Wisbech Castle

Wisbech Castle stands in the market town of Wisbech on the edge of the Fens in Cambridgeshire. Built in 1072 on orders from William I, it began as a motte-and-bailey fortification of earth and timber before being rebuilt in stone in 1087. The original oval shape is still traced by the surrounding Circus. A flood in 1236 destroyed much of the early structure, but the site remained in use. The castle became a notorious prison in Tudor times, holding figures like John Feckenham, who paid for a market cross while imprisoned. It also held Catholic priests during Elizabeth I’s reign, including Christopher Holywood and William Weston, whose disputes led to the ‘Wisbech Stirs’. At least 111 prisoners were held there, some for political reasons, including later Gunpowder Plot conspirators. Today the Regency building known as The Castle occupies the site in Museum Square. Its cellars and foundations from the 15th-century Bishop’s Palace remain visible. The Grade II*-listed building sits in the middle of the Circus, a circular green that marks the castle’s former boundaries. Visitors can see traces of its long history in the surviving stonework and layout.