Framlingham Castle.
Framlingham Castle.
Lands at Framlingham given to Roger Bigod by Henry I, circa 1100; 1st castle subsequently built. Castle then standing destroyed 1175, following Earl Hugh Bigod's participation in unsuccessful revolt against Henry II. Present castle built by Early Roger Bigod sometime between 1190 and 1216 (R8). It fell, after only two days seige, to King John in 1216.
During excavations within the curtain wall in 1801 "several thousand cart loads of stone and other material were raised and removed from the interior, but ... all was one mass of material buried in the most chaotic confusion" (R11).
Limited excavations in 1969 and 1970 identified foundations of Earl Roger Bigod's Great Hall, approximately on site of standing Poor House, and of other buildings, at least one of them pre-dating the hall. Depth and extent of made-up ground suggested a former (?ditched) motte or raised platform in N half of present courtyard.
Poor House used as drill hall in C19. Courtyard levelled between World Wars I and II.
The castle consists of three enclosures. The innermost is roughly pear- shaped and surrounded by a curtain wall with 13 projecting towers. Below it to the W, circa 10 ft above the valley floor, is a rectangular area called the lower court, which was formerly surrounded by a curtain wall of which traces can be seen. The bailey surrounded the castle in a crescent-shaped arc from SW to NE; it seems to have been defended by an outer moat and a earthen bank. A further moat called the town ditch runs NE of the bailey; its course is now untraceable, but probably once enclosed the town of Framlingham (R8).
1986: Earthworks grassed and open to the public as park. Moats mainly dry (S1).
February 1990: Area of possible outer bailey or planned settlement to SW of castle area included in HER defined area of site.
1991: Said to be maintained and under guardianship (S2).
September 1994: Area to N of Scheduled area included in HER defined area of site after OS AP cropmarks/soilmarks (S3).
January-February 2002: Geophysical and earthworks surveys of castle and mere (FML 021) by English Heritage. Details in (S5)(S6).
For coin hoard of 1190-1205 found at the base of the barbican see FML Misc (SF21363).
2008: Monitoring of the installation of new interpretaition boards revealed no archaeological finds or features were located (S7).
Features visible on Lidar. See associated files.
| [M1] | (No record type): SAM file:. (SSF42721) |
| [R1] | Index: OS. OS Card. OS, card TM 26SE1. (SSF50032) |
| [R1] | Bibliographic reference: Suffolk Institute of Archaeology. Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology. Archaeology in Suffolk, PSIA, 32, (3), 1972, 284 (burials). (SSF50042) |
| [S1] | Unpublished document: Department of the Environment. Scheduling information. (SSF5242) |
| [R1] | (No record type): Green R, The History, Topography & Antiq of Framlingham & Saxtead, 1834. (SSF7127) |
| [S2] | Unpublished document: Suffolk Preservation Society. 1991. Suffolk Preservation Society Survey. Suff Pres Soc Survey, 1991. (SSF21763) |
| [R2] | Index: Ipswich Museum. IPSMG card. IPSMG, card 962-154, 1962. (SSF50070) |
| [M2] | Unpublished document: Suffolk Archaeological Service. Parish file. Parish file: copy (S3); (S5)(S6). (SSF50072) |
| [S3] | (No record type): OS, AP, 94 003 027, 4 March 1994. (SSF13121) |
| [R3] | Bibliographic reference: 1911. Victoria County History, Suffolk (VCH). (SSF54455) |
| [R4] | Bibliographic reference: Suffolk Institute of Archaeology. Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology. PSIA, 6, 15 (Tudor helmet from moat). (SSF50042) |
| [S4] | Photograph: Air Photographs. NAU, TM 286 637, JFZ 1-3, 20/7/1992. (SSF50106) |
| [R5] | Bibliographic reference: Suffolk Institute of Archaeology. Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology. PSIA, 3, 386. (SSF50042) |
| [S5] | Unpublished document: English Heritage. Brown M, Survey Report 24/2002, 2002, ill. (SSF50080) |
| [R6] | Bibliographic reference: Suffolk Institute of Archaeology. Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology. PSIA, 25, 1952, 127-148. (SSF50042) |
| [S6] | Unpublished document: English Heritage. Martin L, EH Centre for Archaeology Report, 89/2002, July 2002, ill. (SSF50080) |
| [R7] | Bibliographic reference: Suffolk Institute of Archaeology. Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology. PSIA. 27, 1956, 65-88. (SSF50042) |
| [S7] | Unpublished document: Atfield, R.. 2008. Monitoring Report Generic. West A, SCCAS 2008/091. (SSF50119) |
| [R8] | (No record type): Coad J, Recent Excavations, PSIA, 32, 1971, 152-163. (SSF3817) |
| [S8] | Bibliographic reference: Suffolk Institute of Archaeology. Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology. PSIA 41, 2005, 43-50. (SSF50042) |
| [R9] | (No record type): Renn D, 'Defensive Features ...', PSIA, 33, 1973, 58-67. (SSF17582) |