Mettingham Castle (The Gatehouse Record)

Description

Earthwork and structural remains of a moated, fortified manor house and college of secular priests, the latter extant between 1394 and 1542. A licence to crenellate the manor house was granted in 1342. A document of 1562 describes the site as being enclosed by a stone wall and entered via a gatehouse. Within were stables, servants' lodgings, kitchen, bakehouse, brewhouse, malting house, storehouses, and an aisled hall. This house was probably demolished in C18 and was replaced by a house which was in turn demolished circa 1880. The remains of the fortified house include the gatehouse and part of the curtain wall and barbican. (PastScape)

The olde castell. The olde castell inclosed withe a mote by it selfe, from the mansyon house coñ in length fower score foote, and in breadthe fyftie foot, but that ys utterlye decayed and dyvers of the walles fallen downe, but there remaineth yet a fayer chymney of freestone standinge withe two great barres of Iron holdinge up parte of it. (1562 survey from Redstone, 1903)

The ruins of a fortified manor house. Founded by Sir John de Norwich who was granted licence to crenellate in 1342, the building work being completed by Dame Margaret, his wife. The moated site enclosed about 5 acres of which the castle occupied the northern enclosure. The buildings of the late C14 and C15 monastic college were sited within a smaller moated enclosure to the south of the castle. The chief remains of the castle is the gatehouse in the north wall. This is of flint rubble, with freestone and red brick dressings. 3 storeys with ruinous crenellated parapet. Flanking towers, square to the front and canted back to the side walls. Moulded stone entrance arch, dying at the imposts; there are remains of the barbican and doorways to the machicolated gallery which was above. The archway through the gatehouse was vaulted. To each side of the gatehouse are substantial remains of the northern curtain walls with window openings at 3 levels. Part of the south wall also survives. (Listed Building Report)

A Royal licence to crenellate was granted in 1343 Aug 21 (Click on the date for details of this licence.).

Sources of information, references and further reading

National Heritage List for England Scheduled Monument Number 1006055, Legacy Scheduled Monument Number sf70
National Heritage List for England Listed Building number(s) 1182745
Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s) 391619.
County Historic Environment Record (or Sites and Monuments Record) number(s) MTT 003.

Websites (Gatehouse is not responsible for the content of external websites.)
- Charles Taylor's ecastles
  Medieval News Medieval and Ancient History News
  Big Days Out
  English Heritage Heritage at Risk case study
Books
- Goodall, John, 2011, The English Castle 1066-1650 (Yale University Press) p. 289
  Salter, Mike, 2001, The Castles of East Anglia (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 82
  Emery, Anthony, 2000, Greater Medieval Houses of England and Wales Vol. 2 East Anglia, Central England and Wales (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press) p. 124
  Martin, Edward, 1999 (3edn), 'Medieval Castles' in Dymond, David and Martin, Edward (eds) An Historical Atlas of Suffolk (Lavenham) p. 58-9
  Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge: Boydell Press) p. 236
  Brown, R.Allen, 1989, Castles from the Air (Cambridge University Press) p. 154-55
  King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 2 p. 458
  Knowles, David and Hadcock, R Neville, 1971, Medieval religious houses in England and Wales (Longman) p. 432
  Pevsner, N., 1961, Buildings of England: Suffolk (London, Penguin) p. 333-4
  Dickenson, 1957, Little Guide to Suffolk p. 253-4
  Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (London: Methuen and Co)
  Wall, 1911, in Page, Wm (ed), VCH Suffolk Vol. 1 p. 621 online copy
  Mackenzie, J.D., 1896, Castles of England; their story and structure (New York: Macmillan) Vol. 1 p. 283-4 online copy
  Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol. 3 Part 2 p. 297, 413 online copy
  Suckling, A., 1846, History and Antiquities of Suffolk (London) Vol. 1 p. 173-5 online transcription
  Buck, Samuel and Nathaniel, 1774, Buck's Antiquities (London) Vol. 2 p. 274
Periodical Articles
- Guy, Neil, et al, 2011-12, 'CSG Annual Conference April 2011' Castle Studies Group Journal Vol. 25 p. 79-84
  Liddiard, Robert, 2006, 'Early castles in the Medieval Landscape of East Anglia' Château Gaillard Vol. 22 p. 243-50
  Martin, E.A., 1990, 'Mettingham Castle: an interpretation of a survey of 1562' Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology and History Vol. 37.2 p. 115-23 online copy
  Thompson, M.W., 1986, 'Associated monasteries and castles in the Middle Ages: a tentative list' The Archaeological Journal Vol. 143 p. 319
  Redstone, V.B., 1903, 'Notes on Suffolk Castles.III. Mettingham College and Castle, 1562' Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology and History Vol. 11.3 p. 315-319 online copy
  Manning, C.R., 1865, 'Mettingham Castle and College' Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology and History Vol. 4.2 p. 77-89
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), 1902, Calendar of Patent Rolls Edward III (1343-45) Vol. 6 p. 106 online copy
  Rickard, John, 2002, The Castle Community. The Personnel of English and Welsh Castles, 1272-1422 (Boydell Press) (lists sources for 1272-1422) p. 441-2
Other sources: Theses; 'grey' literature; in-house reports; unpublished works; etc.
- Historic England, 2016, Heritage at Risk East of England Register 2016 (London: Historic England) p. 69 (re-entry) online copy
  English Heritage, 2009, Heritage at Risk Register 2009 East of England (London: English Heritage) p. 70 online copy

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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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*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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