Clifford’s Tower, York, England

William the Conqueror came to York in 1068 and built a castle here. The lands were granted to his Barons but during the harrying of the north, he returned in 1069 and built a second castle on the other side of the River Ouse, on Baile Hill, where only earthworks remain. The first castle he built was on the site of what is known as Clifford’s Tower today.

Both of William the Conqueror’s castles were wooden structures, of motte and bailey design, built on a large artificial earth mound which supported a tall wooden lookout tower. The bailey would have been a spacious courtyard, which contained all the other timber buildings necessary to sleep and provide for the garrison. This was surrounded by a ditch that was filled with water from the river.

King John stayed at the castle twice. Clifford’s Tower has always been a royal castle and was rebuilt in stone by John’s son, Henry III. Henry III spent over £2,450 on the castle over the next 20 years, a fortune at the time.

The stain on the castle’s history came not through warfare but through differences in religion. In March of 1190, the city’s entire Jewish community, who were under the protection of King John, took refuge in the castle tower when they were threatened by a violent mob of York's citizens. After a few days, as the rioting and plundering of their homes continued, siege engines were brought into position and they knew it was hopeless. Their Rabbi called upon his fellow Jews to commit suicide, rather than suffer their inevitable murder. The majority of them followed his advice. The mass suicide was accompanied by a raging fire, intended to destroy the tower of the castle, and to cremate the Jews bodies so that they could not be dismembered. A few survivors did surrender and were massacred.