The
Norman barons were hated and could not risk living undefended in the
countryside where their estates lay, so they built castles and
fortified homes. Originally these were made of timber, often as a
motte and bailey, but were later rebuilt in stone. Around twenty
castles were built in Suffolk, with the principle ones at Walton,
Clare, Felixstowe, Haughley, Framlingham, Bungay, Mettingham and
Orford. The best preserved is the Keep at Orford Castle, which was
built between 1165-1173 at a cost of £1,413. Bungay is now almost
gone, it was built by Hugh Bigod in 1165, but destroyed by Henry ll 's
men nine years later. The castle was rebuilt by Roger Bigod in 1294
with a keep wall 5.5m thick and about 27.7m high. An old Suffolk
nursery rhyme links Bungay Castle with Hugh Bigod :-
When
the Bailey had ridden to Bramfield Oak,
Sir Hugh was at
Ilketshall Bower,
When
the Bailey had ridden to Halesworth Cross,
He was singing in
Bungay Tower.
Now
that I am in my castle of Bungay
Upon the river of Waveney,
I
will ne care for the
King of Cockney.
The
Market Cross stood in the Market Place in Halesworth and was very
similar to the Butter Cross at Bungay. It became very delapidated
over the years and was taken down about 1812. The King of Cockney
would refer to the Kinq in London.
Richard
de Clare obtained a licence to build a castle at Southwold, but died
in 1262 and his son did not continue with the work. It was possibly
at Skilman's Hill.
In
most cases, the early castles built by the Normans were not expensive
stone structures. They were often erected in a hurry to meet an
immediate foe, so they put up cheaper structures known as the motte
and bailey. After choosing the site they would round up the English
peasants from the surrounding villagers to work in gangs on digging
out the moats and building up the mounds. They were made with a high
earth mound which was the 'motte' which was surrounded by ditch with
a palisade or fence of stakes around the inner side of the ditch
which was the 'bailey'. The lord lived in a wooden tower on top of
the motte, and the bailey was used for the soldiers' living quarters
and for weapons and equipment.