Museums · East of England
Norwich Castle
Also known as: Caisleán Norwich
Norwich Castle — historic castle and museum in Norwich, England.
Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 1.5 h–3 h
- Best time of year
- Year-round
- Nearest railway station
- Norwich · 0.8 km
- Family-friendly
- Wheelchair accessible
About
Norwich Castle is a museum in the United Kingdom. Records date its origin to 1066. Constructed primarily of Caen stone. Heritage designation: scheduled monument. Owned by William the Conqueror. Part of Norfolk Museums. Address: NR1 3JU. Wikidata describes it as: "historic castle and museum in Norwich, England". Coordinates: 52.6281°, 1.2968°.
Photo gallery
Heritage listing
Norwich Castle is a medieval royal fortification in the city of Norwich, in the English county of Norfolk. William the Conqueror (1066–1087) ordered its construction in the aftermath of the Norman Conquest of England. The castle was used as a gaol from 1220 to 1887. In 1894, the Norwich Museum moved to Norwich Castle. The museum and art gallery holds significant objects from the region, especially works of art, archaeological finds and natural history specimens. The historic national importance of the Norwich Castle site was recognised in 1915 with its listing as a scheduled monument. The castle buildings, including the keep, attached gothic style gatehouse and former prison wings, were given Grade I listed building status in 1954.
From the Historic England List Entry under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
Norwich Castle is a medieval royal fortification in the city of Norwich, in the English county of Norfolk. William the Conqueror (1066–1087) ordered its construction in the aftermath of the Norman Conquest of England. The castle was used as a gaol from 1220 to 1887. In 1894, the Norwich Museum moved to Norwich Castle. The museum and art gallery holds significant objects from the region, especially works of art, archaeological finds and natural history specimens. The historic national importance of the Norwich Castle site was recognised in 1915 with its listing as a scheduled monument. The castle buildings, including the keep, attached gothic style gatehouse and former prison wings, were given Grade I listed building status in 1954. The castle is one of the city's twelve heritage sites, and is managed by the Norfolk Museums Service. The interior of the keep was reconstructed over five years to how it would have looked in the early 12th century, fully reopening in August 2025.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
, prior to alterations completed in 1793 by John Soane]] Norwich Castle was founded by William the Conqueror some time between 1066 and 1075 and originally took the form of a motte and bailey. Early in 1067, William embarked on a campaign to subjugate East Anglia, and according to military historian R. Allen Brown it was probably around this time that the castle was founded. The earliest recorded incident at the castle is in 1075, when it was besieged by troops loyal to William to put down a rebellion known as the Revolt of the Earls, co-led by Ralph de Gael, Earl of Norfolk. Ralph went abroad to try and rally support from the Danes leaving his wife Emma in charge of the garrison. The…
Architecture
G. T. Clark, a 19th-century antiquary and engineer, described Norwich's great tower as "the most highly ornamented keep in England". It was originally faced with Caen stone over a flint core. The original Norman bridge over the inner ditch was replaced in around 1825.
Description
Parts of Norwich castle were used as a prison from an early stage; a gaol was made in the castle which serviced the wider county. State prisoners were confined in this gaol in 1264 and 1274. Sometimes the earl in charge of a royal castle refused to allow the sheriff to imprison convicted criminals therein, even though it had been customary to do so., 20 October 1775]]By the 18th century, the stone of the castle had blackened, its battlements had decayed, and the castle ditch was being used for rubbish disposal. John Soane rebuilt the prison between 1789 and 1793. The interior walls of the keep were removed and cells for the male felons built. The debtors and women prisoners were…
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 52.6281, 1.2968
- County
- Norfolk
- District
- Norwich
- Parish
- Norwich, unparished area
- Postcode
- NR1 3JU
- Parliamentary constituency
- Norwich South
- Established
- 1066
- Nearest railway station
- Norwich — 0.8 km
- Opening
- Jul 1-Sep 29 Mo-Sa 10:00-17:00, Su 13:00-17:00; Sep 30-Jun 30 Mo-Sa 10:00-16:30, Su 13:00-16:30
- Official site
- www.museums.norfolk.gov.uk
Sources
- wikidata: Q1672292 (CC0)
- wikipedia: Norwich Castle (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- commons: Norwich castle.JPG (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is Norwich Castle?
- Norwich Castle is in Norfolk, East of England, United Kingdom (postcode NR1 3JU), in the parish of Norwich, unparished area.
- When was Norwich Castle built?
- Built or established in 1066.
- Who owns Norwich Castle?
- Norwich Castle is owned by William the Conqueror.
- Is Norwich Castle a listed building?
- Norwich Castle is officially recognised as scheduled monument listed.
- How do I get to Norwich Castle?
- The nearest railway station is Norwich, about 0.8 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode NR1 3JU.