Appleby Castle Appleby Castle is in the town of Appleby , Cumbria overlooking the River Eden ( ) . It consists of a 12th - century castle keep which is known as Caesar ' s Tower , and a mansion house . These , together with their associated buildings , are set in a courtyard surrounded by curtain walls . Caesar ' s Tower and the mansion house are each designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building . The uninhabited parts of the castle are a scheduled ancient monument . History . The castle was founded by Ranulf le Meschin at the beginning of the 12th century . In about 1170 the square stone keep known as Caesar ' s Tower was built . The castle was in royal hands when the Scottish king , William the Lion , invaded the Eden Valley in 1174 . The constable of the castle surrendered without a fight . In 1203 the castle was granted to Robert de Vieuxpont by King John . In 1269 it came into the possession of Roger de Clifford and remained in the ownership of the Clifford family for nearly 400 years . and was responsible for the restoration of the castle . The north wall of house and the west part of north wing with the round tower date from the 13th century . The eastern part of the house was built in 1454 . In the mid - 17th century , Lady Anne Clifford made the castle her home . The castle was partly dismantled following a siege by roundhead forces in 1648 , during the Second English Civil War . However , itwas restored by Lady Anne Clifford in 1651 – 53 . On her death the castle passed to the Earls of Thanet . They were responsible for converting the hall block into a classical mansion house . The upper parts of Caesar ' s Tower were altered in the 17th and 18th centuries . The house was largely rebuilt in 1686 and the northwest wing was added in 1695 . In the 19th century it was again restored and sash windows were inserted . In 1972 the castle was purchased by Ferguson Industrial Holdings ( FIH PLC ) and became the primary residence of Denis Vernon , the CEO of the company , and his family . The Vernons lived at Appleby Castle until 1990 . Vernon , a passionate conservationist , established a rare breeds survival centre . Considerable improvements were made to the fabric of all the buildings , not least the 12th century keep . During this period , the castle was the headquarters and training centre of FIH PLC and for those running the conservation centre . Documentary and movie director Susannah White featured Denis Vernon and Appleby Castle in her 1998 BBC documentary " The Gypsies Are Coming " on Appleby Horse Fair . Appleby Castle is now a private residence . Parts of the castle were opened to the public in September 2013 for small private tours which can be booked via Appleby Tourist Information Centre . Structure . Caesar ' s Tower is built in grey stone rubble and ashlar . It is about high and has four storeys . The main house is in two wings which are at right angles to each other . A semicircular round tower protrudes from the north wall of the north wing and a large square tower is at the south end of the east wing . Other features . The gateway to the castle courtyard and two adjoining cottages are listed Grade I . The gateway is in grey stone and battlemented , dating probably from the 17th century . In the grounds of the castle is Lady Anne ' s Beehouse , which was built by Lady Anne Clifford in the middle of the 17th century . It is a square stone building in two storeys with a pyramid roof and a door on the lower level . The upper level has a pointed arched window on each of three sides and a door on the fourth side . It is also listed Grade I . Two stretches of the sandstone outer walls to the castle dating mostly from the 18th and 19th centuries are listed Grade II , as is the battlement ed North Lodge which dates from the 19th century . The grounds around the castle are listed Grade II * .