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Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Caistor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

This site has been described as a;
Masonry Castle.
  This site was certainly a medieval fortification or palace.   Masonry ruins/remnants remains.
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.
This is a Grade 1 listed building protected by law*. (Images of England number 402085; 402086)

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is TG50481229

Air Photo from multimap logo

Air Photo and general mapping

1st edition OS Map from old maps logo

Mid to late 19th century maps

Modern Map from Ordnance Survey logo

Landscape form and features

Modern Map from streetmap logo

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.

Most of the sites or buildings recorded in this web site are NOT open to the public and permission to visit a site must always be sought from the landowner or tenant.
The information on this web page may be derived from information compiled by and/or copyright of English Heritage and other individuals and organisations. All the sources given should be consulted to identify the original copyright holder and permission obtained from them before use of the information on this site for commercial purposes. I do not receive any income from this site and I fund it myself.
The bibliography owes much to various bibliographies produced by John Kenyon for the Council for British Archaeology, the Castle Studies Group and others.
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*The listed building may not be the actual medieval building, but a building on the site of, or incorporating fragments of, the described site.

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This record last updated on Monday, June 15, 2009

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