I get paid a full-time salary to live in a beautiful castle for free
A WOMAN who is paid a full-time salary to live for free in a beautiful castle says it has also helped her stay fit.
Joe Gilligan is a dockyard officer at Pontefract Castle, West Yorkshire, and as part of her role she also lives there.
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Joe, who previously worked in social services, ended up at the castle after being redeployed following her shoulder replacement.
Steeped in history, the iconic castle is the site of a series of famous sieges during the 17th century English Civil War and is believed to have been where King Richard II died.
She was a single mother to her then-teenage daughter when the call came offering the opportunity of a lifetime.
Speaking to the Yorkshire Postshe said: “I got a call from the council: 'We don't know if you'll be interested, we have a part-time custodian living at Pontefract Castle'.
“Well, it took me all of two minutes to decide that this was the job I was going to go to because I've always been outdoors, always interested in history and wanted a bit of a change.”
The building in which Joe lives – the lodge – is part of a group of connected buildings at the entrance to the castle, all built during the Victorian era, when the site was converted into a pleasure park.
This June will mark 18 years since Joe came to live at the lodge as custodian.
Looking back on when she first moved into the castle, Joe talked about her excitement and how she lost the pounds as a result of the hard graft.
She said: “I just loved it so much.
“I was quite shocked at how little anyone seemed interested in the castle itself, so I just started working – really hard. I lost a lot of weight because I was walking around with the wheelbarrow.
“The castle was a completely different place. It was just a dog park, no one cared to take care of it.”
And after walking around Pontefract Castle for almost twenty years, Joe can identify any imperfections in the stonework purely by sight.
The historic stronghold is made of both sandstone and limestone.
But frost or people climbing on walls can cause damage, meaning the castle often requires maintenance.
Joe's role as Site Officer is shared with a part-time employee to ensure the role is fulfilled seven days a week.
She said taking care of the grounds felt more like taking care of her home than a job.
“We are a big community, we know all the dog walkers, everyone knows each other and we are very helpful and we are a safe place to go,” she added.
'I am so proud to live here and work here.
“I know it's not my place, but I want it to be great for everyone. And I work very hard – and the rest of the team of course – to make it a safe and fantastic time when people come.
“It doesn't matter if it's snowing, raining or sunny, every day I come to work and think, I'm so lucky to have this job.”
History of Pontefract Castle
The castle, on a rock east of the city above the Church of All Saints, was built around 1070 by Ilbert de Lacy.
Initially the castle was a wooden structure that was replaced by stone over time.
Robert de Lacy failed to support King Henry I during his power struggle with his brother, and the king confiscated the castle from the family in the 12th century.
Due to marriages, the castle passed through different hands.
In 1399, Richard II seized the estate after exiling John of Gaunt's son, Henry Bolingbroke, from England.
But when he returned to England, Bolingbroke soon deposed Richard and took the crown for himself as Henry IV.
Richard II was captured by Henry Bolingbroke's supporters in August 1399 and initially imprisoned in the Tower of London.
But he was then transferred to Pontefract Castle, where he remained under guard until his death.
The castle was the site of a series of famous sieges during the 17th century English Civil War.
During the English Civil Wars, Pontefract Castle was involved in three sieges, the last in 1648.
Joe is also heavily involved in the gardening of the castle, with volunteers such as Peter Collier currently planting 500 saplings in the grounds.
The community around the castle is also extremely important.
Everything planted is a native species so as not to damage the surrounding trees.
They also avoid planting anything with very large roots, and move larger plants back from the castle to avoid damage to the brickwork.
As part of the Duchy of Lancaster estate, the castle is required to display certain flags on certain days, such as a royal family member's birthday or St. George's Day.
Joe said the flag is “definitely part of the castle” and very important to the local community.
She added: “If the weather gets really bad I have to go up and take the flag down completely so there can be periods where there isn't a flag up, but that's purely because we don't want to lose it. [it could] drop off in bad weather.”
In 1399, King Richard II was captured by his cousin Henry Bolingbroke and his throne was taken from him.
He was imprisoned by the new King Henry IV in Pontefract Castle, where he is believed to have died of starvation.
This infamous event is immortalized in Shakespeare's play, Richard II.
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