One of the best-preserved Norman keeps in England, still privately owned, rising above the Essex village that took its name
Open to visitorscheck opening times and admission before you go
Substantial ruinsruined, but plenty survives above ground
The keep at Hedingham — the great stone tower at the heart of a Norman castle — is the reason to come: tall, square and remarkably complete, one of the finest to survive anywhere in England. The de Vere family, Earls of Oxford, built it around 1140, and inside it the banqueting hall is spanned by a single huge arch, one of the largest of its kind in the country, with a gallery running through the thickness of the walls above. King John’s forces besieged the castle in 1216 during the wars between the crown and the barons, and it was taken and retaken. The castle has stayed in private hands ever since the de Veres’ day, and the family who own it live in the Georgian house on the estate, so the keep opens to visitors only on selected days between spring and early autumn. A Tudor brick bridge crosses the old moat to reach it. The village of Castle Hedingham sits just below and shares its name, one of the better-preserved medieval villages in this corner of the county.
More at the National Heritage List entry
