Scheduled Monument - Eye Castle, motte (or perhaps two separate mottes, - see (S6)) inner and outer baileys (S1)(S2).
Eye Castle, motte (or perhaps two separate mottes, - see (S6)) inner and outer baileys (S1)(S2). A castle is listed at tye in the Domesday survey of 1086.
1924: The commanding conical mound of this castle still remains and is some 40 ft high with a diameter at base of about 150 ft. A Norman castle built upon site of earlier fortification. British and Roman remains have been found close by. The horse shoe bailey (to the W of mound) is 400 ft long by 250 ft wide and enclosed by a vallum and external fosse (S1). 1978: Small excavation by SAU at W end of bailey - see EYE 018. 1981: Concrete steps of fairly recent date ascend to summit. Viewing platform erected within Victorian "keep" on summit (S1).
For excavations within inner bailey see EYE 018 & EYE 023 and for within motte, see EYE 031. For possible outer bailey ditch see EYE 027. January 1990: Area extended to include both inner & outer baileys. June 1990: Two minor trial excavations at S boundary of motte/inner bailey failed to find Med deposits - details in (S3).
June 1990: 2 minor trial excavations at S boundary of motte/inner bailey failed to find Med deposits - details in (S3).
1991: Mid Suffolk clearing out rubble from castle mound, making walls weather proof. Cottage foundatins & old castle walls uncovered (S5). July 1994: Surveyed by RCHME. Motte and bailey probably constructed soon after conquest and a stone curtain wall and outer bailey were probably added in the later C12. The castle was situated at the heart of the planned Norman town which subsequently became focused on the market-place at the W end of the outer bailey. For history (and archaeological history) of site see (S6). Beseiged by Earl Hugh Bigod during uprising in 1173. Probably went out of use as defended castle following sacking of 1265, by 1370 it was recorded as worthless, although some parts were still used as a prison, which had existed since at least 1295. By 1673 `the ruins of the Castle' are recorded (S1). Workhouse and school built in inner bailey in 1830s. Kerrison's Folly (also see EYE 023) built on motte in 1844-5 (S6)(R2).
See also Un.
| R1 | (No record type): Creed H, On the Castle & Houses of Eye, PSIA, 2, 117-124 (SSF4212) |
| S1 | (No record type): DOE, scheduling information (SSF5242) |
| M1 | (No record type): SAM file: (SSF42750) |
| R2 | (No record type): Davy D, Excursions through the County of Suffolk, 1844 (SSF5038) |
| S2 | Unpublished document: OS. OS Card. OS, card TM17SW5 (SSF50032) |
| M2 | Unpublished document: Suffolk Archaeological Service. Parish file. Parish file: (S3) (SSF50072) |
| S3 | (No record type): SAU, Wade K, site report, EYE 016, ill, June 1990 (SSF20886) |
| M3 | (No record type): Excavation archive: (Ipswich) (SSF42752) |
| S4 | (No record type): NAU, APs, AUJ 4 AJG 10 (SSF11762) |
| M4 | (No record type): Survey archive: 2 plans, 1 section (SSF42753) |
| S5 | (No record type): Suff Pres Soc (Paul Edwards), Survey table of results, 1991 (SSF21760) |
| S6 | (No record type): RCHME, Eye Castle, Eye, Suffolk: An archaeological survey, July 1994, ill (SSF17502) |
| S7 | (No record type): Blome R, Britannia, 1673, 213 (SSF1255) |