Ruins of Castle and Eleventh Century Church

RUINS OF CASTLE AND ELEVENTH CENTURY CHURCH

Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places

Explore this list entry

Overview

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
I
List Entry Number:
1077599
Date first listed:
21-Feb-1989
List Entry Name:
Ruins of Castle and Eleventh Century Church
Statutory Address:
RUINS OF CASTLE AND ELEVENTH CENTURY CHURCH
User submitted image
Contributed by Historic England Archive This photo may not represent the current condition of the site. Over 400,000 images and stories have been added to the Missing Pieces Project so far. Share your story.
View all

Location

Location of this list entry and nearby places that are also listed. Use our map search to find more listed places. 

There is a problem

Use of this mapping is subject to terms and conditions .

This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale.

What is the National Heritage List for England?

The National Heritage List for England is a unique register of our country's most significant historic buildings and sites. The places on the list are protected by law and most are not open to the public.

The list includes:

Icon Buildings
Icon Scheduled monuments
Icon Parks and gardens
Icon Battlefields
Icon Shipwrecks

Find out more about listing

Images of England Project

To view this image please use Firefox, Chrome, Safari, or Edge.
Archive image, may not represent current condition of site.
Date:
1999-09-06
Reference:
IOE01/02121/13
Rights:
© Graham Brown. Source: Historic England Archive

Local Heritage Hub

Unlock and explore hidden histories, aerial photography, and listed buildings and places for every county, district, city and major town across England.

Discover more

Official list entry

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
I
List Entry Number:
1077599
Date first listed:
21-Feb-1989
List Entry Name:
Ruins of Castle and Eleventh Century Church
Statutory Address 1:
RUINS OF CASTLE AND ELEVENTH CENTURY CHURCH

The scope of legal protection for listed buildings

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

The scope of legal protection for listed buildings

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

Location

Statutory Address:
RUINS OF CASTLE AND ELEVENTH CENTURY CHURCH

The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

County:
Norfolk
District:
King's Lynn and West Norfolk (District Authority)
Parish:
Castle Rising
National Grid Reference:
TF 66576 24554

