New Buckenham Town Defences (The Gatehouse Record)

In the civil parish of New Buckenham.
In the historic county of Norfolk.
Modern Authority of Norfolk.
1974 county of Norfolk.
Medieval County of Norfolk.

OS Map Grid Reference: TM088906
Latitude 52.47267° Longitude 1.07005°

New Buckenham Town Defences has been described as a certain Urban Defence.

There are cropmark/slight earthwork remains.

Description

Medieval defences of Earthen banks. Short sections of circuit remain. Dependency of New Buckenham Castle.

New Buckenham was originally a town laid out beyond the castle bailey founded in the late 12th century by William de Albini, Earl of Sussex. A text survives from him to the burgesses confirming grants of Earl William his father and Earl William his grandfather. This takes the origin of the castle back to either the founder of the castle, who died in 1176, or to his son who died in 1193. It was first recorded as a borough in 1247-8. The town had a rectilinear layout comparable to a similar settlement laid out by the de Albinis near to the castle at Rising. The settlement was square in plan and surrounded by a boundary ditch and canalized stream on three sides, of which there are some extant remains. Within the boundary of this defensive ditch are many 15th to 18th century houses, many now fronted with 19th century brick, and the 15th century parish church. It is thought that the plan was altered by the foundation of this parish church originally constructed by Robert de Tateshale in the mid-late 13th century and also by the construction of buildings over the southern market in the 16th century, of which the original limit is now marked by Boosey's Walk. (PastScape)

Sources of information, references and further reading

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s) 982572.
County Historic Environment Record (or Sites and Monuments Record) number(s) 9200.

Books
- Creighton, O.H. and Higham, R.A., 2005, Medieval Town Walls (Stroud: Tempus) p. 24, 72, 264
  Salter, Mike, 2001, The Castles of East Anglia (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 61 (mention)
  Margeson, S., Seiller, F. and Rogerson, A., 1994, The Normans in Norfolk (Norfolk Museums Service) p. 88, 89
  Bond, C.J., 1987, 'Anglo-Saxon and Medieval Defences' in Schofield, J. and Leech, R. (eds) Urban Archaeology in Britain (CBA Research Report 61) p. 92-116 online copy
  King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 2 p. 312
  Beresford, M.W. and St.Joseph, J.K.S., 1979 (2edn), Medieval England, an Aerial Survey (Cambridge: CUP) p. 226-8
  Beresford, M. and Finberg, H.P.R., 1973, English Medieval Boroughs: a Handlist (Newton Abbot: David and Charles) p. 226
  Beresford, Maurice, 1967, New towns of the Middle Ages: town plantation in England, Wales and Gascony (London: Lutterworth Press) p. 467
  Blomefield, Francis, 1805, 'Hundred of Shropham: New-Bukenham' An Essay towards a Topographical History of the County of Norfolk: Vol. 1 p. 395-405 online transcription
Periodical Articles
- Creighton, Oliver, 2006, ''Castles of Communities': Medieval Town Defences in England; Wales and Gascony' Château Gaillard Vol. 22 p. 75-86
  Bond J., 2001, 'Earthen Castles, Outer Enclosures and the Earthworks at Ascott d'Oilly Castle, Oxfordshire' Oxoniensia Vol. 46 p. 65-6 (Appendix: Norman earthwork castles with failed towns in outer enclosures) online copy
  Rutledge, P., 1980, 'New Buckenham' The Archaeological Journal Vol. 137 p. 352-3

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The bibliography owes much to various bibliographies produced by John Kenyon for the Council for British Archaeology, the Castle Studies Group and others.

Suggestions for finding online and/or hard copies of bibliographical sources can be seen at this link.
Minor archaeological investigations, such as watching brief reports, and some other 'grey' literature is most likely to be held by H.E.R.s but is often poorly referenced and is unlikely to be recorded here, or elsewhere, but some suggestions can be found here.

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