History

Prior to the Norman Conquest, the land on which Bungay Castle stands formed part of estates held by Stigand, Anglo-Saxon archbishop of Canterbury. Post Conquest, the land was held by William de Noyes, who initiated the creation of a motte and bailey, with a timber hall and defensive palisade set within surrounding ditches.
In 1103 the site was bestowed by Henry 1 to Roger Bigod. In 1136, Hugh Bigod rebelled against King Stephen but following negotiations, he was granted the title of Earl of Norfolk, and permitted to retain Bungay Castle,and the much larger Framlingham Castle. High Bigod rebelled against the King again, and following the succession of Henry II, he was deprived of both castles. In 1163, both were returned to Hugh Bigod.
In 1165, major development works began on the Castle, with the creation of a massive stone keep on the castle mound. The works took around a decade to complete. In 1294, High’s son Roger Bigod was granted a licence to crenelate the
castle.
Roger Bigod died in 1297, the castle reverted to Crown ownership, as there was no direct heir to the Bigod estate.
In 1483, it was acquired by the Duke of Norfolk, and remained part of Norfolk estate for the following five centuries.
In the mid 18th century, a house stood between the towers of the castle, which was subsequently removed in 1841.
In 1766, the site was sold to Robert Mickleborough, who quarried the keep and curtain walling for road building materials.
In 1792, Daniel Bonhote purchased the site. The site was subsequently sold back to the Duke of Norfolk around 1800, with little further repair to it, other than the removal of the house between the towers, and further dwellings on the site.
In 1934, Bungay Town Trust leased the site from the Duke of Norfolk, and archaeological excavation and repair works were carried out.
Responsibility for the site transferred to the Bungay Castle Trust, and the site was gifted to the town by the Duke of Norfolk in 1987.

Current repair works to Bungay Castle

The Castle site had to be closed in 2023 as repair works needed to be completed to secure the Castle for the future, and to ensure it was safe for visitors to the site.The first phase of the major preservation project was commenced by Bungay Castle Trust in conjunction with specialist consultants in order that a satisfactory programme of works could be created and submitted to Historic England for approval. The Castle is listed as Grade 1 due to its historic interest, as it dates back to the site being fortified in 1070, anddeveloped further in the 12th & 13th centuries. As a result, the significant works proposed required Historic England approval, together with Scheduled Monument Consent, and for the approvals to be endorsed by the Secretary of State. This was achieved in2024, with the repair works then commencing in August on the north tower. For the works to proceed over winter months, the scaffolding on the tower was clad in protective sheeting, together with a roof. Without those measures, work through the winter would not have been practical.

Cladding on the tower


Work progressing on the tower, December 2024

The Castle walls without the protection of a roof, render or plaster, are subject to the full effects of weathering from all sides. Work is continuing well on the top of the north tower, alongside dressed stone at its base, and a great deal of infilling with lime mortar. This work is expected to last for another six to eight weeks.
The next stages of the repair works are being assessed, with the Castle Trust, the contractors and Historic England having met on site to determine and agree the works required. The next stage will be work on the south tower, with scaffolding to be transferred from the north tower to the south tower.
Work required to other areas of the Castle, such as the walls adjacent to the south tower, have also been discussed recently. These will require the same approvals as for the work already underway.
One aspect of the repair works was the unexpected discovery by the contractors on site, of a record of those working on the Castle in the 1930’s. As the photo below shows, it lists all, or some, of those working on the extensive repairs at that time.