England · Demolished
Hartley Castle
Hartley Castle was a medieval manor-house fortress near Kirkby Stephen in Cumbria, held and fortified from the 14th century and altered in the 17th century. It comprised concentric courts with a thick curtain wall, an inner quadrangle of multi-storey ranges including a hall, chapel and gallery. The castle was demolished for building stone in the early 18th century; only earthworks and short lengths of wall and the vaulted kitchen cellar survive on the site today.
First raised
1353
Its prime
1615
Today
Demolished
As it stood in 1615
What Hartley Castle looked like in its prime.
Perched on a rocky outcrop in the Eden valley, the castle comprised a square outer court enclosed by a thick, high crenellated curtain wall to the north, and an inner quadrangle surrounded on three and four storeys by stone ranges. The east range contained kitchen and buttery spaces with an external stair to the adjacent hall; the west contained a long gallery lit by a large oriel window facing the quadrangle; the south end housed a chapel and withdrawing rooms. Entrances were reached by a flight of steps from the road.
Its story
The story of Hartley Castle.
Hartley Castle, near Kirkby Stephen in Cumbria, was taken from Roger de Clifford around 1315 and granted to Andrew de Harcla — the name anglicised as Harclay or Hartley. It was later granted to Ralph de Neville, who sold it on through three further hands to Thomas de Musgrave, granted a licence to crenellate by Edward III on 4 October 1353.
The fortified manor house comprised concentric courts behind a thick curtain wall, with an inner quadrangle of multi-storey ranges holding a hall, chapel and gallery, and was altered in the 17th century. In the early 18th century it was demolished for building stone; only earthworks, short lengths of wall and the vaulted kitchen cellar survive on the site.
Step inside
10 places to explore in 1615.
The record describes 10 distinct spots at Hartley Castle — including 5 interiors: great hall and external stair, kitchen and buttery (east range), vaulted cellar beneath the kitchen and more. Create your own photoreal reconstruction and walk through every one — more scenes means more rooms, more angles, and more of the place to stand in.
Create History
Recreate Hartley Castle with AI to explore it.
The artist rebuilds it as it stood in 1615 — a photoreal walk that belongs to you alone. Pay with coins, no subscription needed.
Recreate this castle →Whose castle
Clans who held Hartley Castle.
The families that held Hartley Castle for a decade or more across its history — follow a name to its clan.
Musgrave
Granted to Thomas de Musgrave, licensed to crenellate by Edward III in 1353.
