castle market town suffolk england early bailey norman castle built site destroyed aftermath revolt replacement constructed earl norfolk unusual time having central instead curtain wall thirteen mural towers defend centre castle despite castle successfully taken king john short siege end 13th century luxurious home surrounded extensive hunting 15th 16th centuries heart estates powerful howard families artificial built castle expanded fashionable brick large wealthy household maintain castle purchased supplies england brought luxury goods international markets extensive pleasure gardens built castle older parts redesigned allow visitors enjoy resulting views end 16th century castle fell disrepair final howard owner entered financial difficulties castle surrounding estates sold given gesture internal buildings taken way construction site castle way facility closed castle drill hall county court donated commissioner works second world war british military regional defences potential german invasion today owned english_heritage run tourist attraction protected law grade listed building scheduled monument history 11th 12th centuries population suffolk rose sharply norman invasion england village turned small town inhabitants surrounded valuable lands prosperous parts country region owned powerful hugh earl chester granted turn bailey castle built 11th early 12th century northern half current castle documentary reference castle occurs actual date construction uncertain possible options suggested academics possibility castle built late 11th century similar founding nearby eye second possibility roger son built years anarchy site existing manor house castle similar fortification possibility fact castles built late 11th century demolished order way newer larger castle historian alexander castle built set pre existing high prestige buildings practice common possibly echoing arrangement castle acre likely castle built 11th century late 12th century family come dominate suffolk holding title earl norfolk owning major castles set stone buildings including hall built castle tensions persisted period crown group barons anarchy reign coming power henry_ii attempted establish royal influence region effort henry confiscated castles hugh returned payment large fine hugh joined revolt henry sons attempt overthrow henry unsuccessful punishment king ordered castles including destroyed king engineer destroyed fortifications filled moat total cost probably destroyed internal stone buildings hugh son favour henry initially denied family estates roger finally regained royal favour richard succeeded throne roger set building new castle site work conducted relatively quickly castle certainly complete new castle comprised defended mural towers adjacent smaller stone walls towers larger bailey timber defences time castle guard system place lands granted local lords return providing knights soldiers guard castle 13th century barons war began king john faction rebel barons opposed rule key opponents john having argued john requirements military royal troops plundered surrounding lands john army arrived march followed john day john permission messages sent 14th castle roger influenced fate previous year agree garrison knights priest surrender fight john forces moved essex roger appears later regained castle grandson roger inherited large park called great park created castle park noted constructed somewhat earlier great park enclosed hectares acres stretching north castle characterised possessing bank ditch boundaries common england unusual suffolk park lodge built later recreational garden built like parks period great park hunting exploited wider resources records burning conducted park example smaller parks located near castle extending potential hunting long east west belt land 5th earl inherited castle undertook extensive renovations whilst living considerable luxury style extremely wealthy having borrow increasing sums jewish community expulsion jews italian merchants end century roger heavily debt edward result roger led opposition edward request additional taxes support french wars edward responded seizing roger lands releasing condition roger granted crown death roger agreed castle passed crown death end 13th century large prison built castle probably constructed north west corner overlooked prison tower prisoners kept medieval period included local 15th century religious including supporters 14th century gave castle half brother thomas earl norfolk records partially furnished time unclear limited use fittings moved castle castle owner traveled castle simply castle complex continued thrive thomas death castle passed widow mary family earl suffolk held castle peasants revolt revolt occurring close castle passed self styled marshall duke norfolk castle main seat power 15th century people living castle time castle played major role surrounding economy period large amounts food drink purchased support household months example spent including purchase imperial gallons bread 14th century castle purchasing goods western europe wine imported france parks far away far_east london based merchants castle purchased goods salt annual fair nearby cambridge biggest economic events europe expenditure supported manor attached castle comprised hectares acres land days labour feudal law created castle late 12th century horse mill built castle 14th century surrounding fed resources castle months received castle wider region large lakes called formed alongside castle local stream southern mere visible today origins smaller natural lake covered hectares acres island built fishing boating extensive aesthetic appeal uncertain exactly built theory suggests built early 13th century documentary record theory formed half 14th century time constructed possibility howard family introduced late 15th century castle 15th 16th centuries castle passed duke norfolk probably began sequence improvements castle tudor period castle extensively fashionable brick improve parts castle ornamental chimneys added reduced size apparent height walls howard coat arms added gatehouse probably built time linking great hall chapel chambers east castle different rooms castle outside gatehouse replaced current permanent bridge time half moon defensive structure built stone defend pleasure garden built 16th century ornamental ponds garden probably fruit trees gardens pleasure garden