The Castle Keep (Including Excavated Remains of Forebuilding in Moat) is a Grade I listed building in the Colchester local planning authority area, England. First listed on 24 February 1950. A Late 11th century Castle.
The Castle Keep (Including Excavated Remains of Forebuilding in Moat)
- WRENN ID
- shifting-bonework-nightshade
- Grade
- I
- Local Planning Authority
- Colchester
- Constituency
- Colchester MP: Pam Cox (Lab)
- Country
- England
- Date first listed
- 24 February 1950
- Type
- Castle
- OS grid reference
- TL 998 253
- Coordinates
- 51.89064, 0.90309
- Source
- Historic England listing
Description
The Castle Keep, built in the late 11th century, stands on the site of the great Roman Claudian Temple, with its foundations still visible beneath the castle. Constructed mainly from Roman tiles and septaria, it was likely built around 1080 for William the Conqueror as a significant defensive structure. This castle was much larger and more massive than any other Norman castle in England, partly due to the need to enclose the substantial Roman foundations on the site. Originally featuring three storeys or more, it is now probably less than half its original height, yet it remains an imposing structure and an important example of medieval military architecture. Demolition began in 1693, reducing its height, and considerable restoration occurred in the mid-18th century for Charles Grey. The dome over the great staircase was added by James Deane in 1760. The site also includes the excavated remains of the forebuilding in the moat.
Local climate
The Castle Keep (Including Excavated Remains of Forebuilding in Moat) sits in one of the driest parts of the UK, with an average of 670 mm of rain a year. This makes it drier than 99% of listed buildings in the UK. Its exposure to wind-driven rain is lower than that of 51% of listed buildings.
It experiences an average of 18 freeze-thaw cycles a year, fewer than 83% of listed buildings. Of these, 9 follow at least 1 mm of rain in the preceding 48 hours. Average temperatures at this location have risen by 0.3°C per decade since 1991.
Averages for 1991–2020; temperature trend 1991–2025. Figures describe the wider area (a grid cell of roughly 10 km), not the individual site. Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2026.
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- No EPC on record for this property
- No sale records on file
- No related consent applications matched
- Detailed attributes — period, style, materials, features
- Flood risk assessment
- Radon risk assessment
- Weather exposure and heating demand — rain and frost month by month and year by year, wind direction, solar and humidity
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