Crayke Castle: Two men charged with vandalising window at Grade-I listed 15th-century Yorkshire castle

Charles Leaf, 19, of Strensall, and Charley Carlyle, 20, will appear at York Magistrates Court on Thursday to face a charge of criminal damage.

It is alleged that in June last year, they damaged a Grade I-listed window to the value of £2,954 belonging to the castle’s owner, Steve Hill.

The house sits on a hill where a castle has stood since the Norman Conquest, but the present building dates back to 1450 when it was built for the Bishop of Durham.

It was fortified until the 17th century, when the garrison was dismantled, and it was besieged during the Civil War. It was restored by the Allanson family, who bought it in 1648.

It was a rented farmhouse until 1827, when the Bishops of Durham were allowed to sell it privately, and in World War Two was used by the Women’s Land Army for accommodation.

A more recent owner was Thirsk and Malton MP Kevin Hollinrake, who sold up in 2008.