Work to overhaul paths at castle due to start

The improvements, which are expected to cost more than £60,000, will be carried out at Knaresborough Castle, which is one of North Yorkshire’s major tourism destinations. The view from the battlements across the River Nidd is reputedly one of the country’s most photographed and painted scenes.

The paths are to be re-laid to complement the castle’s stonework and also make them fit for the tens of thousands of tourists who visit every year.

Asphalt will be laid in the first phase before a decorative finish is put on the top. The improvements, which have scheduled monument consent from English Heritage, will start in May and are due to be completed by July.

Funding has been secured from Harrogate Borough Council, the not-for-profit heritage organisation WREN and Knaresborough Town Council.

The castle grounds and museum will remain open during the works, although some footpaths will have to be diverted.

The castle’s history dates back to when King John maintained it as one of his administrative strongholds in the North of England. He is said to have spent more money on the castles at Knaresborough and Scarborough than on any others throughout the country.

Historical records show that the king spent £1,290 on works at Knaresborough Castle, including the excavation and enlargement of the moat - a huge sum of money in the 12th century.