Spofforth Castle

Spofforth was the main seat of the Percy family - one of the most important and influential families in northern England - until the late 14th century. William de Percy, a favourite of William the Conqueror, built a manor house here in the 11th century, and it was reputedly here that rebel barons drew up Magna Carta in 1215. The surviving remains are those of a fortified manor house, dating mainly from the 14th and 15th centuries. Dogs on leads are welcome.