Weeting castle. An interesting site accessed from a main road. Well you are directed by signs from the main road at a junction near to Brandon. It leads to a small housing estate with old styled housing and cottages on one side of the road and box style bungalows on the other. Following the sign posts it appears that you are working deeper and deeper into the housing estate until one sign points to a dirt track down beside some bungalows.
Following the track you eventually reach a small area of parking with banks on either side. One side leading to the back gardens of the housing estate and the other up to the grounds of the castle.
I walked up the steps to a gate which opened onto a grass path lined or flanked by a black metal fence guiding you down to the ruined structure of Weeting Castle. Not much is left of the structure apart from one end wall of the great hall, some low level walls of other parts of the building and what appears to be a fully intacted ice house.
Some history
Lets jump back to about 1180 when Weeting Castle was originally built. It is recorded that it was the home of the de Plais family who inhabited the castle up to about the late 14th century. It was later abandoned by the Howards who were the Earls of Norfolk. It came to their possession through marriage.
There are many similarities to be found in the remains of Weeting Castle with that of Castle Acre. While it is named Weeting Castle, there is no evidence to suggest that it was ever fortified and it is believed that the moat that once surrounded the site was added in the mid 13th century was merely an ornamental feature designed to show the wealth and power of the de Plais family.
On the site a fairly intacted ice house can be found which was added to the site during the construction of Weeting Hall, which has, unfortunately, since been demolished.
Evidence of the site having been occupied since the Saxon period has been found in the form of pottery, burnt daub and post holes.
My visit to Weeting Castle
I walked around the site to take in the overall scale of it. One wall almost reaches full height. The earthworks showing the fortifications of the site. The moat, now dry in most parts, still clearly visible encircling the compound.
While called Weeting Castle, this building was not a castleas we think of them. Weeting Castle was a manor house.
I wandered around the grounds of the castle and came across the ice house. The brick edged doorway now filled with a black metal gate stopping you falling into the pit in which the ice was stored. Unfortunately it is no longer filled with ice but people's waste that they discard there using it like a waste paper bin.
While it is not a huge castle or site I enjoyed my wander around. It was fairly quiet the day I went, coming across maybe one or two groups of three people. Like myself they were enjoying their wander.
Definitelyworth visiting and once I have finished my adventures around sites I haven't yet visited or explored I shall return one day to visit it again.
Background history information adapted from information available at http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/weeting-castle/history/
So here we see Ordford Castle on the Suffolk coast. Built by Henry II in the early 12th Century, around 1165 as a way to reassert royal authority and dominance across East Anglian. Up until this time the only royal fortress in the region would have been the castle at Norwich.
During his reign, Henry faced many uprisings with the barons of East Anglian rebelling especially Hugh Bigod, Earl of Norfolk. Even though he had confiscated Hugh Bigod's castles at Framlingham and Bungay,
Orford was ideally situated to control the local barons but also to counter the threat presented by the Flemish mercenaries hired by Hugh Bigod to do his fighting for him.
Due to Henry II being someone who ekpt detailled records we know that Orford Castle cost £1413 to build, out of the yearly royal income of £10 000.
We know that the castle was attacked and put under seige at several points throughtout it's history. We know from records that King Louis of France captured the castle in 1216 whilst in battle against King John. We also know the descendents of Hugh Bigod captured the castle twice however never held it for long.
As we as being a fortress it was a royal palace, with many state of the art features such as en-suite facilities in the form of a personal urinal along with latrines or toilets that flushed to the exterior of the castle. We believe that tapestries hung on the walls and mats of rushes would have been placed on the floor.
By looking at the overall design of the castle we assume that there were two great halls over two levels, and that they may have been used as a hall for public functions and the other for private functions. Within the turrets leading off the halls you will find the private apartments, kitchen and chapel. At the very bottom of the castle,down the grand staircase into the mound it sits upon we find the basement. The basement is complete with a 45ft deep well in the very centre of the room, which could be used to draw up salty water. The basement was also used to store vast quantities of food. This was vital if the castle was beseiged at any point.
When I arrived at the site, I was in awe and wonder at such a magnificent castle, the keep is well preserved and dominates the landscape around it. At first I experience a very strange feeling, as though I was being watched. The day was very windy and there was a slight chill. However I felt very safe and protected whilst inside the castle building itself. Even though the castle sits just outside the village of Orford, you could easily think that you were isolated from civilisation within the castle. One side of castle borders that of the former habour and Ness of Orford and the other borders village. Regardless of the feelings I experienced Orford Castle is extremely impressive, and well worth a visit. I wished that I lived within the castle myself.
An
impressiveset of remains of a Cluniac monastic house. It is a highly
important monastary in East Anglia having been founded by Roger Bigod,
the first Earl of Norfolk in 1103.
Thetford
Priory is dedicated to the Virgin Mary or Our Lady as she is said to
have appeared to local residents. The priory became a magnet to pilgrims
due to a statue of Our Lady of Thetford having a hollow in the head to
house saints' relics.
Like
many other monasteries Thetford Priory seccumbed to the eventual
closure caused by the dissolution of the Monasteries. Even though the
Monastery housed many tombs from the early Tudor dynasty officials
including several members of the Howard family including that of Henry
FitzRoy (1st Duke of Richmond and Somerset)
Having
visited this site on a sunny day, it was lovely to leisurly walk around
the ruins investigating. The overall size of the complex would suggest
that it was a very rich and powerful monastic house at the height of its
use. The lower walls of the church and cloister can be seen along with
an extensive and impressive shell of the Prior's lodging. Unfortunately
during my visit I was not able to get through to the reportedly almost
complete 14th century gatehouse as the pathway appears to run through a
private garden. However I plan to return to see if I can approach the
gatehouse from the otherside during a visit to the Holy Sepulchre Church which is about 300 metres away to the south.
It is reported that the Priory at Thetford is haunted however I had no such feeling during my visit.
Today the site is open to the public and is under the care of English Heritage.
