Framlingham Castle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Framlingham Castle |
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| Framlingham, Suffolk, England | |
The Inner Court and Lower Court from the northwest
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 Framlingham Castle
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| Coordinates | 52°13′27″N 1°20′49″E / 52.22405°N 1.34691°E |
| Grid reference | grid reference TM 286 636 |
| Site information | |
| Owner | English Heritage |
| Open to the public |
Yes |
| Condition | Largely intact |
| Site history | |
| Materials | Flint, septaria and sandstone |
| Events | Revolt of 1173–1174, First Barons' War, Second World War |
Framlingham Castle is an amazing old castle located in the market town of Framlingham, in Suffolk, England. It started as a Norman castle around 1148. But this first castle was destroyed by King Henry II after a big rebellion in 1173–1174.
A new castle was built by Roger Bigod, the Earl of Norfolk. This castle was special because it didn't have a central tower (called a keep). Instead, it had a strong outer wall with thirteen towers to protect the inside. Even so, King John captured it in 1216 after a short fight. By the late 1200s, Framlingham Castle became a fancy home with huge parks for hunting.
In the 1400s and 1500s, powerful families like the Mowbrays and Howards owned the castle. They added two artificial lakes (called meres) and updated the castle with stylish brick. The castle was a busy place, buying supplies from all over England and luxury items from other countries. Beautiful gardens were also built inside. But by the end of the 1500s, the castle started to fall apart. The last Howard owner, Theophilus, had money problems and sold it.
In 1636, Framlingham Castle was given to Pembroke College, Cambridge. It stayed with them for about 300 years. In the 1600s, the buildings inside the castle were taken down to build a workhouse for poor people. This workhouse closed in 1839. After that, the castle was used as a training hall for soldiers and a local court. In 1913, Pembroke College handed the castle over to the government for care. During the Second World War, the British Army used it to defend against a possible German invasion.
Today, English Heritage looks after Framlingham Castle. It's a popular place for visitors to explore and learn about history. It's also protected by law as a very important historic building.
Contents
History of Framlingham Castle
Early Days and Rebellions (11th–12th Centuries)
After the Normans took over England in 1066, the village of Framlingham in Suffolk grew quickly. It became a small town with many people and valuable land. A Norman castle, either a ringwork or a motte and bailey, was first built here in the 11th or early 12th century.
The first official mention of a castle at Framlingham was in 1148. It was owned by the powerful Bigod family. By the late 1100s, the Bigods were very important in Suffolk, holding the title of the Earl of Norfolk. They owned Framlingham and three other major castles. The first stone buildings, including a large hall, were added to Framlingham Castle in the 1160s.
However, the Bigod family often had disagreements with the king. Hugh Bigod joined a rebellion against King Henry II in 1173. The rebellion failed, and as punishment, King Henry ordered several rebel castles, including Framlingham, to be destroyed. The castle's defenses were pulled down between 1174 and 1176.
Hugh's son, Roger Bigod, eventually got the family lands back when Richard I became king in 1189. Roger then started building a brand new castle at Framlingham. This new castle was finished quickly, by 1213. It had a strong inner wall with 13 towers. There was also a smaller outer area with stone walls and towers, and a larger area with wooden defenses.
Royal Sieges and Grand Parks (13th Century)
In 1215, a war broke out between King John and some rebel barons. Roger Bigod was one of the main rebels. King John's army arrived at Framlingham Castle in March 1216. After a short discussion, the castle's defenders decided to surrender without a fight. Roger Bigod later got his castle back, and his grandson, another Roger, inherited it in 1225.
A huge hunting park, called the Great Park, was created around the castle. This park was first mentioned in 1270. It covered a large area and had a lodge (a small house) with a garden. The park was used for hunting and also for other resources, like making charcoal. Several smaller parks were also nearby, offering even more hunting grounds.
In 1270, Roger Bigod, the 5th Earl, inherited the castle. He made many improvements and lived a very fancy life. However, he borrowed a lot of money and ended up deeply in debt to King Edward I. Because of this, Roger led a group of nobles who opposed King Edward's requests for more taxes. King Edward took Roger's lands, but later agreed to return them if Roger promised to give them to the Crown after he died. Roger agreed, and Framlingham Castle became the king's property when he died in 1306.
