Rougemont Castle, now known as Rougemont Carr, is above a steep north bank of the River Wharfe which is easily accessible by footpath from the village of Weeton.

In 1979, after being noticed and bringing to the attention of English Heritage, by a retired architect living at Bramhope whose house overlooked the Wharfe Valley, the area became  Scheduled Monument  No 13296- Castle, ringwork and bailey. He wrote,  “I was always intrigued by the large persistent brown patch of ground some two acres in extent, surrounded by some fourteen acres of woodland known as Rougemont Carr” . There is a suggestion that it was connected by a ford to the Clunic Nunnery built on Arthington Lane between 1150 and 1160 by Peter de Arthington. This path seems to be shown on the above map.

“During the Middle Ages it was the centre of the manor of Harewood and would have contained important domestic buildings and the resident of the lord. Part would have contained ancillary and garrison buildings and pens for keeping stock and horses. …Occasionally a more lightly defended embanked enclosure, the bailey, adjoined the ringwork.  Ringworks acted as strongholds for military operations and in some cases defended aristocratic of manorial settlements.  They are rare nationally with only 200 recorded examples and less than 60 baileys” Because of the rarity of Rougemont it is now a Scheduled Monument. Along the west side of the castle can be seen a sunken area built as fish ponds for the castle.

Writings suggest that “about the time of the granting of Otley Feast in 1247 John de Insula who had been governor of Knaresborough Castle moved to live at Rougemont.” This soon became the seat of the de Lisle family.  Robert de Lisle was created 1st Baron Lisle of Rougemont in 1311. As one of the first members of the Order of the Garter the list shows: (inv 1348) Sir John de Lisle, afterwards 1st Lord Lisle de Rougemont. One of the Founders of the Order of the Garter was Granted a manor at the age of 17 to enable him to serve in the wars, in which he won great fame.”  Robert, the third Lord Lisle, gave his manor of Harewood to his brother-in-law, William Lord Aldburgh who then built Harewood castle in 1366, after which Rougemont was abandoned.

                                          Suggested layout of Rougemont Carr.

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This is now a peaceful area which has a profusion of bluebells in spring and is the home to many badgers.