Remains Of Baconsthorpe Castle

The remains of Baconsthorpe Castle date back to around 1460-1486 and were built for John Heydon, who died in 1480, and Sir Henry Heydon, who died in 1504. The structure is made of flint with some brick. The castle features a square court measuring 30 meters across, with curtain walls that have been reduced to 3-4 meters in height. A central gatehouse, which is three stories tall, is located to the south. There are also remains of a roofless two-story range to the east, and a moat surrounds the castle to the south, west, and north, with a wide mere to the east.

The roofless gatehouse consists of three bays and has a central two-story projection that was used for a drawbridge. It is constructed from coursed knapped and galletted flint and features a string course at the first floor. The ground floor has openings with moulded stone surrounds under voussoirs made of alternating flint and tiles. There are two openings on the first floor and three on the second floor, including a stone mullioned two-light window with four-centred heads, similar to one found in Baconsthorpe Hall.

The moat is connected to brick culverts that lead from the below-ground floor gardrobes, with a single culvert to the left and a double to the right. Inside, there is a passageway with remains of tierceron stone vaulting and four-centred stone doorways leading to rooms on either side, each featuring brick groined vaults. There are remnants of a stair turret at the rear on the west side.

Along the east wall, there are remnants of a two-story range from the 16th century, made of coursed galletted whole iron-stained and knapped flints. This range has five bays, a central brick doorway with a segmental arch, and four renewed four-light square-headed windows with wooden mullions and transoms. Additionally, there are remains of a three-story square tower at the north corner, the base of a round tower at the northwest corner, and two more towers along the west wall. The south wall on the west side has five double loopholes. Baconsthorpe Castle served as the principal residence of the Heydon family and was demolished after the Civil War. The site is now in the care of English Heritage and is designated as a Scheduled Ancient Monument in Norfolk.