scheduled monument. The saved point comes from the centre supplied by the official record. Listing does not by itself mean that the public may enter the place.

Tadcaster motte and bailey castle was built in the late 11th or early 12th century, likely by the de Lacy family, who held significant lands in the region following the Norman Conquest. It is important as a well-preserved example of a Norman military and administrative site in northern England.

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