The remains of Clitheroe Castle consist today of the Norman keep standing on rocky outcrop dominating the town. The keep is one of the smallest in the country, measuring no more than 10.8m on each side externally and 5.2m internally. It is square with small, flat, pilaster-like corner turrets, one of which contains a spiral staircase. It consists of a single room on three floors, with an extra intra-mural chamber on the 1st floor. The original roof or floor timbers is lost. The main entrance was on the NW elevation at 1st floor level. Entry must have been by an external, wooden staircase. The substantial stepped buttresses are part of the 1848 restoration work.
On the elevations, all apertures are either simple slits - some enlarged at a later date - or round-headed doors which appear to have been rebuilt and renewed or what appear to be breaches in the wall (particularly at ground floor level). It may be that the door apertures on 1st floor level are in their original position, however the jambs and arches appeared to contain rebuilt or newer fabric.
There was no sign of any moulding or decorative work on the extant jambs, lintels or sills.
The museum, occupying the 16thc Steward's House, was visited and checked for any ex situ fragments of stone but none were seen.
