The location was of strategic importance in the reign of Edward I who would have traversed the area on his way to battle in Scotland. It is on a raised bluff offering clear views south over the landscape where the cliff falls away. It was deep in Inglewood Forest and known as Kings Castle originally.
A pele tower built of timber was initially erected on the elevated site circa 1317 in the reign of Edward I. Between 1328 and 1338 when Edward III was on the throne, control of the site was disputed between William de Langleis and Randolph and Ralph de Dacre with Langleis/Lengleys seemingly winning the dispute by 1342, when given the right to impark a wider area enclosing it. By this time the defensive tower had been converted to stone, a curtain wall and gatehouse built and a license to crenelate issued to Lengleys.
Crenelation: the construction of ramparts and battlements around a structure with notches set in for defensive purposes.
Permission had to be sought from the Crown and a license issued, sometimes a tax or levy was payable. The authorities would want to know your purpose and in whose defense the structure might be concerned.
The original 14C castle transferred from the Lengleys to the Restwold family and was either destroyed or demolished to developed into a large country house when purchased by the Richmond family in 1550. Richmond’s married Brougham’s and the castle was demolished again and rebuilt to a design in the classical Palladian style possibly by the architect James Gibbs in 1744-1748
Images of its former glory can be found here
This is High Head Chapel now a grade 2 listed building. No longer in use, but the scene of many Hoodless baptisms. I am struck by its simplicity.
Image courtesy of www.historicengland.org.uk