Gresham Castle: Bacon’s Castle

• Bressingham Road, Gresham, Norfolk
• OSGB – TG 1666 3807
• Scheduled Monument
• Grade II Listed Building

Medieval fortified manor house, castle, moat which had corner bastions. The island measuring 160ft square and the moat measuring 36-45ft wide. There were towers at the corners measuring 35ft in diameter.

Built on the site of Bacons Castle, which measured 131.2ft square with towers 36ft in diameter, owned by the de Stuteville family.

Owned by the Paston family.

1318                      Licence to crenellate granted to Sir Edmund Bacon

1319                      Licenced and built by Sir Edmund Bacon.

1427                      Bought by William Paston.

1448                      William, Lord Moylens seized the castle. He had disagreed with Paston’s right to the castle, entered it and collected rents from the tenants.

1448                      End: Paston reclaimed the castle, but three months later Moylens took it back by force, breaking the doors and mining the walls, leaving little of it remaining.

1449                      Paston retook the castle but it was not fit to live in.

1450                      While Sir William Paston was away the castle was captured and vandalized by Lord Moylens following a dispute over ownership.

1844                      Timber drawbridge found when the moat was cleared, and an underground passage was found.

1471                      Sir John’s son, Sir John made plans to rebuild the castle.

1969                      Field Investigation.