Greenhalgh Castle was owned by Earl James Stanley, a committed Royalist loyal to King Charles I. He was the foremost landholding  aristocrat in Lancashire and also owned other fortified properties at Lathom, Hornby and Thurlam, all of which would be attacked during the Civil War.

His castle at Greenhalgh near Garstang was held for him by Captain Nicolas Anderton of Lostock. The town of Garstang was very Catholic, and the fact that the captain had trained as a Catholic priest  in Europe would have only boosted their support for the garrison.

This support would have been lacking for the occupying forces of Parliament who took up residence in the town in order to besiege the castle in August 1645. This was led by  Colonel Dodding and his Furness Cavalry, and Major Joseph Rigby. At first the Parliamentarians were armed with little more than their own rifles, having no cannons, meaning that their siege was not terribly effective.

The besiegers themselves were very vulnerable to attack from Captain Anderton’s garrison, which would venture out of the castle and attack them. The Parliamentarians attempt to undermine the castle failed miserably, as the sandy soil would not allow an effective tunnel to be dug.

The Royalists seemed to lose heart when Captain Anderton died, and no longer felt they were able to carry on holding on to the castle. They began to negotiate to surrender, and their terms were accepted in June 1645. Surprisingly, they were allowed to return to their homes without arrest or imprisonment.

The Parliamentarians wasted no time in demolishing the castle to make sure it could not be occupied again. Today, only one ruined tower still stands, but the site is worth a visit. There is no public access to the castle but you can still get quite a good look from the road and nearby footpaths.