England · Partial ruin
Mettingham Castle
Mettingham Castle is a fortified medieval manor house in Mettingham, Suffolk, originally licensed to be crenellated in 1342 and later the site of Mettingham College. Much of the medieval complex was demolished in the 18th century, but the tall stone gatehouse, stretches of curtain wall and surrounding moats and earthworks survive. The site is a scheduled monument and Grade II listed, with modern conservation work carried out in the 21st century.
Its prime
1562
Today
Partial ruin
As it stood in 1562
What Mettingham Castle looked like in its prime.
A tall, rectangular twin-towered stone gatehouse with a large central arched entrance dominates the approach; its towers rise above lower, irregular ruined curtain walls that extend either side. The masonry is brown-grey medieval stone, pierced by narrow window slits and larger rectangular openings where upper floors stood. Moated courts and raised earth banks surround the walled enclosures; there are gaps in the parapets and sections of collapsed wall. A straight gravel drive and field fences lead up to the gatehouse.
Its story
The story of Mettingham Castle.
Mettingham Castle was founded by Sir John de Norwich, who was granted a licence to crenellate his existing manor house on the site in 1342. It remained in his family until 1394, when it was given to a college of secular canons from nearby Norton, who established Mettingham College on the small moated court within the castle.
After the dissolution of the monasteries the property was sold to a sequence of private owners after 1542, and much of the medieval complex was demolished in the 18th century. The tall stone gatehouse, stretches of curtain wall and the surrounding moats and earthworks survive, a scheduled monument and Grade II listed, with conservation work carried out in the 21st century.
Step inside
10 places to explore in 1562.
The record describes 10 distinct spots at Mettingham Castle, including 2 interiors: gatehouse passage (through-arch), aisled hall (interior). Create your own photoreal reconstruction and explore every one, more scenes means more rooms, more angles, and more of the place to stand in.
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Clans who held Mettingham Castle.
The families that held Mettingham Castle for a decade or more across its history, follow a name to its clan.
de Norwich
Founded by Sir John de Norwich under a 1342 licence to crenellate; his family held it until 1394.
From the archive
Mettingham Castle on paper: the measured plan and period views.
The survey plan and photographs below are the ground truth this page's reconstructions are checked against, drawn and photographed while the castle was still a working garrison. Every image is public-domain or openly licensed, with its source named.
METTINGHAM
1897 · J. D. Mackenzie, The Castles of England, vol. 1 (1897)
Public domain
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