Peveril Castle
Peveril Castle occupies one of the most dramatically positioned sites of any castle in England, perched on a limestone crag high above the village of Castleton in the Peak District with steep drops on three sides making it almost impregnable without the benefit of modern artillery. The combination of natural defensive strength, historic interest and sweeping views across the Hope Valley makes it one of the most rewarding castle visits in the north of England, accessible via a steep but short footpath from the village below. The castle was built shortly after the Norman Conquest by William Peveril, a knight who was among the followers of William the Conqueror and received extensive lands in the Peak District as a reward for his service. The Peveril family gave the castle its name and held it until its estates were forfeited to the crown following a succession of complications in the twelfth century. Henry II subsequently invested in the site, adding the square stone keep that remains the most prominent feature of the ruins today in 1176, providing the castle with a proper royal tower after earlier construction that had relied largely on the natural defensive properties of the crag itself. Sir Walter Scott set his 1823 novel Peveril of the Peak here, further cementing the castle's romantic reputation and drawing Victorian tourists to what was already a remarkable piece of landscape history. The novel is now largely forgotten but the castle's setting remains as atmospheric as any fictional treatment could wish. The keep, though roofless, retains most of its walls to full height, and the entrance passage and interior arrangement of rooms can still be traced clearly. The curtain wall following the edge of the crag encloses a large inner ward, and on the north side the natural limestone cliff forms the defensive wall without any additional construction being required. The gatehouse and various domestic buildings have been reduced to lower wall remnants but contribute to a sense of the full medieval complex. Below the castle, Castleton village offers a remarkable concentration of Peak District attractions: the show caves including Blue John Cavern, Speedwell Cavern, Peak Cavern and Treak Cliff Cavern are all accessible from the village and between them represent some of the finest cave systems open to the public in England.