Norwich Castle

Castle 00 [ Map ]

“On the Conqueror’s motte (its horseshoe bailey represented by the upper part of the Castle Mall) stands the keep of Norwich Castle, which, from resemblances to Falaise, must be one of the few due to Henry I (c.1130). Though refaced in 1834-9 and gutted, its competent design forms an important link in the development of forebuildings and subsidiary chambers. The latter were to be placed at the four corners, each carried on a diagonal arch, but during the progress of the works the addition of a forebuilding and stairs on external arches produced three ‘triangular’ rooms on the west and none on the east, and there are only slight remains of all the diagonal arches. It was a royal castle planned for a large garrison. The modern floor-level comes halfway up the storage basement. The main floor, corresponding to the two lower tiers of the arcading outside, was at the level of the present gallery, and contained the soldiers’ Hall and the knights’ Chamber south of it separated by a wall in place of the modern arcade. Each is supplied on the west by a group of four latrines, separating the Kitchen, with the fireplace in the north-west angle blocking an abandoned stairs. Pantry, formerly with round water tanks and wooden overflow pipe, and Governor’s room, with private stairs to all levels in the south-west angle. The service stairs are in the north-east angle next the entrance doorway, whose richness can only be seen from a room in the forebuilding, once the vestibule at the head of the destroyed entrance stairs. At the east of the Chamber and overlooking these stairs were the postern door, Constable’s Room and Chapel (with a north aisle and the apse askew in the south-east angle), forming part of a four-storeyed block. Below, and in charge of the Constable, were the prisons; above were the Guard Room and chapel triforium supporting a Watch Room with three windows and an escape door in the gable-end. The two main rooms were lit by the triforium windows, connected by the wall-passage which formed a fighting gallery all round the keep. It probably continued along the spine wall to link marshalling platforms (over the west rooms) with the postern by stairs. The Guard Room consequently had access in five directions. The Chamber has a fireplace and sink, contained the well and like the Hall had a row of arches below to carry the floor. The adaptation of the design later in Castle Rising keep supplied clues to missing parts at Norwich. Of the buildings round the inner ward, and of the thirteenth-century curtain wall, which replaced a wooden palisade, only the base of the gatehouse survives at the head of the partly Norman bridge. The outer bailey ditch a hundred feet wide was seen in 1938 rather inside Harrod’s suggested position. Subsequently the castle served as a prison until 1887, after which the prison buildings were converted into a museum.” A.B.Whittingham, in “The Archaeological Journal” Vol.CVI for 1949.

The Motte or Mound was built by the Normans. The original Castle, probably of wood, was replaced by one of stone c.1130. Of this, the shell of the Keep, together with the base of the Gatehouse and the partly-Norman bridge survive. In 1340 it was handed over to the County Sheriff to become a Common Prison, but it remained Royal property until 1806 when transferred to the County. The exterior was refaced in 1834-39 by the architect Salvin. The building continued in use as a penitentiary until 1887 after which, on September 12th, the Corporation of Norwich took formal possession. It was purchased for the nominal sum of £4,000. The cost of conversion into a museum was about £22,000 defrayed in part by a gift of £5,000 by the late Mr John Gurney.

Castle 01 [ Exterior: Keep and Lodge gates]

Castle 02 [ Exterior: Keep, 900th birthday decoration, Gallery, Bigod’s Tower, Bridge ]

Castle 03 [ Exterior: Gatehouse turret, Time ball (first used 1900), Interior: Eagle and Pearl shop sign, Bengal tiger (given by King George V who shot it at the Coronation Durbar of 1911), Elephant’s head ]

the Market Place: Time Ball

Davey Place: Bonsar’s Shop Sign

Castle 04 [ Keep interior: Egyptian mummy, Old Snap dragon, Japanese armour ]

Castle 05 [ Interior: St Vedast churchyard cross found on the site of St Vedast church, Door and doorway (early 16th century) orginally from the Prior of Walsingham’s town house near St George Colegate and later transferred to the Prior of Ixworth’s house St Clement’s Alley, Entrance arches (12th century) to the Keep in the Bigod Tower ]

St Vedast Street: Churchyard Cross

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