Harewood Castle – The First Harewood

Deep in the woods on the Harewood estate stand the remains of Harewood Castle, a 14th-century fortified manor built by Sir William de Aldeburgh in the 1360s. It was never meant to be a war fortress, but a statement of status — thick walls, towers and private chambers designed to show wealth in a landscape long before the grand Georgian house appeared on the horizon. For generations it passed through notable hands, eventually reaching the Lascelles, who would later build the far grander Harewood House a short distance away. When that new chapter began, the old castle slipped quietly into decline, abandoned by the 1700s and claimed by ivy and weather through the centuries that followed.

But even in ruin, Harewood Castle still holds its own. Hidden among trees and birdsong, the stone catches the light in a way that hints at what it once meant to this valley. The towers cling on, the walls still stand, and the place carries the unmistakable feel of older ambition — the first Harewood, long before the elegance and lawns arrived. It’s a reminder that estates grow in layers, and this weathered ruin is where the story truly began.