Walden Castle, is early 12th century keep built on a artificially heightened hill. Keep later used as semaphore station, barn and lime kiln. The Bailey ditch has been found by various excavations, and suggests that there were two ditch phases. The earliest bailey appears to have encompassed the whole circuit of Bury Hill. This was […]
Pleshy Castle
Pleshey Castle is probably Essex’s best example of an earth-built Norman motte and bailey castle. The whole village of Pleshey still lies within its Norman defences which sweep round in a great semi circle. Privately owned. A village in Mid-Essex, half-way between Chelmsford and Dunmow; the castle was once the seat of the Constable of […]
Ongar Castle
Norman motte and bailey castle with sub-rectangular village enclosure. It was probably built by Richard de Lucy in the 12th century, (mention is made of the castle in 1157), but the keep was demolished in the 16th century and replaced by a brick building which in turn was demolished in the 18th century. The plan […]
Landguard Fort
The site of the last opposed invasion of England in 1667 and the first land battle of the Royal Marines. The current fort was built in the 18th century, and modified in the 19th century with substantial additional 19th/20th-century outside batteries. Guided tours and audio tours of the fort are supplemented by a DVD presentation […]
Hedingham Castle
Hedingham Castle’s Norman keep, 110 feet high, was built c.1140 by Aubrey de Vere and is still owned by one of his descendants, The Honourable Thomas Lindsay and his wife Virginia. There are four floors to explore, including a magnificent Banqueting Hall spanned by a remarkable 28 foot arch, one of the largest Norman arches […]