More information : Baconsthorpe Castle (TG 13 NW 1) lies within a landscape setting consisting of lakes and formal garden earthworks centred at TG 1215 3810. The features probably date from the late 16th/early 17th centuries when it is known that the Heydon family were carrying out considerable works of elaboration to the residence here (1).
They were largely unrecognised before survey by RCHME.
The east arm of the original 15th century moat around the Castle has been extended to form a large mere covering approximately 1ha. The mere occupies the bottom of a valley, and has been created by damming across this valley on its north side. The north-east edge of the mere is of recent creation, leaving a deep, dry channel behind; the south-east mere edge is similarly a recent creation, but a broad bank up to 0.5m high immediately behind may mark its former limit. Some 50m south-east of this a massive pond bay stands within the edge of overgrown woodland. It is well preserved south of the stream issuing from the east end of the mere where it is 12m broad and 2m-2.5m high, but to the north it has been mostly ploughed out within improved grassland. It is likely that it served to retain a second expanse of water immediately south-east of the mere.
South of the mere a distinctly rectangular layout of closes/compartments within which lies the outer gatehouse of the Castle would appear to be the remains of formal gardens. One such compartment stretches across a tributary stream valley to the River Glaven, and contains what is now a cattle pond, but which was originally a square, ornamental pond surrounded by walks and terraces. The areas further west of this compartment seem to have been more affected by the later conversion and occupation of the outer gatehouse as a dwelling, and the earthworks here are slight and generally amorphous. Further west again, very long degraded scarps are visible in what is now an arable field, and define a rectangular raised plot some 80m-100m square; a low bank now no more than 0.75m high emerges from the north-west corner of this plot and runs for some 100m north before turning east on the line of the north arm of the moat and fading out. A causeway across the tributary stream valley south of the garden compartment containing the pond carries the modern access to the site, but lies at a slight angle to other features and so may not be original. Another flat-topped bank up to 1m high and 12m across its base crosses the valley 120m south again, and also has the appearance of a causeway, but either or both of these features could equally have also been designed as dams to retain additional ornamental sheets of water in the valley.
The earthworks were surveyed by RCHME at 1:1000 scale; see plans and level 3 descriptive text available in the NMR archive. (2)
Additional references (3-5).
The earthwork remains of a post medieval formal garden situated to the east of the outer gatehouse at Baconsthorpe Castle. The formal garden was probably designed as part of a grand ornamental scheme, and is thought to have been constructed in the early 17th century. The remains of the garden earthworks occupy a sub-rectangular terraced platform. The platform has maximum dimensions of circa 80 metres north-south by circa 65 metres east-west, narrowing to circa 58 metres at the southerne end. The central feature of the garden is a large rectangular pond measuring circa 35 metres east-west by 32 metres north-south. Further remains include a raised walkway around the garden, with symmetrically placed prospect mounds from which it could be viewed. See entry for the full scheduled monument description. (6)
Baconsthorpe Castle is listed in the English Heritage Visitor Handbook for 2009/2010. (7) |