By the end of the 1200s, a large prison was built in the castle. It was probably in the north-west part of the outer court. Prisoners included local poachers and, later, people who disagreed with the church.
Life at the Castle (14th Century)
King Edward II gave the castle to his half-brother, Thomas of Brotherton. Records show that the castle was not fully furnished at this time, perhaps because furniture was moved around as the owner traveled. The castle continued to be an important place. After Thomas died in 1338, it passed through a few families, including the Uffords and the Mowbrays. The Mowbrays seemed to use Framlingham Castle as their main home for most of the 1400s.
The castle was a very busy place, with up to 83 people living there at one time. It played a big role in the local economy. Huge amounts of food and drink were bought to feed everyone. For example, in one year (1385–86), over £1,000 was spent, including buying over 28,500 gallons of ale and 70,000 loaves of bread. By the 1300s, the castle was buying goods from all over Europe. Wine came from France, venison (deer meat) from distant parks, and spices from the Far East through merchants in London. Some goods, like salt, were bought at the annual Stourbridge Fair near Cambridge, which was one of the biggest markets in Europe.
Two large lakes, called meres, were created next to the castle by building a dam across a stream. The southern mere, which you can still see today, was originally a smaller natural lake. Once dammed, it covered a large area and had an island with a dovecote (a building for doves). The meres were used for fishing and boating, and they also made the castle look very beautiful.
Tudor Times and Decline (15th–16th Centuries)
In 1476, the castle went to John Howard, the Duke of Norfolk. He probably started many improvements during the Tudor period. Under the Howards, the castle was greatly updated. Fashionable brick was used to improve parts of the castle, and fancy chimneys were added. The battlements (the top parts of the walls) were made smaller to make the walls look taller. The Howard family's coat of arms was added to the gatehouse.
A large room called the Great Chamber was likely built across the Inner Court at this time. It connected the Great Hall with the chapel and other rooms. By 1524, the castle had at least 29 different rooms. The drawbridge outside the gatehouse was replaced with a permanent bridge between 1524 and 1547. A half-moon shaped stone defense was also built to protect it.
By the 1500s, a pleasure garden was built in the Lower Court. It had ornamental ponds and terraced walkways. This garden probably also had fruit trees, herb gardens, and fountains. Another garden was built in the Bailey, and a second bridge was added to allow direct access from the Inner Court. The Prison Tower was changed to become a viewing spot for these new gardens.
The Wars of the Roses in the 1400s were a long fight for the English throne. John Howard, who supported the Yorkists, was killed in battle in 1485. His son, Thomas, lost his titles and properties and was put in the Tower of London. However, Thomas later regained the favor of King Henry VIII after a big victory in 1513. Framlingham was returned to Thomas, and he spent his retirement there. The castle was decorated in a very rich style with tapestries, velvet, and silver items.
The 3rd Duke of Norfolk, also named Thomas, didn't use the castle as much. In 1547, he was arrested because some rivals feared the Howards wanted the throne. King Henry VIII died the day before Thomas was supposed to be executed. His successor, Edward VI, kept Thomas in the Tower and gave Framlingham Castle to Mary. When Mary fought for the throne against Lady Jane Grey in 1553, she gathered her forces at Framlingham Castle before marching on London. Mary was declared Queen of England here on July 19, 1553.
After Mary left Framlingham, the castle quickly started to fall apart. A survey in 1589 noted that the stone, timber, and brickwork all needed urgent repairs. The Great Park was turned into fields in 1580. As laws against Catholics became stricter, the castle was used as a prison from 1580 onwards. By 1600, it held 40 prisoners, including Roman Catholic priests.
Workhouse and Modern Times (17th–21st Centuries)
In 1613, King James I gave the castle back to Thomas Howard, the Earl of Suffolk. But the castle was now in ruins, so he chose to live elsewhere. Thomas's son, Theophilus Howard, got into serious debt and sold the castle and its lands to Sir Robert Hitcham in 1635 for £14,000. Hitcham died the next year, leaving the castle to Pembroke College in Cambridge. He asked the college to tear down the internal castle buildings and build a workhouse for the poor on the site.
Framlingham Castle was lucky to avoid being destroyed during the English Civil War (1642–1646), unlike many other English castles. Work on the workhouse didn't start until the late 1650s because of legal issues. By this time, the inner buildings of the castle were being broken up for their stone. The chapel, for example, was destroyed by 1657.
