Hautbois Castle

Has been described as a Certain Fortified Manor House

There are masonry footings remains

NameHautbois Castle
Alternative NamesGreat Hautboys; Hautbois Magna; Magna Hautboys; Castle Yard
Historic CountryNorfolk
Modern AuthorityNorfolk
1974 AuthorityNorfolk
Civil ParishColtishall

Hautbois Castle. Built 1312 by Sir Robert Bainard with license to embattle. The foundations of this house may still be traced inside the moat as well as those of the porter's lodge on the south side of the castle abutting on the causeway. A castle and building is shown on a map of 1671 in the possession of Sir Edward Birkbeck. Slight traces of stone-work and the moat remain (Purdy; Rye). This earthwork is best described as a sub-rectangular castle mound. It is in the form of a platform raised above the surrounding marsh. The area is heavily intersected by drainage ditches although those immediately surrounding the site (on the line of the original moat) are now dry. A causewayed approach winds its way in from the NE and E but it does follow later drainage and may be associated with that. A short stretch of flint and mortar foundation protrudes through the soil close within the northern corner of the mound, but the foundations and the porter's lodge can no longer be traced (F1 BHS 20-JUL-72). (PastScape)

Gatehouse Comments

Ruins of St Theobalds church, which is possibly pre-Conquest in origin, 200m to NE.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

Not Listed

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceTG260203
Latitude52.7328987121582
Longitude1.34731996059418
Eastings626090
Northings320300
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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Books

  • Cushion, B. and Davison, A., 2003, Earthworks of Norfolk (Dereham: East Anglian Archaeology 104) p. 169 (plan)
  • Salter, Mike, 2002, Index and Amendments to Mike Salter's English Castles Books (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 9
  • Salter, Mike, 2001, The Castles of East Anglia (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 56
  • Emery, Anthony, 2000, Greater Medieval Houses of England and Wales Vol. 2 East Anglia, Central England and Wales (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press) (Shown on map of fortified houses of East Anglia)
  • Rogerson, Andrew, 1994, 'Castles' in Wade-Martins, P, (ed), An Historical Atlas of Norfolk (2edn Norwich; Norfolk Museums) p. 68-9
  • King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 2 p. 309
  • Rye, Walter, 1916, Castles and Manor Houses of Norfolk p. 30
  • Mackenzie, J.D., 1896, Castles of England; their story and structure (New York: Macmillan) Vol. 1 p. 308 online copy
  • Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol. 3 Part 2 p. 407 online copy
  • Blomefield, F., 1807, 'Hundred of South Erpingham: Great-Hautbois' An Essay towards a Topographical History of the County of Norfolk Vol. 6 p. 297-302 (tenurial history) online transcription

Journals

  • Dollin, W., 1986, 'Moated Sites in North-East Norfolk' Norfolk Archaeology Vol. 39 p. 262-277
  • Dollin, B. and Dollin, B., 1984, Moated Sites Research Group Report Bulletin No. 11 p. 15-17
  • Purdy, R.J.W., 1907, 'Hautbois Magna' Norfolk Archaeology Vol. 16 p. 149 online copy
  • Spurdens, W., 1832, Norfolk Archaeology Vol. 3 p. 427 (mention, as 'on a hill') online copy

Primary Sources

  • Maxwell Lyte, H.C. (ed), 1894, Calendar of Patent Rolls Edward II (1307-13) Vol. 1 p. 492 online copy