Details

The following building shall be added

CASTLE RISING TF 62 SE 6/1 Ruins of Castle and 19/10/51 C11 Church I Castle, c1138 for William d'Albini II. Barnack limestone with carstone, Sandringham sandstone and flint. Hall keep with footings to domestic buildings in carstone to north, surrounding circular rampart with parts of curtain wall, gateway through rampart and bridge across deep encircling ditch. Keep (c24m x 21m x 15m high) ashlared walls now with panels of coursed local stone. East facade: 3-storeyed forebuilding to right breaking forward with tiled saddle roof, to left the enclosed outside stairway of keep. 2-bay forebuilding of ashlar with central pilaster strip and clasping buttresses to angles, all having shafts to ground and 1st floors; 2 large semi-circular headed windows to 1st floor, string course above with figure ccrbels; 3 square openings to 2nd floor; left return with similar window as east to 1st floor, tall semi-circular headed blank arch below blocked with local stones and having side shafts. Wall to roofless outside stairs with ashlar clasping buttress with shafts at angles, central ashlar pilaster strip having remains above of postern stair; high blank arcade to left and right, that to left of 6 semi-circular headed arches with cushion capitals to lost shafts, rear of arcade with chevron indentations, zig-zag string course below, remains of two circular openings above now containing grotesque corbels; blank arcade to right of 6 intersecting semi-circular headed arches with roll mouldings. Keep wall above to rear with central ashlar pilaster strip, openings to 1st and 2nd floors, clasping buttress to left angle. South Facade: 4 panels of roughly coursed local stones replacing original ashlar, ashlared pilaster strips between and clasping angle turret buttresses with engaged shafts and small stair light; battered plinth; 1 slit opening per panel to ground floor, 1st floor with varied openings, 2nd floor with small bullseye to each of 1st three bays, opening of double semi-circular headed light to 4th bay. Entrance to right to attached outside stair: semi-circular headed doorway with side shafts, a frieze of corbels above and a blank arcade of two arches, cornice and 2 circular openings with grotesques as to left of east facade. North facade as south. West facade of 4 bays articulated by ashlar pilaster strips, battered plinth, altered blank arches in ashlar to 2nd, 3rd and 4th bays, continuous with pilaster strips, but with ashlared forebuilding to left. Interior: floorless; in two parts, Great Hall to north, Great Chamber to south; basement to west of Great Hall with pier and double groined vault; service rooms above including kitchen with circular hearth of on-edge tiles to south-west angle having circular chimney above through angle turret. Grotesque corbels for roof of great hall. Remains of chapel in south-east corner of 1st floor with blank arcading to south and west wall of nave, semi-circular chancel arch with cushion capitals to shafts and decorative mouldings; one bay chancel with raised floor, rib vaulting having figure head bosses at crossing, zig-zag string course below sill of east window. Forebuilding to north-east: newel stair with ashlared walls and vault; antechamber, to Great hall on 1st floor, semi-circular headed doorway to Great Hall of 3 orders with side shafts having cushion capitals, each supporting a zigzag and roll moulding; doorway converted to fireplace and blocked with C15 encaustic heraldic tiles inserted c1840. 1st floor room of 2 bays with rib vaulting springing from foliage corbels of late C13, vaulting crosses the semi-circular headed window rear arches with attached shafts. 2nd floor room an addition, now with internal buttresses and remains of vaulting, cushion capital to shaft of former external clasping turret buttress of keep now low at north-west angle; C19 fireplace to south. Bridge: across ditch to east; revetment of various local stones and erratics, 4-centred head in brick to arch, parapet with some brick. Gateway through rampart: roofless in variety of local stone with limestone dressings, semi-circular arches to front and rear, returns between arches having to left one recess and doorway to part newel stair, to right 2 recesses, all with semi-circular headed arches. Small length of curtain wall to south of gateway on rampart, mainly of 14th brick with some stone, stone facings lost. Ruins of Cll Parish church: c30m north of keep of the castle, partly within earth rampart; a variety of local stone: rubble of carstone, Sandringham sandstone, flint and erratics. 3-cell plan of nave, central tower and apsed chancel. Part walls of complete plan remaining. Nave with remains of opposing south and north doorways, low bench around nave walls, to west of south doorway part of C16 fireplace with some herringbone brickwork. Apse with round headed single splayed lights to north and east with Roman tiles in internal dressings. The church was superceded by the C12 church of St. Lawrence (q.v. 6/4) c260m to north, it was subsequently covered by the castle ramparts. Excavated in early C19 when font base said to fit the stem of font now in church of St. Laurence was discovered. From 1331-58 the Castle was the residence of Isabella, wife of Edward II and accomplice to his murder in l327. The Castle is a Scheduled Ancient Monument Norfolk No. 3 in the care of English Heritage, R.A. Brown Castle Rising, HMSO, 1978.

---------------------------------------------------------------

The following building shall be added:

