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Thetford Red Castle
Also known as, or recorded in historical
documents as; Redcastle Furze
In the civil parish of Thetford.
In the historic county of Norfolk (Modern Authority of Norfolk, 1974 county of Norfolk).
C12 ringwork situated on the south side of the Thetford-Brandon road, about 100m south of the Little Ouse River and overlooking the site of a medieval ford. The ringwork is a sub-circular earthwork with an overall diamter of 120m and is visible as a flat-topped mound with a broad, raised rim on the west and south east sides, encircled by a ditch which remains open to a depth of about 1.5m on the west side. Limited excavations carried out in 1957-8 demonstrated that the full depth of the ditch is approximately 3m, measured from the contemporary ground surface, and that it surrounds an inner bank about 2m in height and 12m wide at the base. The excavations also revealed some evidence for a timber palisade on top of the bank. Possibly constructed during the Anarchy, and to have remained in use for a relatively short period. If so, it was probably constructed by Earl Warenne who, after 1139, held the surrounding land to the south of the river.
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.
This site is a scheduled
monument protected by law.
The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is TL86088307
PastScape number;
382967
County Sites and Monuments Record number; 5746
Books
- Cushion, B. and Davison, A., 2003, Earthworks of Norfolk (Dereham: East Anglian Archaeology 104) p180 [plan]
Salter, Mike, 2001, The Castles of East Anglia (Malvern) p70
Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p163
Andrews, Phil, 1995, Excavations at Redcastle Furze, Thetford, 1988-9 (Dereham: East Anglian Archaeology 75)
Rogerson, Andrew, 1994, 'Castles' in Wade-Martins, P, (ed), An Historical Atlas of Norfolk (2edn Norwich; Norfolk Museums) p68-9
Dallas, C., 1993, Excavations in Thetford by B.K. Davison between 1964 and 1970 (Dereham: East Anglian Archaeology 62) p206-7
Rogerson, A. and Dallas, C., 1984, Excavations in Thetford 1948-59 and 1973-80 (Dereham: East Anglian Archaeology 22) p62-3
King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol2 p309
Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p305
Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker)
Marin, T., 1779, The History of the Town of Thetford in the Counties of of Norfolk and Suffolk from the earliest accounts to the present time (John Nichols) p9-10, 68
Journal Articles
- King, D.J.C. and Alcock, L., 1969, 'Ringworks in England and Wales' Château Gaillard Vol3 p90-127
Knocker, G.M., 1967, 'Excavations at Red Castle, Thetford' Norfolk Archaeology Vol34 p119-186
Davison, 1967, Medieval Archaeology Vol11 p197
1962-3, Medieval Archaeology Vol6-7 p322
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