Norwich Castle

En un regard

Le château en bref

Standing on its high motte in the centre of Norwich, the castle keep has dominated the city for more than nine centuries. This great cube of pale stone, articulated by tiers of blind arcading, ranks among the most remarkable Romanesque keeps in England, even though its present facing is the result of a 19th-century reconstruction. Founded by William the Conqueror shortly after 1066 as a motte-and-bailey, the castle received between 1094 and 1121 a hall keep designed as a royal palace. Taken by Hugh Bigod during the revolt of 1174, it subsequently lost its military role and became the Norfolk county gaol, a function it retained until 1887. The 19th century profoundly reshaped the site: a radial prison by William Wilkins, the refacing of the keep by Anthony Salvin, and then its conversion into a museum, opened in 1894. Listed Grade I and protected as a scheduled monument, the castle now houses the Norwich Castle Museum and Art Gallery, run by the Norfolk Museums Service. A major project supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund has recreated the 12th-century royal rooms and created a gallery of medieval life. The keep, its ramparts and the rotunda can also be hired for events.