built bailey second bridge built moat allow access directly prison tower redesigned viewing gallery new formal gardens wars roses 15th century saw prolonged fighting control english throne supporter killed field aftermath son thomas 2nd duke heirs rights properties titles placed tower london victor granted castle thomas finally regained favour henry_viii fighting victory returned thomas duke spent retirement decorated table castle gold silver plate seized scots castle decorated lavish style period including velvet silver chapel fittings luxury suits armour stored castle thirty horses kept stables 3rd duke norfolk called thomas far use castle principal residence thomas supporting claim mary throne henry_viii died day thomas executed tower successor mary half brother thomas kept tower giving mary mary seized power collected forces castle successfully marching london thomas released tower mary reward loyalty retired castle leased 4th duke thomas executed treason elizabeth castle passed crown repairs castle appear minimal onwards mary left castle went fast decline survey noted stonework timber needed urgent maintenance potential cost great park turned fields religious laws catholics increased castle prison onwards castle prison contained prisoners roman catholic priests 17th 21st centuries james returned castle earl suffolk castle derelict chose live instead thomas son howard fell heavily debt sold castle estate great park sir established parks eye great park broken turned separate estates died following year leaving castle manor cambridge college destroy internal castle buildings construct site instead operating terms recently passed poor law collapse power county suffolk controlled protestant gentry 17th century play prominent english civil war occurred escaped occurred english castles time law courts work begin late time internal buildings castle broken value stone chapel destroyed way finally built home poor families proved unsatisfactory following funds closed public house instead maintenance ceased time area returned meadow attempt open site resulting destruction great chamber failed attempt great hall pulled current built site instead opposition poor law grew law changed reform system castle site closed inhabitants moved castle continued local functions outbreak plague castle isolation ward infected patients napoleonic wars castle hold equipment stores local regiment following closure castle drill hall county court containing local parish jail stocks passed parliament took opportunity donate commissioner works present form commissioner maintenance works second world war important defensive location british forces concrete box built near castle plans counter german invasion erected park created bailey today scheduled monument grade listed building owned english_heritage run tourist attraction incorporating local history castle mere owned run architecture design located bluff overlooking today distinct parts bailey surrounded remaining mere farmland bailey lies south walled originally topped wooden earthworks survive bailey entered eastern gate contained range buildings probably including great stable modern visitors castle enter complex bailey south contains modern car park castle castle lies bailey 15th century bridge replaced earlier site gate tower forms entrance relatively simple design 12th century fashion gatehouse designs began shortly 2nd duke norfolk 16th century adding coat arms additional ornamentation walls formed stone curtain wall local flint stone high thick protected thirteen square mural towers open backs high corners sandstone wall walk runs towers wall originally buildings built curtain wall moving clockwise entrance shape 12th century castle chapel curtain wall convention time required chapel point north east south east axis order achieve chapel extend considerably bailey similar design white castle chapel adjacent site stone hall castle built 16th 17th centuries chapel tower probably cannon far built site 12th century great hall forms wings 17th century south 18th century middle wing northern end incorporates original great hall building subject 19th century renovation work carved medieval stone heads set taken older medieval castle buildings gate leads prison tower prison tower called western tower significant defensive work redesigned 16th century feature larger windows middle castle deep number carved brick chimneys dating tudor period seen unique design purely ornamental historian describes addition castle architectural perspective functional tudor chimneys use original century chimneys circular design earliest surviving structures england castle seen west castle 16th century lakes larger today complete wharf dramatic use water reflect image castle similar castles period including water castles greater use water necessary defence enhanced appearance castle view great hall originally included gardens framed mere great park area castle today remains designed managed landscape great park covered fields view gives sense castle landscape meant appear late medieval owners interpretation late 12th century defences castle invoked debate scholars interpretation forward example historian relatively advanced time represented change contemporary thinking military defence example popular feature previous anglo norman castles castle breaks tradition relying curtain wall mural towers instead pattern ground level similarly innovative time enabling flanking fire attackers design defences similar ways henry_ii innovative work dover defensive architecture castle contains weaknesses overlooked bailey example north largely exposed positioning arrow slits curtain wall ignores castle open backed mural towers whilst cheaper build closed towers easily defended wall penetrated projected little way wall provided little options fire attackers close walls weaknesses historians argue architecture castles influenced cultural political requirements purely military intent focusing cultural political use architecture historian forward interpretation castle architecture late medieval period suggests castle intended entered north end passing ornamental gardens travellers entering gate prison tower interpretation tower provided high status visitors dramatic views castle reinforcing political prestige owners historian alexander disputes arrangement agrees route practical hunting parties proceeding local
Framlingham Castle