Morning all :o) We ended up at Helmsley Castle yesterday and then last night went out for a meal .So all in all I had a great day .Thanks for the birthday wishes ,its as good as getting cards lol :o) I`ve found some history on the Castle for you .Thanks for looking and take care Mick Helmsley Castle is a medieval castle situated in the market town of Helmsley ,North ,Yorkshire, England . The castle was first constructed in wood around 1120 by Walter L`Espec. Walter had no children and on his death in 1154 the castle passed to his sister Adelina who had married Peter de Roos. In 1186 their son Robert de Roos began work on converting the castle to stone. He built the two main towers, the round corner towers and the main gateway on the south side of the castle. He died in 1227, granting the castle to his older son William who lived there from 1227 to 1258. The only change made to the castle during this time was the construction of the chapel in the courtyard. William's son, Robert, inherited the castle and was Lord of Helmsley from 1258 to 1285. Robert's son William then inherited the castle. He raised the east tower and built the new hall and kitchen, as well as strengthening the castle. He also built a dividing wall in the castle, dividing it into north and south sides, with the southern half designated for the private use of the lord's family in the new hall and east tower, and the northern half containing the old hall to be used by the steward and other castle officials. Robert died in 1316. Helmsley Castle remained in the possession of the de Roos family until 1478 when Edmund de Roos sold the castle to Richard, Duke of Gloucester who later became Richard III . Richard did nothing to the castle, staying instead at nearby Middelham Castle . After Richard III's death at the Battle of Bosworth , Helmsley castle was restored to Edmund de Roos by Henry VII . Edmund died childless in 1508, when Helmsley Castle was inherited by his cousin Sir George Manners of Etal . On George's death in 1513 his son Thomas Manners inherited it. He was created Earl of Rutland in 1525. On his death in 1543, Thomas was succeeded by his son,Henry , but it was under the rule of his grandson Edward , that the castle was altered next. He had the Old Hall converted into a Tudor mansion, converted the 13th century chapel into a kitchen linked to the old hall by a covered gallery, and knocked the new hall down. The south barbican was also converted into a more comfortable residence at this time.