Middleton Mount | |
Location: | Norfolk, England |
Coordinates: | 52.7198°N 0.4563°W |
Map Type: | Norfolk |
Map Size: | 200 |
Type: | Motte and bailey |
Condition: | Earthworks only survive |
Ownership: | Norfolk Archaeological Trust |
Middleton Mount, also called Middleton Motte and Middleton Castle, is the remains of a medieval castle situated in the village of Middleton, in Norfolk, England.
Middleton Mount was a motte and bailey castle built during the Norman period.[1] The motte is 49 m in diameter, protected by an 11 m wide ditch.[2] The castle's crescent-shaped bailey and three rectangular enclosures of uncertain medieval date lay alongside the motte.[2] The castle was built by the Normans on a pre-existing Anglo-Saxon estate centre, a common practice after the Norman conquest of England.[3]
The site was excavated in 1987 before the development of much of the surrounding land, including the enclosures, for local housing.[2] The castle was bought by the Norfolk Archaeological Trust in 2006 and is a scheduled monument.[4] The Trust also works to make sure the castle is open for public access.