Originally this was a norman castle built by Roger Bigod of Norfolk, around 1100, which took advantage of the protection given by the curve of the River Waveney Roger's son, Hugh Bigod, was a prominent player in the civil war years of the Anachy, and his loyalty was called into question during the early years of the reign of Henry II. Henry confiscated Bungay, returning it in 1164.Hugh went on to build a large square Norman keep on the site in 1165. It is not recorded how much it cost to build the keep, but Hugh Braun who led the excavations at the castle in the 1930s estimated that it would have cost around £1,400. Hugh ended up on the losing side in the Revolt of 1173-1174, Bungay was besieged, mined and ultimately destroyed (slighted) by royal forces.According to historian Sidney Painter it was one of at least 21 castles demolished on Henry II's instructions.
The site was subsequently restored yet again to the Bigods and was further developed in 1294 by Roger Bigod 5th Earl of Norfolk, who probably built the massive gate towers on the site. Roger fell out with Edward Iand after his death the castle reverted to the Crown, falling into disrepair and ruin. From 1483, it was primarily owned by the Dukes of Norfolk until the 20th century.
Restoration work on the castle began in 1934, following work by the amateur archaeologist Leonard Cane.The curtain walls Bungay and the twin towers of the gatehouse remain today, as well as a fragment of the keep. Bungay Castle was given to the town of by the Duke of Norfolk in 1987, and is now owned by the Bungay Castle Trust. The castle is a Grade I listed building.
Three questions need to be answered in order to claim finding this Virtual cache
1) Standing near the gate leading to the castle How Many benches can be seen?
2) Surrounding the castle is a green cast iron fence How many wooden posts are there?
3) There is a sign near Gz " The Ancient Monument Act"
What could happen to you if you were to injure or deface the monument?
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Virtual Rewards 3.0 - 2022-2023
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between March 1, 2022 and March 1, 2023. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 3.0 on the Geocaching Blog.