The castle is situated in the Vale of Pickering and has a considerably steep cliff on the west side which would have been a great defensive attribute.

The main purpose of the castle at this time was to maintain control of the area after the Harrying of the North, though by 1322, the defences had been re-fortified on the orders of Edward II who had narrowly escaped capture by the Scots during battles in the same year.

[4] When Richard II of England was deposed as king, he was held prisoner in the castle (c. 1399) until his removal to Pontefract.

[7] Later in the conflict, Parliamentary troops occupied the site and Sir Hugh Cholmeley stripped the lead, timber, and iron from the towers of the castle to provide extra defences for Scarborough Castle.

[8][9] In 1926, the Ministry of Works (the predecessor of English Heritage) took possession of the castle.