Orford Castle |
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Suffolk Travel Guide
A guide to Suffolk, England, highlighting attractions, history, and visitor information. |
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Orford CastleThe late 12th century was not an easy time to be king of England. Powerful nobles, like the Bigod family, challenged the authority of the crown. Henry II built Orford Castle between 1163-1175 in an attempt to counter the supremacy of nobles like the Bigods in this area of Suffolk, and to act as a coastal dfence. Orford Castle is built to a keep and bailey plan; a strong polygonal central keep surrounded by a curtain wall. It is one of the earliest examples of the use of flanking towers built into the wall. Orford is unique in that it is the earliest British castle for which records of the construction exist. Today, the outer curtain wall has largely disappeared, leaving only traces of the outer defences and a deep trench surrounding the keep. The central keep, with its three strong towers, however, is very much intact, and stands strikingly tall within the ruins of the outer defences. Location Entry Contact Related:
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