Formerly a stronghold of the
Lord Wardens of the Marches, Naworth is a medieval castle set in border country. The castle is thought to have mid 13th-century origins (possibly a
peel tower), in the form of a square
keep and
bailey. The current castle dates back to the early 14th century. It was first mentioned in 1323, and in 1335, a
licence to crenellate was granted to
Ralph Dacre during the reign of
Edward III. Subsequently, it was extended by generations of Dacres. The family was long established in
Cumberland, where they were famous for their exploits in checking the depredations of the Scots. Through marriage, the Dacres were related to many other northern families including the
Nevilles, the
Percy family, the
Greystoke family, the
Greys, the
Parrs,
the Harington Family and, the
de Vaux family. Unfortunately for the Dacres, due to marriage links, they became heavily embroiled in the feuds within the
Neville family and between the
Percy and Neville families that ended up with the
Wars of the Roses.
Thomas Dacre (1467–1525), who commanded the reserve of the English army at the
Battle of Flodden, was known as "the Builder Dacre." He built the castle's gateway and placed over it his
coat of arms with the Dacre family motto below:
Fort en Loialte (
Norman-French: "Strong in Loyalty"). Nearby, Lanercost Priory was
dissolved in 1543. As part of the barony of
Gilsland the manor of
Walton was granted to the Dacre family. They refused to yield Gilsland and Naworth to the
King, although in 1552 they agreed to exchange some lands at
Bewcastle for others at
Papcastle. In the late 16th century, Naworth came under the control of the Duke of Norfolk. In 1566
Thomas Dacre, 4th Baron Dacre died. In his will, he left his estates to his only son,
George Dacre, 5th Baron Dacre, and thereafter to his brothers, including
Leonard Dacre. Following his death, his widow,
Elizabeth Dacre (née Leyburne), married
Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk who became stepfather to the four Dacre children (George Dacre plus his three sisters,
Anne, Mary, and Elizabeth). Within a year of marrying the Duke of Norfolk, Elizabeth Dacre died in childbirth. The Duke then applied for wardship of his four Dacre stepchildren. Two years later, the young George Dacre died in an accident and, as a minor, was without issue. His inheritance, which included Naworth, was given to his sisters as co-heiresses to his estates. The girls’ stepfather, the Duke of Norfolk, then married two of the three Dacre heiresses (Anne and Elizabeth) to two of his sons –
Philip Howard and
William Howard. Mary Dacre was due to marry his other son,
Thomas Howard, however she died before any marriage could take place. Thus the
Howard name came into the Dacre family, along with the title of
Earl of Carlisle. However, the sisters’ uncle, Leonard Dacre (younger brother to the 4th Baron Dacre), believed their inheritance should have come to him, having been named in his brother's will. However after becoming involved in the
Northern Rebellion against
Queen Elizabeth, Leonard Dacre was forced to flee from England to Scotland and then to Flanders where he died in poverty in 1573. The Howards had the premier dukedom (Norfolk) in England and the premier earldom (Arundel) and with Leonard Dacre having fled abroad, Naworth Castle and the Dacre estates became the property of the son of the Duke of Norfolk, Lord William Howard, through his marriage to Elizabeth Dacre (nicknamed "Bess of the Broad Apron" thanks to the size of the vast northern estates which she had inherited). Amongst their many properties was
Castle Howard, but the principal family seat today is Naworth Castle, whilst Castle Howard is now held by a cadet branch of the family. ==Castle and gardens==