CASTLE RISING TF 62 SE 6/1 Ruins of Castle and 19/10/51 C11 Church I Castle. cl138 for William d'Albini II. Barnack limestone with carstone, Sandringham sandstone and flint. Hall keep with footings to domestic buildings in carstone to north, surrounding circular rampart with parts of curtain wall, gateway through rampart and bridge across deep encircling ditch. Keep (c24m x 21m x l5m high) ashlared walls now with panels of coursed local stone. East facade: 3-storeyed forebuilding to right breaking forward with tiled saddle roof, to left the enclosed outside stairway of keep. 2-bay forebuilding of ashlar with central pilaster strip and clasping buttresses to angles, all having shafts to ground and 1st floors; 2 large semi-circular headed windows to lst floor, string course above with figure corbels; 3 square openings to 2nd floor; left return with similar window as east to 1st floor, tall semi-circular headed blank arch below blocked with local stones and having side shafts. Wall to roofless outside stairs with ashlar clasping buttress with shafts at angles, central ashlar pilaster strip having remains above of postern stair; high blank arcade to left and right, that to left of 6 semi-circular headed arches with cushion capitals to lost shafts, rear of arcade with chevron indentations, zig-zag string course below remains of two circular openings above now containing grotesque corbels; blank arcade to right of 6 intersecting semi-circular headed arches with roll mouldings. Keep wall above to rear with central ashlar pilaster strip, openings to 1st and 2nd floors, clasping buttress to left angle. South Facade: 4 panels of roughly coursed local stones replacing original ashlar, ashlared pilaster strips between and clasping angle turret buttresses with engaged shafts and small stair light; battered plinth; 1 slit opening per panel to ground floor, 1st floor with varied openings, 2nd floor with small bullseye to each of 1st three bays, opening of double semi-circular headed light to 4th bay. Entrance to right to attached outside stair: semi-circular headed doorway with side shafts, a frieze of corbels above and a blank arcade of two arches, cornice and 2 circular openings with grotesques as to left of east facade. North facade as south. West facade of 4 bays articulated by ashlar pilaster strips, battered plinth, altered blank arches in ashlar to 2nd, 3rd and 4th bays, continuous with pilaster strips, but with ashlared forebuilding to left. Interior: floorless; in two parts, Great Hall to north; Great Chamber to south; basement to west of Great Hall with pier and double groined vault; service rooms above including kitchen with circular hearth of on-edge tiles to south-west angle having circular chimney above through angle turret. Grotesque corbels for roof of great hall. Remains of chapel in south-east corner of 1st floor with blank arcading to south and west wall of nave, semi-circular chancel arch with cushion capitals to shafts and decorative mouldings; one bay chancel with raised floor, rib vaulting having figure head bosses at crossing, zig-zag string course below sill of east window. Forebuilding to north-east: newel stair with ashlared walls and vault; antechamber, to Great Hall on 1st floor, semi-circular headed doorway to Great Hall of 3 orders with side shafts having cushion capitals, each supporting a zigzag and roll moulding; doorway converted to fireplace and blocked with C15 encaustic heraldic tiles inserted c1840. 1st floor room of 2 bays with rib vaulting springing from foliage corbels of late Cl3, vaulting crosses the semi-circular headed window rear arches with attached shafts. 2nd floor room an addition, now with internal buttresses and remains of vaulting, cushion capital to shaft of former external clasping turret buttress of keep now low at north-west angle; C19 fireplace to south. Bridge: across ditch to east: revetment of various local stones and erratics, 4-centred head in brick to arch, parapet with some brick. Gateway through rampart: roofless in variety of local stone with limestone dressings, semi-circular arches to front and rear, returns between arches having to left one recess and doorway to part newel stair, to right 2 recesses, all with semi-circular headed arches. Small length of curtain wall to south of gateway on rampart, mainly of 14th brick with some stone, stone facings lost. Ruins of C11 Parish church: c30m north of keep of the castle, partly within earth rampart; a variety of local stone: rubble of carstone, Sandringham sandstone, flint and erratics. 3-cell plan of nave, central tower and apsed chancel. Part walls of complete plan remaining. Nave with remains of opposing south and north doorways, low bench around nave walls, to west of south doorway part of C16 fireplace with some herringbone brickwork. Apse with round headed single splayed lights to north and east with Roman tiles in internal dressings. The church was superceded by the C12 church of St. Lawrence (q.v. 6/4) c260m to north, it was subsequently covered by the castle ramparts. Excavated in early C19 when font base said to fit the stem of font now in church of St. Laurence was discovered. From 1331-58 the Castle was the residence of Isabella, wife of Edward II and accomplice to his murder in 1327. The Castle is a Scheduled Ancient Monument Norfolk No. 3 in the care of English Heritage, R.A. Brown Castle Rising, HMSO, 1978.

Listing NGR: TF6657624554

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:
222184
Legacy System:
LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Brown, R A, Castle Rising, (1978)

Legal

This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.

Ordnance survey map of Ruins of Castle and Eleventh Century Church

Map

This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 07-Jun-2026 at 14:06:59.

Download a full scale map (PDF)
© Crown copyright [and database rights] 2026. OS AC0000815036. Use of this mapping is subject to Terms and Conditions.

End of official list entry

All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.

Previous Overview
Next Comments and Photos