Out & About …

… on the North York Moors, or wherever I happen to be.

On Hood Hill

Rain before seven,
Lift before eleven.

 
So the old saying goes, but, ok the rain had stopped but the cloud still blanketted the 250m glacial outlier of Hood Hill.

We climbed the hill to explore the earthworks of a medieval fortification, a motte and bailey castle. And to talk of the legends of witches and druids. It is hard to imagine the Lord of the Manor of Kilburn and all his retinue living comfortably on the narrow craggy summit ridge. At one time it even had a resident lion which Roger de Mowbray had brought back after crusading in the Holy Land. But by the early 14th-century, the hill had been abandoned, with no trace of any stonework today that had replaced the original timber fort.

Around the time the castle was abandoned it was supposedly occupied by a band of robbers led by Sir Gosceline Deyville. He and his kinsmen had fought in the Second Barons’ War but seems to have missed out being pardoned by the king. With a band of 200 men disguised as friars he attacked and looted the Bishop’s Palace at Northallerton. Eventually, he was captured and hanged at York.




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2 responses to “On Hood Hill”

  1. Matt avatar
    Matt

    Great article.
    Regarding Sir Gosceline:
    It is known that his father, Sir John De Eyvill, had occupied the castle at Hood Hill. John de Eyvill had fought with Simon De Montford in the second Baron Wars against King Henry III. After Prince Edward (later Edward II) crushed De Montfort’s army and restored Henry to the throne, Sir John de Eyvill was pardoned by King Henry and lived to an old age.
    We know Sir John occupied the Hood Hill castle because he was granted a licence to crenellate (fortify) in 1264. His son, Gosceline, must have achieved possession this way.

    Do you have any more info about the Lion? That sounds fascinating.

    1. Fhithich avatar
      Fhithich

      Thanks, Matt. Sorry, I have no further information which I obtained from Martyn Hudson’s book “on blackamoor”. I had a draft copy then but it has now been published ISBN: 9781916425798.

      Mick

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