Sheriff Hutton
Sheriff Hutton is a little village about 10 miles from York. For those interested in Richard III, it is home to two places of interest: the castle and the church.
The castle, now in private hands and a complete ruin, was acquired by Richard through his marriage. However, he would probably have known Sheriff Hutton quite well as a boy as he lived with Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick, known as ‘Kingmaker’, and father to Richard’s wife, Anne. As Duke of Gloucester, Richard (the future Richard III) effectively ruled the north of England for his older brother, presiding over the King’s Council of the North, established initially at Sheriff Hutton, and he had responsibility as Warden of the Western March for guarding the border with Scotland. In 1484, Richard established a household for his nephew, Edward, Earl of Warwick, son of George, Duke of Clarence, and John, Earl of Lincoln. A footpath skirts around the exterior of the castle, allowing those not having a wedding or staying there, a glimpse of the remaining ruins.
The church, St Helen and the Holy Cross, can be found a little further out of the village. Earthworks associated with a Norman motte and bailey castle are next to the churchyard. Whilst visiting, we met a lady preparing for a wreath making course to be held in the church, who was keen to show us the grave of Ann Plumer which stands against the church wall instead of in line with the others!
The church, which was built around 1100 and later enlarged by the powerful Neville family in the 15th century, is no longer used for services, but is open daily for visitors and is used for community events. However, the church’s main claim to fame is that it contains what has long been believed to be the tomb of Richard III’s son, Edward of Middleham, who died in 1484.
However, recent research has proved that this tomb dates from the first half of the fifteenth century and so cannot be connected to Edward. A cenotaph, not a tomb, its present position in the north east corner of the church is not its original location. Made of alabaster, it has suffered over the years and has twice been restored at the expense of the Richard III Society. Even though this is no longer believed to be Edward’s tomb, the white boar of Richard III and the Yorkist sun in splendour still proudly keep guard.
Our visit, made on a wet and windy day, was a very enjoyable one- well worth the trip for Richard III fans- or anyone!
St Helen and the Holy Cross,
Church End
Sheriff Hutton
Yorkshire
YO60 6SS