Bungay Castle is a Grade I listed building in the town of Bungay, Suffolk.

History

thumb|left|alt=pale watercolour of a crumbling stone tower and overgrown bushes|Bungay Castle in 1790, in a watercolour painting by James Moore.

thumb|right|The gate towers in 1819.

The site was originally a Norman castle built by Roger Bigod in about 1100 to take advantage of the natural protection provided by a curve in the River Waveney. Roger's son Hugh was a prominent player in the civil war period known as the Anarchy (1138–1154), and his loyalty was called into question during the early years of the reign of Henry II. Bigod was on the losing side in the revolt of 1173–1174, and Bungay was besieged, mined and ultimately slighted by royal forces.

The site was subsequently restored yet again to the Bigod family and was further developed in 1294 by Roger Bigod, 5th Earl of Norfolk, who probably built the massive gate towers on the site. In1483 it was re-acquired by the Dukes of Norfolk, who retained ownership until the 20th century, except for a short period in the late 18th century. In 1766 the site was sold to Robert Mickleborough, who quarried the keep and curtain walls for road-building materials. Later, in the early 1790s, it was purchased by Daniel Bonhôte, a local solicitor, but was sold back to the Dukes of Norfolk in about 1800.

References

  • Visit Bungay: Bungay Castle
  • Visit East of England: Bungay Castle