Castle Rising Castle

En un regard

Le château en bref

Overlooking the village of Castle Rising, north-east of King's Lynn, this Norman castle is famous for its hall keep, considered one of the finest of its period in England. Built around 1138 for William d'Aubigny II, the future Earl of Arundel, it asserted the prestige of a baron recently married to the widow of King Henry I. The keep, measuring about 24 m by 21 m and 15 m high, is wrapped in blind arcading and flat buttresses and is preceded on the east side by a forebuilding housing the grand staircase. It stands at the centre of earthen ramparts of exceptional scale: three baileys cover about five hectares. The earthworks even cover the ruins of an 11th-century church, discovered some thirty metres from the keep. From 1331 to 1358 the castle was the residence of Queen Isabella of France, widow of Edward II. It then passed to the Black Prince and the Duchy of Cornwall, and in 1544 was granted to the Howards, who still own it. The site, a scheduled monument and Grade I listed building, is open to the public all year round, with free entry for English Heritage members.