Inspire Me
A view of Peveril Castle

Norman Castles

Duke William of Normandy’s triumph over King Harold at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 marked the dawn of a new era, but it was a long road from this first victory to having control over his new subjects. In the decades that followed, all aspects of life in England were transformed, from organisation and governance to language and customs – and perhaps most visibly today, architecture.

Castles were built across the country to administer and control local populations, and many Norman constructions still exist.  While the original timber structures are no longer visible, their foundational earthworks remain, and later stone structures now mark the sites of those first Norman castles.

On this page, we’ve collected some of the best examples from around England to inspire your next visit.

North of England

  • Norham Castle, Northumberland

    Originally a motte-and-bailey castle founded in 1121 by Bishop Flambard, Norham was rebuilt in stone in c.1157. The Norman keep and parts of the walls and the west gateway survive from this period.

  • Prudhoe Castle, Northumberland

    A timber structure was built in the 11th century, as part of a series of castles along the River Tyne. The stone castle standing today replaced the wooden one in the 12th century, with a curtain wall and barbican added later.

Yorkshire

  • Clifford's Tower, North Yorkshire

    William the Conqueror first established a castle in York. When he marched north in 1068 to suppress a rebellion against his rule, he built a series of castles as he went, including one where Clifford’s Tower now stands.

  • Richmond Castle, North Yorkshire

    Probably the best-preserved castle of this scale and age in the country. The earliest surviving buildings include long stretches of the stone curtain wall, the great archway on the ground floor of the keep, and Scolland’s Hall.

  • Skipsea Castle, East Yorkshire

    An Iron Age mound was modified into the motte for an impressive Norman castle. Skipsea dates from before 1086 and is among the first castles in Yorkshire. A fortified settlement was later built as an added protection.

West Midlands

  • Kenilworth Castle, Warwickshire

    Henry I (reigned 1100–35) granted land to his chamberlain and treasurer, Geoffrey de Clinton, in about 1120. Assigning the northern part to found a monastery, De Clinton retained the southern part of the land for a castle, park and mere, the sandstone keep dating to the 1120s.

  • Goodrich Castle, Herefordshire

    English landowner Godric Mappeson built the first castle here by 1101–2, lending the site his name: Godric’s castle became Goodrich Castle. A generation later, Richard ‘Strongbow’ de Clare built the well-preserved keep that still forms the core of the castle.

  • Clun Castle, Shropshire

    The original motte-and-bailey castle here was built in the late 11th century to defend the Anglo-Welsh border, which remained unsettled for many years after the Norman Conquest. The castle became the centre of the barony of Clun, ruled independently of royal control.

East Midlands

  • Peveril Castle, Derbyshire

    Peveril Castle was established on this site soon after the Norman Conquest. Unusually for a Norman castle, buildings were constructed in stone rather than timber. Remains from the 11th century can still be seen, incorporating distinctive herringbone masonry.

  • Castle Acre Castle, Norfolk

    Castle Acre is a rare and complete survival of a Norman planned settlement, including a castle, village, parish church and monastic site – Castle Acre Priory. The castle was begun in the 1070s by William I de Warenne and is a well-preserved example of a motte-and-bailey design.

South West

  • Old Sarum, Wiltshire

    Location of the famous Oath of Sarum, a grand ceremony to assert William’s royal authority over all landowners in England. Prehistoric ramparts surround a Norman inner mound and ditch, plus castle and cathedral ruins.

  • Totnes Castle, Devon

    Founded around 1087 within an Anglo-Saxon town, this motte-and-bailey castle has a high man-made mound, or motte – now capped with a stone shell keep – overlooking an enclosed courtyard, or bailey.

  • Launceston Castle, Cornwall

    Founded around 1068, Launceston was one of only two castles in Cornwall listed in Domesday Book (1086). The surviving stone shell keep replaced an earlier timber structure in the 12th century.

South East

  • Berkhamsted Castle, Hertfordshire

    William the Conqueror received the submission of the English at Berkhamsted after the Battle of Hastings. His half-brother, Robert of Mortain, built a timber motte-and-bailey castle with a defensive conical mound and oval bailey below.

  • Pevensey Castle, East Sussex

    In 1066, William, Duke of Normandy, landed at Pevensey to begin his invasion of England, building a fortress within the Roman defences. A stone castle was added in the 12th century, and the keep and gatehouse are still standing.

  • Eynsford Castle, Kent

    A rare survival of an early Norman ‘enclosure castle’, which remained unaltered by later building work. Begun by William de Eynsford I in the late 1080s, the castle was later vandalised as a result of an inheritance dispute.

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