Hedingham Castle, Castle Hedingham, Essex
Hedingham Castle is a large earthen ringwork castle with two baileys, probably built in the late 11th century by Aubrey De Vere on land granted to him after the Conquest. Aubrey was one of William the Conqueror’s most important knights as well as being the husband of his half-sister Beatrice. It is not known precisely when the Great Keep was built but on stylistic grounds it is likely to have been constructed between around 1125 and 1160. Aubrey De Vere III was created Earl of Oxford by Queen Matilda in 1142, and it is thought that the Keep may have been built to celebrate his elevation and to provide a suitably impressive setting for ceremonial occasions
