Castle Rising

Kings Lynn, Norfolk
OSGB – TF 6657 2455
Scheduled Monument

Roman site. Medieval enclosure castle covering 12 acres. Rectangular keep. Had an inner bailey between two smaller outer baileys. The gatehouse was situated on top of the inner bank of the bailey.

1052 Land held by Stigand, Saxon Archbishop of Canterbury.

1070 Stigand, Saxon Archbishop of Canterbury was overthrown and William I granted the lands to Odo, Bishop of Bayeux, Earl of Kent.

1086 Domesday: Held by Odo, Bishop of Bayeux.

1088 Odo, Bishop of Bayeux fell from favour with the king and the lands went to William Rufus.

1088 After: William Rufus gave the castle to William d’Albini.

11^th C Chapel

1125 Large tower built.

1130-50 Gatehouse built.

1134-1154 A mint was in operation on the site.

1138 Built by William de Albini, Earl of Sussex, following his successful marriage to Henry I’s widow. Rectangular keep built.

1150 c: Church abandoned when the keep was built.

1173-1174 Possibly rebuilt due to the revolt by Eleanor of Aquitaine, and her three sons against her husband, Henry II.

1175 After the Revolt, Henry II garrisoned the castle with300 men-at-arms, archers and engineers.

12^th C Keep finished.

1243 c: Owned by Isabella of France, wife of Edward II.

1327/30 Edward III imprisoned his mother, Isabella of France, in the castle for her part in the murder of Edward II.

1337 1^st October: Edward III granted the castle to Edward, the Black Prince, Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall, in a charter of this date.

1342 Edward III stayed at the castle.

1343 Edward III stayed at the castle.

1344 Edward III stayed at the castle.

1349 Edward III stayed at the castle..

1358 Following Isabella’s death the castle went to Edward, the Black Prince, Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall, he strengthened the fortifications supervised by William Wykeham, Bishop of Worcester, and clerk of the Kings Works.

1376 Edward, the Black Prince, Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall died.

14^th C Curtain wall.

1403-1544 Held by the Duchy of Cornwall.

1461 7^th February: The Yorkist Council ordered that the castle, held by the Lancastrian supporter Thomas Daniel, be seized.

1544 Came into the possession of the Howard family, who spent money on it.

1572 Survey of the castle undertaken and presented to Elizabeth I.

19^th C Mid: Overgrown ruin.

1951 Excavated.

1968 The Howard family gave the castle to the State.

1970-1976 Excavated.

1971 Field Investigation.

1987 Excavated.