Buckenham Castle

Buckenham Castle stands on the edge of New Buckenham in Norfolk. It is a ruined medieval fortress built by the Aubigny family in the 12th century. The site includes earthworks, a moat and the remains of a circular stone keep. The keep’s walls are eleven feet thick at the base and may once have reached forty feet high. An inner bailey and two outer baileys once defended the castle. The fortress was demolished in 1649, leaving only these traces. The castle is worth visiting for its early circular keep, thought to be the earliest of its kind in England. It was besieged during the Barons’ War in 1263 and later passed through the Clifton and Knyvett families. Elizabeth Clifton married John Knyvett, bringing the castle to the Knyvett line. Philip Knyvett, 1st Baronet, ordered its final demolition. The site is recognised as a Grade I listed building and a scheduled monument. A visitor finds the keep’s foundations and thick stone walls still visible. The surrounding earthworks and moat mark the castle’s former scale. Nearby St Mary’s chapel, now a barn, overlooks the ruins. The scheduled meadows stretch beyond, linking the castle to the planned village of New Buckenham. The castle remains private property, but access can be arranged through the village shop.