Caister Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Caistor

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

Caister Castle was built for Sir John Fastolf from 1432 to circa 1446. It was a brick building rectangular in plan, with angle towers. There are three gunports in the north-west tower and several gunports in the curtain wall. The principal remains of the castle are the north-western angle tower of the main building and the north and west adjoining curtain walls. The surrounding moat has been partially filled in. The internal building remains of the main castle block have been determined by the sinking of trail holes by Mr Hamblen-Thomas. The north east outwork of the castle is thought to be older than the main block. It is the only English example of a `Wasserburg', a water-ringed castle common in the Rhineland and Flanders, and it was one of the first major brick built buildings in England. Besieged in 1469.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is TG50481229

Air Photo from Air Photo and general mapping	1st edition OS Map from Mid to late 19th century maps
Modern Map from Landscape form and features	Modern Map from General location and route planning

Sources of information, references and further reading

This site's English Heritage (PastScape) Defra or Monument number is 134161
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is 8671 'grey' literature, such as watching brief reports, held by H.E.R.s is often poorly referenced and is unlikely to be recorded in this website.

• Web site links
  • http://www.castleuk.net/castle_lists_east_anglia/134/caistercastle.htm
    http://viewfinder.english-heritage.org.uk/search/adv_reference.asp?imageUID=76029
    http://www.geocities.com/jojogoob/Caister.htm
    http://www.heritage.norfolk.gov.uk/SingleResult.aspx?uid=MNF8671
    http://www.ecastles.co.uk/caister.html
• Books
  • Salter, Mike, 2001, The Castles of East Anglia (Malvern) p45-7
    Liddiard, R., 2000, Landscapes of Lordship (Oxford: BAR 309) p113-5
    Emery, Anthony, 2000, Greater Medieval Houses Vol2 (Cambridge) p56
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p155-6
    Rogerson, Andrew, 1994, 'Castles' in Wade-Martins, P, (ed), An Historical Atlas of Norfolk (2edn Norwich; Norfolk Museums) p68-9
    Thompson, M.W., 1989, The Decline of the Castle (Cambridge) p80-81
    Kent, Peter, 1988, Fortifications of East Anglia (Lavenham: Ternence Dalton) p175
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol2 p306
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p198-9
    Wilton, J.W., 1979, Earthworks and Fortifications of Norfolk (Weathercock Press) p25-6
    Davis, N. (ed), 1971, Paston letters and papers of the fifteenth century pt 1 (Oxford: Clarendon Press)
    Pevsner, Nikolaus, 1962, Buildings of England: Norwich and north-east Norfolk (Penguin) p109
    O’Neil, B.H.St.J., 1960, Castles and Cannon: A Study of Early Artillery Fortifications in England (Oxford: Claredon Press) p30 plate 7
    Brown, A., 1954, English Medieval Castles p131-2
    Tipping, H.A., 1937, English Homes, period 1 Vol2 (London) p307-12
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
    Mackenzie, J.D., 1897, Castles of England (Heinemann) Vol1 p289-93
    Timbs, J. and Gunn, A., 1872, Abbeys, Castles and Ancient Halls of England and Wales Vol2 (London) p244
    Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol3 pt2 p284
    Turner, Dawson, 1842, Sketch of the History of Caister Castle (London)
    Grose, F., 1756, Antiquities of England and Wales Vol4 P10-15
• Journal Articles
  • Thompson, M.W., 1986, 'Associated monasteries and castles in the Middle Ages: a tentative list' Archaeological Journal Vol143 p320
    Kenyon, J.R., 1981 'Early Artillery Fortifications in England and Wales: a Preliminary Survey and Re-appraisal' Archaeological Journal Vol138 p215-6
    Slade, H.G., 1980, ‘Caister Castle' Archaeological Journal Vol137 p295-8
    1977, Fort Vol4 p76
    Barnes, H.D. and Simpson, W.Douglas, 1952, 'Caister Castle' Antiquaries Journal Vol32 p35-51
    Barnes, H.D. and Simpson, W.Douglas, 1947-52, 'The Building Accounts of Caister Castle' Norfolk Archaeology Vol30 p178-88
    Barrett, 1896, Journal of the British Archaeological Association Vol2 p37-47
    Haddon, 1880, Journal of the British Archaeological Association Vol36 p22-6 [slight]
    Pettigrew, 1858, Journal of the British Archaeological Association Vol14 p223-37
    1848, Gentleman's Magazine pt2 p365-9 http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015030568805