Remains Of Castle, Hopton Castle

The remains of a castle, probably dating to the early 14th century with later additions and alterations, stand on a roughly circular motte. The structure is built of regularly coursed shale, with traces of former render surviving, and has sandstone ashlar dressings. It is now roofless. The most prominent feature is the keep, which has a square plan with clasping, buttress-like rectangular corner turrets. It comprises three levels, with a moulded string course to the ground floor carried around the entire structure, and roughly dressed angle quoins.

The north elevation features a recessed, double-chamfered, moulded pointed doorway with a hoodmould, and the outline of a former gable is visible in the angle with the right turret. This turret has a narrow, rectangular, chamfered opening on the first floor. Similar openings are present on both the ground and first floors of the left turret. Above the doorway is a corbelled projection with a chamfered stone cap, which has a cusped lancet to the centre, and a similar lancet to the left within a larger, infilled, pointed opening. A chamfered, rectangular window is situated to the left of the doorway, with a segmental relieving arch. The west elevation displays narrow, rectangular openings in the turrets. A ruined, segmental-headed doorway in the angle with the right turret has a mutilated segmental-pointed window on the first floor to its left. The south elevation exhibits narrow, rectangular openings to the turrets, and a large opening to the centre retaining fragments of moulding to the jambs; a cusped lancet is positioned below, extending through the string course. A slight rectangular projection is located in the angle with the left turret on the first floor. The east elevation contains narrow, rectangular openings to the turrets, a mutilated broad pointed opening to the left on the first floor, and a square-headed opening with a moulded label within a larger, infilled opening to the right. A rectangular ground-floor opening on the right has a segmental relieving arch.

Internal inspection was not possible during a resurvey in September 1986, but the right turret on the north elevation contains a spiral staircase. Extensive earthworks are visible on all sides, particularly well-defined to the west, indicating the presence of a former bailey. Water-filled moats and several fragments of masonry are visible beneath the banks. The site is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, County No. 23.