Hazlewood Castle is a country residence situated in North Yorkshire, England by the A1 and A64 between Aberford and Tadcaster. The first records of the house are to be found in the Domesday Book. The site overlooked the battlefield for the Battle of Towton in 1461, and during the persecution of Catholics through the reign of Henry VIII provided refuge for Catholic priests. Hazlewood was inhabited by descendants of the Vavasours for over 900 years, until it was sold in 1908. The site changed hands many times over the following years, serving as a maternity hospital during the Second World War and until 1953, and as a retreat for Carmelite Friars from 1971 until 1996.