Bungay Castle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bungay Castle |
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| Suffolk, England | |
The remains of Bungay Castle
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 Bungay Castle
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| Coordinates | 52°27′19″N 1°26′12″E / 52.4553°N 1.4367°E |
| Type | Edwardian castle |
| Site information | |
| Owner | Bungay Castle Trust |
| Open to the public |
Yes |
Bungay Castle is an old castle found in the town of Bungay, Suffolk, England. It sits right next to the River Waveney, which helped protect it long ago.
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Building Bungay Castle
This castle was first built by a Norman lord named Roger Bigod of Norfolk around the year 1100. He chose this spot because the bend in the River Waveney offered natural protection.
His son, Hugh Bigod, 1st Earl of Norfolk, was a powerful figure during a time of civil war called the Anarchy. This was a period when different groups fought for control of England.
Because of his actions, King Henry II took Bungay Castle from Hugh. But the king gave it back in 1164.
Hugh Bigod's Stronghold
In 1165, Hugh Bigod decided to build a very strong, large square tower called a keep at the castle. A keep was the safest part of a castle, like a main tower where people could hide during an attack.
It's not known exactly how much this huge tower cost to build. However, experts think it might have cost around £1,400 back then. That was a massive amount of money!
Hugh Bigod later joined a rebellion against King Henry II in 1173. This rebellion was called the Revolt of 1173–1174. Hugh's side lost the fight.
Because of this, royal soldiers attacked Bungay Castle. They surrounded it, dug tunnels under its walls, and eventually destroyed parts of it.
Later Years and New Owners
After the destruction, the Bigod family got the castle back again. In 1294, another Roger Bigod, 5th Earl of Norfolk, made more improvements. He likely built the huge gate towers that you can still see today.
However, this Roger Bigod had disagreements with King Edward I. After Roger died, the castle became the property of the King. Over time, it slowly fell into ruin.
From 1483 onwards, the castle was mostly owned by the Dukes of Norfolk family. They kept it for many centuries, right up until the 1900s.
Bungay Castle Today
People started working to restore parts of Bungay Castle in 1934. Today, you can still see parts of the outer walls, known as curtain walls. You can also see the two towers of the gatehouse, which was the main entrance. A small piece of the old keep also remains.
In 1987, the Duke of Norfolk gave Bungay Castle to the town of Bungay. Now, a group called the Bungay Castle Trust looks after it. The castle is a very important historical building, listed as Grade I. This means it's a building of exceptional interest.
Images for kids
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Bungay Castle in 1790, in a watercolour painting by James Moore.
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