Clifford's Tower, York Castle
York Castle in the city of York, England, is a fortified complex
comprising, over the last nine centuries, a sequence of castles,
prisons, law courts and other buildings on the south side of the River
Foss. The now-ruinous keep of the medieval Norman castle is commonly
referred to as Clifford's Tower. Built originally on the orders of
William I to dominate the former Viking city of York, the castle
suffered a tumultuous early history before developing into a major
fortification with extensive water defences. After a major explosion
in 1684 rendered the remaining military defences uninhabitable, York
Castle continued to be used as a jail and prison until 1929.
Photo 769, May 2011