Middleton Mount | |
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Norfolk, England | |
![]() Middleton Mount | |
Coordinates | 52°43′11″N 0°27′23″E / 52.7198°N 0.4563°E |
Grid reference | grid reference TF660164 |
Type | Motte and bailey |
Site information | |
Owner | Norfolk Archaeological Trust |
Condition | Earthworks only survive |
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] [5] The Trust also works to make sure the castle is open for public access. [5]