.................many years ago, there was a Castle in Haughley. ( A Mid Suffolk village few miles from home)
This is the sign by the moat - sadly in poor condition for reading.
So I copied all the wiki info onto this page after my photos and intended to type it up properly but haven't got round to it. In case it vanishes all the info is HERE
Haughley Castle
| Haughley Castle | |
|---|---|
| Suffolk, England | |
 Part of the moat of Haughley Castle | |
  Haughley Castle | |
| Coordinates | 52.2226°N 0.9633°E |
| Grid reference | grid reference TM025624 |
| Type | Motte and bailey |
| Site history | |
| Events | Revolt of 1173-4 |
Haughley Castle was a medieval castle situated in the village of Haughley, some 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) north-west of the town of Stowmarket, Suffolk. Prominent historians such as J. Wall consider it "the most perfect earthwork of this type in the county," whilst R. Allen Brown has described it as "one of the most important" castle sites in East Anglia.[1]
Details[edit]
Haughley Castle was built in the late 11th century by Hugh de Montfort.[2] The castle had a motte and bailey design, with a very large motte, 210 feet (64 m) wide at the base and 80 feet (24 m) tall.[3] D. J. Cathcart King in his summary of mottes in England and Wales questioned this measurement, and suggested that the motte was probably closer to 40 feet (12 m) in height.[4] The bailey is rectangular, 390 feet (120 m) by 300 feet (91 m) across, with the entrance on the west side.[3] Both the motte and the bailey were protected by a deep ditch, fed from a diverted stream from the west to produce a wet moat.[3] Earlier investigations suggested that a stone shell keep had been built on the motte, but the foundations of this, if correct, can no longer be seen.[5] A further bailey may have originally surrounded the surviving earthworks, enclosing the local church as well.[6] The dimensions and scale of the castle has led J. Wall to describe Haughley as "the most perfect earthwork of this type in the county," whilst historian R. Allen Brown considers it "one of the most important" castle sites in East Anglia.[1]
The castle formed the caput, or main castle, at the centre of the Honour of Haughley.[2] The honour was sometimes known as the "honour of the constable", because the owner was obligated to provide castle-guard soldiers and knights to the constable of Dover Castle.[7] Hugh de Montfort became a monk in 1088 and the castle passed through his family until the mid-11th century.[7] Towards the end of King Stephen's reign the castle was given by the king to Henry of Essex, one of his supporters.[7]
By the late 12th century the Bigod family had come to dominate Suffolk, who held the title of the Earl of Norfolk and who were in competition with the Crown for control of the region.[8] Henry II had taken the throne after the death of Stephen and Henry d'Essex lost favour after being accused and convicted of cowardice during the 1157 Welsh campaign - Haughley Castle was seized by Henry II in 1163, and by the mid-1170s, the castle was controlled on his behalf by Ralph de Broc and a garrison of 30 soldiers. Conflict broke out again in 1173, during the revolt of Henry's sons and the Bigod's ally Robert de Beaumont, the Earl of Leicester, landed on the East Anglian coast and marched west, placing the castle under siege.[9] Ralph surrendered the castle, which was then smoked out by Robert's forces, although the revolt subsequently failed. The castle was fully rebuilt after its destruction in 1173 and a Manor House was built within the Inner Bailey and the Outer Bailey gradually filled. The remaining parts of the keep tower still standing were removed by Richard Ray in 1760. The circular foundations of over eight feet in thickness are visible today.[10] A major excavation in 2011 cleared the site and revealed extensive foundations and many remnants of intricately carved and dressed stone.
It is a shame it's not still standing in some way but it sounds a very interesting place over time. Thanks, Sue. xx
ReplyDeleteIt's a pity that the mound can't be cleared to see the true height but as it's part of a private garden that's unlikely
DeleteThere are so many hidden and secret historical wonders in this country, just waiting for us to go and see them. And all there written out for us on the internet - it's hard to recall how difficult it was to find out this kind of thing in pre-digital days.
ReplyDeleteI grew up just a mile or so away so we were always told there was a castle there, but first time I've been able to see whats left of it and thank goodness for Wiki!
DeleteJohn is right - we want to know something so we switch on our gadget and Google it. Within minutes we have information. In the Olden Days I had to look in a book. And if there wasn't one on the shelf at home, go to the library on my bike. And the patient librarian would try and help... then suggest I went into the Central Library in Norwich. Sometimes it was a fortnight before I'd found what I wanted. And this morning I'm sitting up in bed drinking tea, and your post has already led me to learning more about the Bigod family [and their cheese!] Thanks Sue, a lovely post, as ever
ReplyDeleteBaron Bigod is one of the cheeses I've tried in my taste testings! It's very good
DeleteKeeping up and keeping in with those in power was a time-consuming, not to say nail-biting occupation.
ReplyDelete'How are the mighty fallen' applies to everything doen't it? Even in my own lifetime things have changed - thankfully, on the eve of the Solstice - Stonehenge remains even if we are never totally sure of how folk viewed it in those far off days. How very besautiful the greenery is in your photographs Sue.
ReplyDeleteShame some people threw orange powder on the stones at Stonehenge today - first time it's had that happen to it in it's 1000's of year history
DeleteThere were Ban the Bomb slogans on it in the sixties. Probably a lot of other things over the centuries. It's withstood them all.
DeleteMy maternal grandparents lived in Stowmarket, and a cousin lived in Haughley. In all my years of visiting them in the 1960s I had no idea that Haughley Castle had ever existed.
ReplyDeleteGrowing up just a mile away we often walked there to feed the ducks in the 60's and always knew there was the remains of a castle but nothing to see.
DeleteI can't imagine how they built that castle on top of that mound! Must have taken forever to complete all of that!
ReplyDeleteCastles all over the country are built like this - no machinery then!
DeleteLots of history in the neighborhood.
ReplyDeleteHow interesting, and I can imagine the atmosphere there.......all that history, but that might be me being a little fanciful š
ReplyDeleteAlison in Wales x
It's a shame it's in someones garden and inaccessible
DeleteAmazing history! The original design is fascinating and well fortified yet still took on many sieges. The property is very beautiful with mature trees and the water flowing along is magical. I am curious about the private ownership and new construction residing where the castle once stood.
ReplyDeleteThe whole village was built up around the castle back then . Some of the houses in the village now are old but not quite That old!
DeleteWe have a huge motte and deeply ditched castle here - but not one stone remains. It would have been impressive in its time though, as Haughly was. When in Scotland on holiday, many years ago now, we met a Suffolk chap called Bigod . . .
ReplyDelete