What are the opening hours?

Tuesday 9:30am - 5pm Wednesday 9:30am - 5pm Thursday 9:30am - 5pm Friday 9:30am - 5pm Saturday 9:30am - 5pm Sunday 9:30am - 5pm

Knaresborough Castle

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Knaresborough Castle

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Once the mighty stronghold of medieval kings, Knaresborough Castle is now a great place to discover local history. Admission includes museum and King's Tower.
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Originally built on the site 900 years ago and remaining a royal castle to this day, King John, Edward I and II lavished money to create one of the North's most impressive castles with the beautiful King's Tower, dry moat and walls with 12 towers. On a visit today you can discover the remains of the King's Tower, see the rare surviving Tudor Courtroom, and join a tour to scurry through the sallyport, a secret underground tunnel out of the castle. Explore the museum to discover Knaresborough's local history. Sallyport tours have no additional cost, but are subject to programming. Please enquire for times when you arrive. Admission : Adult £3.40; Concession £2.30; Child £1.90. Family (2 adults + 3 children) £9.50.

26/10/2026

Escape the Knaresborough showers this weekend with a special tour of the Sallyport - a secret underground tunnel used for escape in and out of the castle.

Plus look out for Orb Weaving Cave Spiders - don't worry, they're friendly! 🕷️👀

Saturday 31st October and Sunday 1st November, 11am and 3pm

23/10/2026

With very high winds forecast this weekend, our team will be monitoring conditions closely and reacting as necessary.

This means the Castle Keep may be closed at times for safety reasons, while the Courthouse Museum is expected to be open as usual.

20/10/2026

This old paint-mixing machine was used by Morleys, a Knaresborough firm of painters and decorators.

Before ready-mixed, factory-made paints became commonplace, decorating was a much more hands-on business. Dry colour pigments had to be ground and then mixed with a binder such as linseed oil to produce the paint.

Visit Knaresborough Courthouse Museum to learn more about this amazing object.

16/10/2026

Looking for some half-term magic? 🧙🪄

Make & Take: Bubbling Cauldrons is the perfect activity for little witches and wizards. Create and decorate your own bubbling cauldron, dream up a magical spell, and fill it with strange and wonderful ingredients inspired by objects from the museum collection.

Friday 30th October, 10am, 11am and 2pm
FREE, booking essential
https://culturenorthyorkshire.co.uk/events/make-take-bubbling-cauldrons-kc/

13/10/2026

This small manual fire engine was made by Phillips, near Blackfriars Bridge, London.

There was no motor, of course. The engine had to be pushed or carried to the fire, with water supplied by leather hoses and buckets. Several men worked the pump handles while another directed the water jet.

Come and explore Knaresborough's history for yourself at Knaresborough Courthouse Museum.

09/10/2026

Sallyport Tours are back for October Half Term 🏰🔎

Take a guided tour of the secret underground tunnel that was once used to slip in and out of the castle unnoticed, or for escape during an attack.

Saturday 31st October and Sunday 1st November, 11am and 3pm

06/10/2026

Step through the doors of Knaresborough Courthouse and find yourself surrounded by over 400 years of history.

The first floor dates from around 1600 and still contains a remarkably well-preserved Tudor courtroom, complete with its old oak table and fittings. It is easy to forget, looking at it today, that this was once a working room where local justice and administration were carried out.

01/10/2026

🍂 𝗞𝗻𝗮𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗔𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗻 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 back this Saturday!

Head to the grounds of Knaresborough Castle for a wonderful selection of local makers, creators and independent traders.

📅 Saturday 3 October
🕙 10am – 3pm
📍 Knaresborough Castle, HG5 8AS

Discover unique handmade gifts, beautiful crafts and plenty of autumn inspiration — all while supporting small local businesses. 🛍️

Come along, explore the market and enjoy a lovely autumn day in Knaresborough. 🍁

We look forward to seeing you there! 🤝

Little Bird Markets Visit North Yorkshire Knaresborough Castle

30/09/2026

Seeing out September in beautiful Knaresborough 🧡🍂

25/09/2026

If you're visiting us this weekend, take a moment to look out for the little details around the Castle and Grounds. You never know what you might discover.

🌱 The plant is a Lobed Maidenhair Spleenwort. We're taking extra care to protect this rare fern species.

Open Saturday and Sunday, 9:30am - 4:30pm

Address

Castle Yard
Knaresborough
HG58AS

Opening Hours

Tuesday	9:30am - 5pm
Wednesday	9:30am - 5pm
Thursday	9:30am - 5pm
Friday	9:30am - 5pm
Saturday	9:30am - 5pm
Sunday	9:30am - 5pm

Telephone

01423 556188

Website

https://culturenorthyorkshire.co.uk/our-venues/knaresborough-castle/

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