NHER 429 (Monument record) - Norwich Castle, Norwich Castle Museum and Art Gallery

Castle precinct includes NHER 30, 31, 32, 33, 135, 263, 434, 595, 673 and 26141.

Keep, bridge and gate towers, castle motte and bailey built around 1067 by William Fitzobern on site of 98 Late Saxon houses.
Stone keep built around 1120-30 ('largest keep in England', Braun 1936).
Gate houses with drum towers and curtain wall with towers replaced stockades in 13th century.
1193 Pipe Roll gives total garrison as seventy-five knights and men at arms both horse and foot.

Contemporary sources (some).
William de Poitou (1035-67) Gesta Willemi.
Odoricus Vitalis (1075-1141) Hist Ecclesiastica.
William de Jumieyers, around 1137.
Domesday Book 1086.
Pipe Rolls from 2 Henry II 1155.
Close Rolls from 8 Henry III 1224.
Henry Knighton, around 1380-1400.
Alexander Nantle, Norvicus, 1575.

Castle Mound gardens graded two-star by Historic Gardens Survey. In existence by 1780s, were drawing fashionable visitors away from Chapelfields by 1810s, altered 1880s and truncated 1920s. Steps are lined with kiln reject bricks. Spanish steps on west removed in 2001.
See Survey for details.

1824. Stray Find.
Found by workman digging trench "…in one of the radiating wings of the new County Gaol, on the Castle Hill…":
Gold finger ring "…of the plainest workmanship…".
Several fragments of human bone were also discovered nearby.
See transcription (S27) of newspaper article (S28) for further details.
It has been suggested that this may be the unprovenanced gold ring from Norwich now held by the British Museum (see NHER 1) but this object does not match the recorded description of the castle find.
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 5 December 2017.

1888. Human skeletal remains from trial hole on mound. Held by NCM, from Norwich Corporation.

1890s. Medieval gaming board found. (Context 2). See (S31).

1906. Section cut into east side motte - see NHER 135.

1911. Human skeleton in stone coffin found in roadway outside Plough Inn (now La Rouen) Golden Ball Street. See reference (S1) in file. (Context 3).

1986. Excavations within Castle Keep
See S4.

1989-91. Major excavations in the south bailey (see NHER 777).
See also (S5).

1990 Excavation and survey of Castle Bridge.
See (S6).

April-May 1991. Watching Brief.
Observation of trench behind Agricultural Hall - negative. (Context 4).
No report produced. See notes (S29) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 20 February 2017.

February-April 1995. Watching Brief (Context 5).
Work during repair of iron railings round mound showed that these are mid 19th-century, cutting 19th- and 17th-century deposits.
See report (S25) and notes (S26) for further details. The results of this work are also summarised in (S22).
The archive associated with this work has been deposited with the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2018.198).
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 25 January 2017 and 27 April 2019.

1997. Watching Brief.
Monitoring of tree planting in Shirehall plain (Context 6).
This work recovered a single medieval stone fragment.
See report (S23) for further details. The results of this work are also summarised in (S24).
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 8 February 2017.

November 1998. Borehole Survey.
Geotechnical survey.
Eight boreholes excavated, two within Castle Gardens, one through mound south of keep and five to west of Shirehall Chambers.
See borehole logs (S30) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 5 December 2017.

1998. Trial Trenching.
Excavation revealed Late Saxon pits, medieval or post-medieval features. Contexts 8-317? Used.
See report (S7) for further details. The results of this work are also summarised in (S19).

1999-2000. Excavation.
During redevelopment works at Norwich Castle Museum a section through the eastern side of the motte was recorded. This revealed details of its construction and of an encircling ditch.
See assessment report (S20) for further details. The results of this work are also summarised in (S19).
The associated archive has been deposited with the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2016.439).
D. Holburn (HES), 21 November 2011. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 27 April 2019.

2000.
Wooden door, dated to 13th century by dendrochronology, and located on its doorpins at principal floor level in SW stair of the Keep (where stair joins passageway to the Great Chamber) removed and mounted on wall face at east end of same passageway (facing east).
See file for further details.
See also (S18).
E. Rose (NLA), 26 January 1999.

2001. Watching Brief.
Following excavations for Norfolk Museums and Archaeology Service in 1999-2000, a watching brief recorded further details.
The results of this work are summarised in (S17).
D. Holburn (HES), 21 October 2011.

Assessment of architecture of Keep in (S2) and (S3).

2007.
Scheduled monument consent granted regarding the installation of a 'Totem' style interpretive board, and a topographical and arboriculture survey.
See (S8) for further details
H. White (NLA), 2 April 2009

18 August 2008.
Scheduled monument consent granted concerning the removal and replacement of delaminated stonework, pointing of flint rubble walling and replacement of missing bricks.
See (S9) for further information
H. White (NLA), 8 January 2009

February 2009. Watching Brief.
Monitoring of repair works. Contexts 2100-2122 used.
The most significant finding was undisturbed natural sand and gravel at the base of the mound, thought to be part of the topographic feature upon which the castle was constructed. Finds recovered included Late Saxon, medieval and post medieval pottery sherds, a piece of medieval brick and fragments of clay tobacco pipe.
See report (S10) for further information.
A. Cattermole (NLA), 9 July 2009.

March 2009.
Emergency work to repair a broken sewer involved excavating part of the wall at the bottom of the Castle mound.
See (S11) for further details,
H. White, (NLA), 9 October 2009

27 March 2009.
Scheduled monument consent granted concerning proposed erosion repair and control system, and repairs to the bridge abutment.
See (S12) for further details
H. White (NLA), 29 April 2009

August 2009.
See (S13) for details of a Victorian photograph of the site.
H. White (NLA), 1 September 2009.

November-December 2009. Watching Brief.
In winter 2009 during stabilisation works at Norwich Castle Mound no remains were revealed due to the shallow nature of the works. Two sherds of late post-medieval pottery from the topsoil were the only artefacts to be recovered.
See report (S15) for further details.
S. Howard (NLA), 4 August 2010.

July 2010. Watching Brief.
Monitoring of groundworks associated with installation of CCTV posts around Castle perimeter.
Two sections of wall were exposed during the works of a similar construction to each and also similar to that described by Shelley (S6) and are probably boundary walls of 19th century date.
See report (S16) for further details.
The archive associated with this work has been deposited with the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2011.280).
S. Howard (HES), 28 February 2011. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 16 May 2019.

March 2011. Watching Brief.
Details awaited.
The archive associated with this work has been deposited with the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2011.500).
P. Watkins (HES), 6 February 2017. Amended 16 May 2019.