The workhouse, called the Red House, was finally built in the Inner Court. However, it didn't work out well and was later closed and used as a public house. The lakes (meres) were no longer maintained and much of the area became meadow. In 1699, another attempt was made to open a poorhouse, which led to the destruction of the Great Chamber around 1700. This also failed, and in 1729, a third attempt was made. The Great Hall was pulled down, and the current poorhouse was built in its place. The poorhouse on the castle site finally closed by 1839.
The castle continued to serve other local purposes. During an outbreak of plague in 1666, it was used as an isolation ward for sick people. During the Napoleonic Wars, it stored equipment for the local volunteer soldiers. After the poorhouse closed, the castle became a training hall for soldiers, a county court, and even held the local parish jail and stocks.
In 1913, a new law was passed to protect old monuments. Pembroke College then placed Framlingham Castle under the care of the government. The uneven ground in the Inner Court was leveled as part of the maintenance work. During the Second World War, Framlingham was an important defensive spot for British forces. Concrete pill boxes were built near the castle, and military huts and a lorry park were set up in the Bailey.
Today, Framlingham Castle is a protected historic site managed by English Heritage. It is a popular tourist attraction and includes the Lanman Museum of local history. The castle mere (lake) is now owned by Framlingham College and managed by the Suffolk Wildlife Trust.
Castle Design
Framlingham Castle sits on a hill overlooking the River Ore. Today, it has three main parts: the Inner Court, the Bailey, and the Lower Court. These are surrounded by the remaining lake and farmland.
The Bailey is to the south of the walled Inner Court. It originally had wooden fences and earth mounds, but only the earth mounds remain. The Bailey would have had an entrance from the east and contained various buildings, like stables and barns. Today, visitors enter the castle complex through the Bailey from the south, where the car park is located.
The Inner Court, or the main castle area, is beyond the Bailey. You cross a 15th-century bridge, which replaced an earlier drawbridge, to enter. The gate tower is a simple design from the 12th century. However, Thomas Howard, the 2nd Duke of Norfolk, updated it in the 1500s, adding his family's coat of arms and other decorations. The Inner Court is surrounded by a stone curtain wall made of local flint and other stones. It is about 10.5 meters (34 feet) high and 2.3 meters (7.5 feet) thick. This wall is protected by thirteen square towers, each about 14.3 meters (47 feet) high, with sandstone corners. You can walk along the top of the towers and wall.
Originally, many buildings were built around the curtain wall. If you walk clockwise from the entrance, you can still see the shape of the 12th-century castle chapel on the wall. The chapel was next to the site of the first stone hall in the castle, built around 1160. In the 1500s and 1600s, the chapel tower was probably also used for cannons.
On the other side of the Inner Court is the poorhouse, which was built where the 12th-century Great Hall once stood. The poorhouse has three parts: the 17th-century Red House, an 18th-century middle section, and a northern end that includes part of the original Great Hall. Five carved, medieval stone heads from older castle buildings are set into the poorhouse walls. Next to the poorhouse is the Postern Gate, which leads to the Prison Tower. The Prison Tower, also called the Western Tower, was a strong defense. It was redesigned in the 1500s to have much larger windows. In the middle of the Inner Court is the castle well, which is 30 meters (98 feet) deep.
You can see several carved brick chimneys from the Tudor period around the Inner Court. Each one has a unique design. Most of these were just for decoration. However, two of the working Tudor chimneys use original flues from the mid-12th century. These two chimneys are round and are the oldest surviving ones of their kind in England.
One of the castle lakes (meres) can still be seen to the west of the castle. In the 1500s, there were two much larger lakes, complete with a dock. This dramatic use of water to reflect the castle's image was common at other castles of the time. The view from the Great Hall in the Inner Court would have originally included the gardens of the Lower Court, framed by the lake and the Great Park beyond. Even today, the area around the castle is designed to look beautiful. Although the Great Park is now fields, the view still gives a sense of how the castle and landscape were meant to appear to its owners long ago.
Images for kids
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The Inner Court, showing the open backed mural towers
See also
- Castles in Great Britain and Ireland
- List of castles in England
- Church of St Michael the Archangel, Framlingham
- Castle on the Hill, a song by Ed Sheeran that refers to the castle
- The place where the BBC shot a sketch for CBBC programme, Horrible Histories
