Partially destroyed by an explosion in 1684, Clifford's Tower was one of the original fortifications built by William the Conqueror after his conquest of English in 1066. The tower, commenced in 1068 formed the central keep of the Castle at York and saw a violent and bloody history. Primarily used as an administrative centre and later a prison, the castle saw use as a defensive fortification in the years immediately following William's conquest of England and then again during the English Civil's wars of the 1600's.
After the explosion of 1684, the castle remained little more than a shell and today is one of the more prominent tourist attractions in York.