Tickhill Castle Tickhill Castle was a castle in Tickhill , on the Nottingham / Yorkshire West Riding border , England and a prominent stronghold during the reign of King John I of England . Early history . The castle started as an 11th - century motte and bailey earthwork named Blythe Castle , built by Roger de Busli , a major landholder in the Domesday book holding 174 estates in Nottinghamshire , on land granted to him by William the Norman . The castle was deliberately built on the Nottingham / Yorkshire border , as Roger held authority in both . After a siege in 1102 Robert Bloet added a curtain wall to the rampart around the bailey ; the first part of the castle to be built of stone . From 1151 to 1153 , the castle was held by Ranulph de Gernon , 2nd Earl of Chester before his death after being poisoned . In 1180 construction began on an 11 - sided or circular keep on top of the motte by Henry II of England ; it was completed in 1192 along with a stone bridge and a chapel constructed by Eleanor of Aquitaine . Possession by John of England . In 1189 , the land around Tickhill was granted to John of England by his brother Richard I of England , although the castle was withheld by Richard , along with Launceston , Rougemont Castle , Exeter , Gloucester and Nottingham , as Richard did not trust John ' s loyalty while he participated in the Third Crusade . His fears proved well founded after John seized the kingdom in 1191 from William Longchamp , Richard ' s chosen regent . Along with Windsor Castle , Tickhill was John ' s main stronghold to protect against a suspected invasion by Philip II of France . Tickhill and Nottingham became John ' s last strongholds under the command of Robert de la Mare , and was besieged by Hugh de Puiset in 1194 , with defenders holding out until they heard of the return of Richard to England . After gaining permission from Hugh they sent two knights to find out directly if Richard was indeed returned , and the knights immediately offered to restore the castle to Richard . Richard refused , saying he would only accept an unconditional surrender , which the knights negotiated upon their return , surrendering the castle to Hugh de Puiset in exchange for the defenders ' lives . In 1321 , the castle was unsuccessfully laid siege by Thomas , 2nd Earl of Lancaster during a rebellion against Edward II . In 1372 , it was granted to John of Gaunt by Edward III in exchange for the Earldom of Richmond . It remains a property of the Duchy of Lancaster to this day . The English Civil War . By 1540 , the castle was in poor repair ; the lease was obtained in 1612 by Sir Ralph Hansby , who had the castle repaired and fortified . During the English Civil War the castle remained loyal to the crown , with Major Monckton set in charge of the castle after Sir Ralph ' s death in 1643 . In 1644 , John Lilburne and 200 dragoons from the Earl of Manchester ' s army marched to Tickhill , and accepted the castle ' s surrender on 26 July . The castle was razed in 1648 to prevent its use as a stronghold in the future . Today . After the Civil War , the Hansby family built a large house , which retains the fortified Norman gatehouse and may incorporate parts of the old hall . The site of the bailey is now part of the gardens . The castle is now a private residence and the monument is maintained by the Duchy of Lancaster , and opened to the public one day a year .