Caister Castle (The Gatehouse Record)

Description

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. (PastScape)

Earthworks, parchmarks and standing walls associated with Caister Castle are visible on aerial photographs. The castle is centred on TG 5048 1229. The castle moat is rectangular in plan and is largely extant and water filled. It has external dimensions of 122m by 78m and is up to 18m wide. Two spurs from the main moat divide the inner court in the southwest from an outer courtyard to the northeast. These are not extant and are visible on aerial photographs as shallow earthworks and cropmarks. A parchmark crossing between these two infilled spurs appears to mark the position of a bridge or causeway. This parchmark continues along the northeast side of these sections of former moat indicting the presence of a track or road within the courtyard. Positive cropmarks cutting across the area of the bridge or causeway may represent drains leading into the moat. A single linear parchmark, probably marking the position of a wall is present in the eastern part of the outer courtyard. It extends for 11m on a northwest to southeast alignment parallel to the outer wall of the courtyard and may be part of a lean-to type structure. Extant remains of walls are clearly visible around the inner courtyard of the castle. These are the exterior walls of a range of buildings that surrounded the courtyard. Two square parchmarks, representing buried walls, are present either side of the causeway or bridge leading to the outer courtyard. (Norfolk HER–J. Albone, 13 June 2005)

Eastern, or outer court, late C14 or early C15. Western, or inner, court 1432-43 (when licence to fortify granted). Built for Sir John Fastolfe by William Granour "Master of the new work". Last buildings roofed and tiled 1468 when in possession of Sir John Paston. Brick with ashlar dressings. Full building accounts survive 1432-35. Both courts surrounded by moat with spur of moat separating them. (Listing report)

Sources of information, references and further reading

National Heritage List for England Listed Building number(s) 1287573 , 1228031
Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s) 134161.
County Historic Environment Record (or Sites and Monuments Record) number(s) 8671.

Websites (Gatehouse is not responsible for the content of external websites.)
- Caister Castle Car Collection
  CastleUK.net
  Historic England Viewfinder
  Charles Taylor's ecastles
  Wikipedia entry
  Caister Castle
Books
- Goodall, John, 2011, The English Castle 1066-1650 (Yale University Press) p. 5, 42, 46, 351, 352, 371
  Kennett, David H., 2008, 'Caister Castle, Norfolk, and the Transport of Brick and other Building Materials in the Middle Ages' in Bork, Robert; Kann, Andrea (ed.), The art, science, and technology of medieval travel (Aldershot: AVISTA studies in the history of medieval technology, science and art 6) p. 55-68
  Hawkyard, A., 2005, 'Sir John Fastolf's 'gret mansion by me late edified': Caister Castle, Norfolk' in Clark, L. (ed), The fifteenth century 5, Of mice and men: image, belief and regulation in late medieval England (Woodbridge: Boydell Press) p. 38-67
  Salter, Mike, 2001, The Castles of East Anglia (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 45-7
  Liddiard, R., 2000, Landscapes of Lordship (British Archaeological Reports British Series 309) p. 113-5
  Emery, Anthony, 2000, Greater Medieval Houses of England and Wales Vol. 2 East Anglia, Central England and Wales (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press) p. 56
  Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge: Boydell Press) p. 155-6
  Rogerson, Andrew, 1994, 'Castles' in Wade-Martins, P, (ed), An Historical Atlas of Norfolk (2edn Norwich; Norfolk Museums) p. 68-9
  Thompson, M.W., 1989, The Decline of the Castle (Cambridge) p. 80-81
  Kent, Peter, 1988, Fortifications of East Anglia (Lavenham: Ternence Dalton) p. 175
  King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 2 p. 306
  Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p. 198-9
  Wilton, J.W., 1979, Earthworks and Fortifications of Norfolk (Weathercock Press) p. 25-6
  Davis, N. (ed), 1971, Paston letters and papers of the fifteenth century Part 1 (Oxford: Clarendon Press)
  Pevsner, Nikolaus, 1962, Buildings of England: Norwich and north-east Norfolk (Penguin) p. 109
  O'Neil, B.H.St.J., 1960, Castles and Cannon: A Study of Early Artillery Fortifications in England (Oxford: Claredon Press) p. 30 plate 7
  Brown, A., 1954, English Medieval Castles p. 131-2
  Tipping, H.A., 1937, English Homes, period 1 Vol. 2 (London) p. 307-12
  Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (London: Methuen and Co)
  Mackenzie, J.D., 1896, Castles of England; their story and structure (New York: Macmillan) Vol. 1 p. 289-93 online copy
  Timbs, J. and Gunn, A., 1872, Abbeys, Castles and Ancient Halls of England and Wales Vol. 2 (London) p. 244 online copy
  Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol. 3 Part 2 p. 284 online copy
  Turner, Dawson, 1842, Sketch of the History of Caister Castle (London)
  Blomefield, F., 1810, 'East Flegg hundred: Castor' An Essay towards a Topographical History of the County of Norfolk Vol. 11 p. 201-16 (tenurial history) online transcription
  Grose, Francis, 1785 (new edn orig 1756), Antiquities of England and Wales (London) Vol. 4 p. 10-15
Periodical Articles
- Thompson, M.W., 1986, 'Associated monasteries and castles in the Middle Ages: a tentative list' The Archaeological Journal Vol. 143 p. 320
  Kenyon, J.R., 1981 'Early Artillery Fortifications in England and Wales: a Preliminary Survey and Re-appraisal' The Archaeological Journal Vol. 138 p. 215-6
  Slade, H.G., 1980, 'Caister Castle' The Archaeological Journal Vol. 137 p. 295-8
  Kenyon, J.R., 1977, 'Early Gunports' Fort Vol. 4 p. 76
  Barnes, H.D. and Simpson, W.Douglas, 1952, 'Caister Castle' Antiquaries Journal Vol. 32 p. 35-51
  Barnes, H.D. and Simpson, W.Douglas, 1947-52, 'The Building Accounts of Caister Castle' Norfolk Archaeology Vol. 30 p. 178-88
  Floyer, J.K., 1913, 'English Brick Buildings of the Fifteenth Century' The Archaeological Journal Vol. 70 p. 121-32 online copy
  Barrett, 1896, Journal of the British Archaeological Association Vol. 2 p. 37-47 online copy
  Haddon, 1880, 'Caister Castle' Journal of the British Archaeological Association Vol. 36 p. 22-6 (slight) online copy
  Pettigrew, T.J., 1858, 'Caister Castle' Journal of the British Archaeological Association Vol. 14 p. 223-37 online copy
  1848, The Gentleman's Magazine Part 2 p. 365-9 online copy
Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
- Maxwell Lyte, H.C. (ed), 1908, Calendar of Patent Rolls Henry VI (1441-46) Vol. 4 p. 206 online copy

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