Wormegay Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Wormgay

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

Motte and bailey. Motte is visible as a large, sub-circular earthen mound 5m high and measuring about 77m by 62m at the base, surrounded on the north, west and south sides by a ditch 12m-15m wide which remains open to a depth of 2m. On the top of the mound is a slightly uneven platform on which would have stood a tower. The bailey adjoins the motte on the eastern side and takes the form af an enclosure measuring 150m by 88m, raised about 1m above the external ground level and bounded by a semicircular ditch which runs outward from the motte ditch and ranges in width from 9m on the south side to 19m on the east. The castle was probably built by Hermer de Ferrers after the Norman Conquest.

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

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is TF65931173

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; 356377

County Sites and Monuments Record number; 3455

• Web site links
  • http://www.castleuk.net/castle_lists_east_anglia/132/wormegaycastle.htm
• Books
  • Cushion, B. and Davison, A., 2003, Earthworks of Norfolk (Dereham: East Anglian Archaeology 104) p184-5 [plan]
    Salter, Mike, 2002, Index and Amendments to Mike Salter's English Castles Books (Malvern) p9
    Salter, Mike, 2001, The Castles of East Anglia (Malvern) p71
    Liddiard, R., 2000, Landscapes of Lordship (Oxford: BAR 309) p31-3, 75-9
    Wade-Martins, P. (ed), 1999, Norfolk From The Air Vol2 (Norfolk Museums Service) p39
    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
    Pounds, N.J.G., 1990, The Medieval Castle in England and Wales (Cambridge University Press) p132
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol2 p309
    Pevsner, Nikolaus, 1962, Buildings of England: North-west and south Norfolk (Penguin) p390
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
    Mackenzie, J.D., 1897, Castles of England (Heinemann) Vol1 p308
• Journal Articles
  • 1937, Journal of the British Archaeological Association Vol 1 p140