Old Buckenham Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Buckenham Priory

In the civil parish of Old Buckenham.
In the historic county of Norfolk (Modern Authority of Norfolk, 1974 county of Norfolk).

Norman castle within possibly earlier earthwork. Abandoned 1146 when granted to the Priory of Buckenham, the keep being used to provide building material for the latter. The priory was founded on the site of Old Buckenham Castle in 1146 on the completion of New Buckenham Castle, and was granted to the Augustinian Canons on the proviso that they dismantled the defenses of the old castle to prevent the site falling into the hands of rebels, and using the materials to construct the priory. The priory was dissolved in 1536. The north east crossing pier of the Priory church remains standing, constructed of flint and rubblestone, as do the earthworks. The crossing was excavated in 1950. The basic plan of the earthworks can be described as an oblong with rounded corners aligned southwest-northeast, this probably comprising the original keep or inner bailey. A lesser enclosure of the same size is attached to its southeast side. The outline of the Priory is visible on aerial photographs

This site has been described as a;
Timber Castle.
The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Certain.
Cropmarks/slight earthworks remains.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is TM07179257

Modern Map from Good for landscape form and features	Modern Map from Good for general location
Air Photo from	1st edition OS Map from

Sources of information, references and further reading

PastScape number; 387622, 387619

County Sites and Monuments Record number; 9202

• Web site links
  • http://www.castleuk.net/castle_lists_east_anglia/144/oldbuckenhamcastle.htm
• Books
  • Cushion, B. and Davison, A., 2003, Earthworks of Norfolk (Dereham: East Anglian Archaeology 104) p178-9 [plan]
    Salter, Mike, 2001, The Castles of East Anglia (Malvern) p60
    Liddiard, R., 2000, Landscapes of Lordship (Oxford: BAR 309) p44-74
    Remfry, Paul M., 1997, Buckenham Castles, 1066 to 1649 (SCS Publishing: Worcestershire)
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p164 [slight]
    Rogerson, Andrew, 1994, 'Castles' in Wade-Martins, P, (ed), An Historical Atlas of Norfolk (2edn Norwich; Norfolk Museums) p68-9
    Brown, R.A., 1989, Castles from the Air (Cambridge University Press) p80
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol2 p309
    Wilton, J.W., 1979, Earthworks and Fortifications of Norfolk (Weathercock Press) p22
    Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker)
    Pevsner, Nikolaus, 1962, Buildings of England: North-west and south Norfolk (Penguin) p278
    Page, Wm (ed), 1906 VCH Norfolk Vol2 p376-8
    Harrod, Henry, 1857, Gleanings among the Castles and Convents of Norfolk (Norwich) p213-4
• Journal Articles
  • King, D.J.C. and Alcock, L., 1969, 'Ringworks in England and Wales' Château Gaillard Vol3 p90-127
    Clarke, R.R., 1957, Norfolk Archaeology Vol31 p412