Norwich

Castle

Norwich Castle is a medieval royal fortification in the city of Norwich, in

the English county of Norfolk. It was founded in the aftermath of the
Norman conquest of England when William the Conqueror (10661087)
ordered its construction because he wished to have a fortified place in
the important city of Norwich. It proved to be his only castle in
East Anglia. It is one of the Norwich 12 heritage sites. The castle now
houses the Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery, which holds
significant objects from the region, especially archaeological finds.

A motte-and-bailey castle is a fortification with a wooden or

stone keep situated on a raised earthwork called a motte,
accompanied by an enclosed courtyard, or bailey, surrounded
by a protective ditch and palisade.

From around 1067 the Normans demolished at least 98 Saxon homes in Norwich to make way
for the castle earthworks within which they built a wooden fort, surrounded by deep defensive
dry ditches.
Once the land had settled, work was begun on the stone keep in 1094 by King William (Rufus)
II. Following his death in 1100 it was continued by his brother King Henry I and completed by
1121.
Norwich Castle was designed to be a Royal Palace rather than a fortification. However, no
Norman kings ever lived in it. The only time Henry I is known to have stayed at Norwich Castle
was for Christmas 1121, a visit explored in detail in the displays in the Castle Keep.
Norwich Castle keep was built using limestone shipped from Caen in France at a cost of over
three times the original value of the stone!
Originally the ground floor walls were faced in flint, in stark contrast to the white limestone of
the Royal Palace on the upper level. The upper floor (where the balcony now stands) was divided
into two sections. On the north side was the Great Hall, and on the south were the royal
quarters which comprised of a large parlour, bedrooms and a private chapel. Within the outer
walls is a walkway (fighting gallery) where soldiers could patrol the building.

How big is Norwich Castle?

The castle keep is 29m by 27m and 21m high. The castle walls are
30m long on each side.

Norwich Castle
Norwich castle was built around
1075 A.D.

Castle at
night