Buckenham Castle
Buckenham Castle | ||
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Grid reference grid reference TM08429041 | | |
Site information | ||
Condition | Earthworks survive |
Old Buckenham Castle and Buckenham Castle are two castles adjacent respectively to the villages of Old Buckenham and New Buckenham, Norfolk, England.
Old Buckenham Castle
All that remains today of what was a Norman castle are the remnants of the earthworks and some traces of a stone curtain wall. The castle was built by William d'Aubigny, a follower of William the Conqueror.
After the castle was moved to the new site a priory (Old Buckenham Priory) was established on the site thus destroying many of the earlier remains.
Buckenham Castle
In the early part of the reign of
The Knyvett family had moved here from their earlier seat at
The castle comprised an inner bailey and two outer baileys, all with earth walls. The circular keep is thought to be the earliest in England. Its walls are 11 feet thick at their base and it is thought that the height of the keep in its heyday could have been as much as 40 feet.
To service the castle and garrison, the planned settlement of New Buckenham was established and today the village covers much the same area and grid layout as original. Despite being adjacent to the village of New Buckenham, the ruins of the castle, the earthworks, the St Mary's chapel/barn and most of the surrounding meadows/scheduled land are in the parish of Old Buckenham. This site is a Grade I Listed building and a
The castle is private property and access can be sought at the village shop on King Street in New Buckenham.
See also
References
- ^ Francis Blomefield, An Essay Towards A Topographical History of the County of Norfolk, Volume 1, London, 1805, pp.375-7[1]
- ^ "KNYVET, Sir John (1394/5-1445), of Southwick, Northants., Hamerton, Hunts. and Mendlesham, Suff. | History of Parliament Online". www.historyofparliamentonline.org. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
- Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004
- Remfry, P.M., Buckenham Castles, 1066 to 1649 (ISBN 1-899376-28-3)