Walton Castle

In the civil parish of Felixstowe. In the historic county of Suffolk (Modern Authority of Suffolk, 1974 county of Suffolk).

The site of the Roman Saxon Shore fort known as Walton Castle. It was probably built between AD 276-285 and stood circa 30m above sea level before being destroyed by sea erosion in C18. The fort was subsequently reused by the Normans who used it as the bailey for a castle built there by one of the Bigod earls, probably Roger who died in 1107. The castle was strengthened by Hugh Bigod, Roger's second son, but was confiscated and garrisoned by King Henry II [1154-1189]. In 1175-6 the castle was dismantled by Henry in 1175-76, for his new castle at Orford. However, it would appear that the walls of the Roman fort survived this demolition has they were recorded as still standing in C18 before being undermined by the sea. It has also been suggested that Walton Castle was one of the possible locations of Dommoc or Dumnoc, named by the early eighth-century historian Bede as the site of the first East Anglian episcopal minster, given to St Felix by King Sigeberht who ruled from 630 to 635. It was originally given that Dommoc or Dumnoc was located at Dunwich (see TM 47 Se 13), although concrete evidence for either site has yet to be provided. Moreover, it is also quite possible that this Minster never existed.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is TM32253580

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 391161
Further information may be available from the holder of the county Historic Environment Record. In particular '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, or elsewhere.

• Web site links
  • http://www.wuffings.co.uk/WuffSites/Walton.html
• Books
  • Salter, Mike, 2002, Index and Amendments to Mike Salter's English Castles Books (Malvern) p9
    Salter, Mike, 2001, The Castles of East Anglia (Malvern) p87
    Martin, Edward, 1999 [3edn], 'Medieval Castles' in Dymond, David and Martin, Edward (eds) An Historical Atlas of Suffolk (Lavenham) p58-9
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p239 [slight]
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol2 p460
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p313
    Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker)
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
    Page, Wm (ed), 1911, VCH Suffolk Vol1 p287-91
    Mackenzie, J.D., 1897, Castles of England (Heinemann) Vol1 p286
    Grose, F., 1756, Antiquities of England and Wales Vol8 p127-8
• Journal Articles
  • Fairclough, J., and Plunkett, S.J., 2000, 'Drawings of Walton Castle and other monuments in Walton and Felixstowe' Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology and History Vol39 pt4 p419-59
    Rigold, S.E., 1974, Journal of the British Archaeological Association Vol37 p97-102
    Rigold, S.E., 1961, Journal of the British Archaeological Association Vol24 p55-9
    Brown, R, Allen, 1959, 'A List of Castles, 1154–1216' English Historical Review Vol74 p249-280 [Reprinted in Brown, R. Allen, 1989, Castles, conquest and charters: collected papers (Woodbridge: Boydell Press) p90-121] http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0013-8266%28195904%2974%3A291%3C249%3AALOC1%3E2.0.CO%3B2-P