Orford Castle was built in 1165 when Henry II ordered that a new castle should be built overlooking Orford harbour in Suffolk. The Earl of Suffolk, Hugh Bigod had long been a thorn in Henry's side and Henry had confiscated Bigod's castles. In 1165 Hugh raised enough money to buy back his castle at Framlingham only to learn that Henry was building a royal castle at Orford to help keep control over the area. Bigod was the leader in a revolt some years later against Henry. The castle at Orford consisted of a central keep and curtain wall. The curtain wall fell down in the last century leaving just the central keep intact. The keep is circular in shape with three square towers. This design was better than the earlier simple square keeps as it removed the blind spots that allowed attackers to creep up on the corners and it also meant that it was harder to undermine.
This diagram shows the five floors of Orford Castle, not countingthe towers. The floor on the left is upper section of the second hall. Orford Castle hastwo main halls, each spanning two floors. All the floors are connected by the main spiral staircase 3. The room 1 wasused for water storage, collecting rainwater that fell on the castle. Some of thebeams that supported the conical roof are shown 2. Access to another room was via a wooden walkway built into the roof space.
The upper hall within the castle was used as the mainresidence of the lord or king. Several passages and rooms lead off the main hall. A kitchen4 and toilets 5 are built into the western turret. A small room is built into the northern turret 6.
This floor is the upper section of the lower main hall.The small room built into the northern turret 7 is accessed via a small spiral staircase fromthe floor below. In the southern turret and forebuilding is the chapel directly above theentrance hall. The portcullis would have be raised into the chapel room. Further along the passagefrom the chapel if a room 8 for the chaplain to live with toilet as well.
The only entrance to the castle 9 is on the first floor. A portcullis would have provided extra protection for the doorway and would have beraised into the chapel in the room above. The room immediately inside the doorwayhas a hole in the floor giving access to a small room in the basement 14. Turn left once inside the castle and you come to the lower of the two main halls 10. The hall has a fireplace directy opposite the entrance and several passages leading to rooms built intothe turrets. The rooms in the western turret are a kitchen 11 and toilets 12. A passage to the south east leads to the main spiral staircase that gives access to the rest of thecastle 13.
The small room in the basement of the castle 14 wasaccessed via a ladder from the entrance area on the first floor. It has an air shaft forventilation and a passage leading to a toilet. As there are no other exits this small roomcould have been used as a cell for prisoners. The large circular room in the basementwas used for storage. Recesses for extra storage are built into the west and north turrets.In the basement is the well. A well was an important source of water if the castlewas attacked and besieged.
Henry II had confiscated the castle from the rebellious Earl. But Hugh raised the money required to buy back the castle. Henry built the castle at Orford to keep Hugh under control.
StumbleUpon