Castle Acre is a remarkable Norman settlement. It was once a fortified town bounded by a substantial earthen bank and ditch and had two well-defended gateways.
The castle in its landscape
The Norfolk landscape provides few naturally defensible sites, but Castle Acre Castle makes the best of its position on gently rising ground, dominating the ancient Peddars Way where it crosses the River Nar.
To the south-east of the village are the remains of Castle Acre Priory, the best-preserved Cluniac monastery in the country. To the north-east are the ruins of the castle, founded just after the Norman Conquest by William de Warenne, first Earl of Surrey. Several generations of de Warennes were intimately involved in affairs of state and a number of English kings are known to have been entertained here.
The Warenne family
The castle was the focal point of the Warenne family’s Norfolk estates. Its principal building was essentially a country house, but the castle’s defences were greatly strengthened in the 12th century when the house was effectively turned into a keep.
The site probably became derelict late in the 14th century, but its earthworks are among the most impressive to survive in Britain.
Despite their power and influence, the Warenne family’s hold over Castle Acre was not uninterrupted. John Warenne, the last of the direct family line, was excommunicated for adultery in 1316. The same year he gave the castle and town of Castle Acre to Aymer de Valence, Earl of Pembroke and Ambassador to the Pope, probably to help press his suit for divorce.
In 1317 Warenne helped the Earl of Lancaster’s wife to elope. Enraged, Lancaster seized much of Warenne’s northern estates and for the next two years a private war was waged between the two. Warenne did not recover all of his possessions until 1326, four years after Lancaster’s execution, but several more years’ of complicated legal transactions were required before Castle Acre finally returned to the Warenne family.
By this time the castle was probably derelict: a survey in 1397 gave its value as nil. The last earl’s unsettled life and a series of absentee landlords had taken their toll.
From then on the castle was of value only for its agricultural land and as a convenient source of building material for the townspeople. Nevertheless, the site continued to change hands over the centuries. In 1615 Sir Edward Coke acquired the manor and site of the dissolved monastery and the castle remains in the possession of his descendants.
Sources
Coad, J G, and Streeten, A D F 1982. 'Excavations at Castle Acre Castle, Norfolk, 1972–7: Country House and Castle of the Norman Earls of Surrey', Archaeological Journal, 139, 138–301
English Heritage 1998. 'Castle Acre Castle and Priory', London: English Heritage
Disclaimer
The text and pictures on this page are derived from the 'Heritage Unlocked' series of guidebooks published in 2004. We intend to review, update and enhance the content in the near future as part of the Portico project, whose objective is to provide information on the history, significance, research background and sources for all English Heritage properties.
