Baconsthorpe Castle, Norfolk

The outer gate house of Baconsthorpe Castle, Norfolk

On a recent visit to Norfolk, I was delighted to discover the impressive ruins of Baconsthorpe Castle, built between 1450 and 1650 and once home to the wealthy Heydon family. John Heydon (d.1479) purchased a property on the site in 1443 and during his lifetime carried out extensive building work. Due to a lack of documentation, little is known of the value and history of the acquisition but the surviving remains of the castle indicate that it is likely to have been considered an important acquisition. Heydon was the son of William Baxter, a free peasant or yeoman at Heydon and adopted a new surname to disguise his humble origins once having acquired an education at an inn of court. His law career proved to be highly successful. Biographer Anthony Smith attributes his rise to prominence to be due to his service with the duchy of Lancaster in Norfolk and William de la Pole, the 1st Duke of Suffolk. Heydon served as MP for Norfolk between 1445 and 1446. At the time of his death in 1479, Heydon owned thirteen manors, these included: Baconsthorpe, Heydon, Hempstead, Northrepps, Oulton and Salthouse. 

The village of Baconsthorpe is located about 3 miles east of Holt. Although it is difficult to reach without a car, there are bus services which run to and from the village, as listed by English Heritage. I was fortunate to spend the weekend in a VW camper van named Maggie May who transported some friends and I around north Norfolk. Baconsthorpe Castle was a particular highlight and one I thought ought to be shared with the readers of Missing Storeys.

Maggie May

Much like the story of the eighteenth century estate, Wanstead House, Baconsthorpe Castle's history has deteriorated due to the debts accumulated by the Heydon family. These debts led to a significant amount of building material being sold off. Unlike Wanstead however, there remains a sufficient amount of remains which helps visitors to gain an insight into how the house may have appeared during the family's most prosperous period. 

When arriving at Baconsthorpe, one is imimmediately faced with the remaining facade of the outer gate. This outer gate was a later addition, built to impress visitors to the castle. An illustration by Humphrey Repton, now held in the Norwich Castle Museum and Art Gallery depicts how the outer gate appeared in 1781. The outer gate was later used as a private dwelling until 1920 when one of the towers collapsed. The floors of the outer gate house are now missing but there is evidence of a large fireplace inside. which hints at the types of comfort provided to visitors upon their arrival to Baconsthorpe.Such comforts reflected well on the owner of the castle, presenting the family as hospitable but wealthy. It is also likely to have served as a defensive structure in times of danger. Flanking either side of the outer gate were a row of cottages and a barn, part of which can still be seen today.

An English Heritage information board at the site which depicts how the Castle may have appeared during the 16th century.

Proceeding through the outer gate under the fragmented remains of a door, you reach an open space which looks out towards the inner gate house. Illustrations of the site indicate that this space was used as a courtyard. The inner gate house housed the Heydon family and their servants and was surrounded by a defensive moat. 

The walls which once surrounded the families lodging chambers and great hall.

The Castle was divided into two courts, the service court was situated on the right and the main house used by family and their guests on the left. This included lodging chambers for the Lord's entourage and and a great hall for large feasts and the entertainment of guests.

The inner gate house 

Like the outer gate, the floors from the inner gatehouse have now been lost but there is evidence of a crumbling spiral staircase, fireplaces and a helpful English Heritage illustration to give you an idea of how it may have appeared during the fifteenth and sixteenth century. Unlike the very quiet setting I encountered, the Baconsthorpe site must have been a bustling and noisy site, full of life.

The interior of the inner gatehouse 

Evidence of the spiral staircase (right) in the inner gate house

Another useful English Heritage illustration

The two gatehouses are the most intact fragments of Baconsthorpe Castle which survive. Passing through the inner gate house you will find a large open space, it is difficult to visualise how this space may have appeared during the Tudor period, but the surrounding wall which remains largely intact helps to give an idea of the scale of the site. These walls also provide an insight into the types of building material used at the castle. One of the many reasons why I love Norfolk is the abundance of Flint work in the region's architecture. Flint work adorns numerous buildings throughout the region and it seems to also have been a technique used for Baconsthorpe.The use of Roman Brickwork can also be seen in some sections of the wall at the site.

Flint stonework, typical of Norfolk architecture!

Roman brickwork

The multiple layers of the Baconsthorpe walls.

Although the Heydon family initially made their fortune from their law profession, they eventually turned to the production of wool as a major source of the estates wealth. During the sixteenth century, Sir John Heydon II, converted the servants court into a wool processing factory. The large windows allowed for good levels of daylight for the spinners and weavers to produce the textiles which then went on to be sold in the Netherlands. This was a highly prosperous source of income for the Heydon family and provided the means for the family to spend money on a lavish lifestyle and further building works, such as the outer gatehouse and ornamental gardens.

The wool workshop

Windows of the wool workshop

Despite the differences in time, I couldn't help but notice a number of similarities between Baconsthorpe Castle and the eighteenth century estate and subject of my PhD thesis, Wanstead House.Like Josiah Child, John Heydon both came from humble origins and appear to have understood the necessity of acquiring landed property as a means to further elevate social status, wealth and political standing. The two families also demonstrate the importance of developing the estate as a means of displaying their ongoing wealth and providing future heirs with a prosperous future. Finally, the decline of the Heydon family's wealth and the need to sell off fragments of the building is the same unfortunate fate that the Child family of Wanstead met in 1822. Although these events are separated by time and geography, they share a similar story and reflect the challenges in maintaining a great house for future generations. 

Suggested reading:

Anthony Smith, ‘Heydon , John (d. 1479)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Jan 2008 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/52787, accessed 17 Sept 2014]

Stephen Hart, Flint Architecture of East Anglia, (Giles de la Mare, 2000).

https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/baconsthorpe-castle/