Baconsthorpe Castle is a hidden gem in North Norfolk and is surrounded by open meadows, cattle, horses, a moat and a lake. It lies 3 miles east of Holt and 3⁄4 mile north of Baconsthorpe Village. Access is via an unclassified road that heads north at the eastern edge of Baconsthorpe. Please see the waypoint for directions to the castle.
There is a wealth of history here, and as you wander around the ruins the information boards tell of the rise and fall of the castle.
On a warm summers day there is no better place to be. I have chosen this location for my Virtual Award as it is one of my favourite places in North Norfolk.
History of Baconsthorpe Castle
The site of Baconsthorpe was acquired from the Bacon family in the early 15th century by William Baxter, a free yeoman.
The earliest castle building, the inner gatehouse, was begun by William’s son, John (d.1479), a lawyer who had risen to prominence as a supporter and agent of William de la Pole, 1st Duke of Suffolk. He changed the family name to Heydon to disguise his comparatively lowly origins.
The outer gatehouse, completed in about 1560, was a late addition to the moated residence of the Heydon family. It was built to display the family’s status, reflected in the expensive dressed flint of the walls, and formed an impressive entrance to the Heydons’ property.
The inner castle was divided into two courts: the service court and the main house. The service court contained stables, kitchens, a bakehouse and a brewhouse, as well as accommodation for servants.
The most important building in the main house was the public great hall, used for entertaining guests and holding feasts. Adjacent was a range of lodging chambers for the lord’s entourage, each with a private latrine housed in external towers.
The great chamber of the main house, where the lord and his family had their private meals, was in the south range beside the inner gatehouse. Below this was a cellar, with a row of vertical handgun slots for the defence of the castle entrance
During the turbulent Wars of the Roses (1455–85), when Yorkists and Lancastrians fought over who should be King of England, John Heydon often switched political allegiances to serve his own ends. He made many enemies, who regarded him as shifty, ruthless and grasping. But cunning lawyer that he was, he always seemed to get the better of them.
From the start, he planned Baconsthorpe to provide his family with an impressive residence to show off their high status as landowners and knights.
John’s son, Sir Henry Heydon, completed and extended the castle, adding the garden court in the early 16th century. He was knighted at Henry VII’s coronation in 1485 and held several highly responsible positions, which gave the family new status and stability, and allowed his successors to be peaceful and prosperous landlords.
When parts of the castle were dismantled and sold in the 1650s to pay off the Heydons’ large debts, stained glass from the banqueting hall was saved and moved to nearby St Mary’s church. The glass illustrates the advantageous marriages the Heydons made to other prominent local families, including that of Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII’s second wife, and the Gurneys, who were among the founders of one of the High Street Banks.
Important update: 30th July 2022
The inner bailey of Baconsthorpe Castle is currently closed while remedial work is undertaken on the inner gatehouse.
This means that access to the grounds, ruins and pond isn’t accessible. As a result, access to the areas where you need to find the answers to the required questions isn’t possible at the moment.
The car park remains open and you can view the castle from there. I’m not sure how long the work will take so I’ve changed the information required.
In Order to claim this virtual cache you need to answer the following questions:
Question 1 – In what year was a licence issued to crenellate (fortify) the house? You will find this information as you enter the car park
Question 2 – Look for the information board titled the Heydon Walk – you will find this in the Car Park. In what year did the castle start to be dismantled?
Please take a photograph of yourself or your GPS in front of the metal safety railings – this is optional but it proves you were there!!
Please do not put the answers to the questions in your log or include photos that will give them away. You do not have to wait for a reply from me before logging, I will contact you if there are any problems. Any logs that haven't sent answers are liable to be deleted - so please don't forget!
Please be aware: There a moat and lake containing deep water.
Virtual Rewards 2.0 - 2019/2020
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between June 4, 2019 and June 4, 2020. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 2.0 on the Geocaching Blog.