Norwich Castle Flashcards
When was Norwich castle used as a royal palace?
1067-1345
When was Norwich Castle used as a gaol?
1345-1822
When was Norwich castle used as a museum?
1884-present day
situated:
strategically at the end of a natural escarpment (steep slope), which lies to the south along the river
At the foot of the escarpment:
runs the major route to the well-established Saxon town of Norwich from the south
When was the Norman castle used as a gaol?
from 1345 to 1822
Who was John Howard?
A prison reformer who visited in 1776 when the gaol became overcrowded.
He wrote a report to Parliament in 1777, highlighting the terrible conditions in gaols around the country
When and where were the new prison buildings built?
built in 1822 around the north and east walls - had the most space on the mound
What was built at the bottom of the mound in 1822 which was linked to the prison via a spiral staircase and tunnel for prisoner access?
courtroom
What is the castle now a symbol of for local people?
civic and cultural pride
How did the new Norman king William I impose his power on a Saxon population in 1067?
by building castles like Norwich Castle
What type of castle is Norwich castle and why was this type chosen?
Motte and bailey - steep mound surrounded by deep, defensive, dry ditches and baileys (open spaces between ditches) to make it difficult fo the enemy to reach
Who loaned the Castle and sold the castle fee to the city in 1345?
Edward III
What did the castle become in 1345?
the county gaol
what was the castle a symbol of when first built?
The king’s power and military might
What was the Bigod Tower?
an elaborate carved archway and a waiting room to the keep’s Great Hall
What was the great hall or norwich castle originally used for?
the keep’s Great Hall (half of the current balcony floor level) was where people met, ate, slept, etc. There was also a small kitchen, a mezzanine floor for musicians and garderobes (toilets)
One half of the current balcony floor level used to be the keep’s great hall, what was the other half of the floor?
the King’s private apartments - bedrooms for himself and the queen, a fireplace, sin, a room with the top of the well in it, and chapel
What was the only other floor in the keep - besides the great hall and king’s apartments - and what was it used for?
the basement which was used for storing food, drink, fuel, weapons, etc
Why did Edward III sell the fee and loan the building to the city in 1345?
he couldn’t afford the upkeep of the building and the roof was starting to collapse
Who did the keep house when it first became a gaol?
prisoners awaiting trials, plus debtors
Who designed and built a new prison block around the keep in 1792-3?
Architect Sir John Soane
What happened to Sir John Soane’s buildings around the keep?
They were demolished in the 1820s because they were too small
Another new gaol designed by W______ W______ was built around the keep in ____
- William Wilkins
- 1822
What was built along with William Wilkins’ new design?
a courtroom at the bottom of the mound
Who refaced the castle with Bath limestone and in what year?
Architect Anthony Salvin in 1834-9
Why was the gaol moved to Mousehold heath in 1883?
due to lack of space
in what year did the process of converting the prison buildings into a museum begin?
1883
which Norwich architect was comissioned to convert the keep and prison into a museum?
Edward Boardman
How much was the Heritage Lotery refurbishment in 2001 and what was added?
£12million - art galleries
What was the castle initially used for?
royal palace
What were the baileys originally used for?
grazing livestock and housing the industries and dwellings associated with the Castle, e.g. main kitchens, blacksmith, armourer, prison
What is the difference between a gaol and a prison?
gaol is where suspects are held before trial, prison is where convicted criminals are held as punishment
What did the new prison building in 1822 means?
different types of prisoners could be kept in different blocks, with each prisoner having their own cell
What was between prison blocks?
exercise yards
What were the biggest and finest early collections of?
natural history, particularly birds
the museum is now home to historical collections from…
Ancient Egypt, Celtic, Roman, Anglo-Saxon and Viking periods
Who spent Christmas at the castle in 1121?
Henry I
who would have run the region during its time as a castle?
The King’s constable, with the backup of soldiers
What would servants have done?
served food, cleaned, carried messages
what advantage did rich prisoners have in regards to quality of life in prison?
could rent bedding, furniture and buy better food
what proves that prisoners were mixed?
children born - records in bible
Who was the gaoler in charge of from the 19th century and what were they responsible for?
Turnkeys (guards) responsible for security and maintaining order
What was life like for prisoners?
had their own cell and a standard diet, plus faced brutal tasks such as the treadmill
What was the purpose of the treadmills?
At first the treadmill ground grain for a local bakery then later was used to keep the water system full. Once that happened, the prisoners just walked on compressed air
Who were involved in trials that took place in the courtroom?
judges, lawyers, prisoners, jury members, witness, clerks, reporters, and the public
Who is associated with the Castle now that it is a museum?
museum workers - visitor services, building services, learning, curators, display teams
Why did the castle begin to be used as a gaol in the 14th century?
Military and administractive importance of the keep declined
How was the prison adapted by Soane and Wilkins?
Soane’s prison was built in the 1790s to the side of the keep but was too small and so was demolished in the 1820s and replaced with Wilkins’ prison which had prison cell blocks radiating out of the gaoler’s house in the middle
Why was the castle refaced with Bath stone in 1834-9?
due to erosion of the Normandy limestone and in order to restore it to how it would have looked when the Normans first built it
What is the difference between the refaced keep and original one?
the whole exterior is now faced in stone while the original building was flint up to the first floor on the exterior
Who donated £5000 to turn it into a museum?
John Gurney
How many homes where demolished in 1067 to make way for the castle?
around 100
What happened in the 1075 rebellion involving Lady Emma?
Ralph de Gauder, Earl of East Anglia, rebelled against William I. He left his wife, Emma, alone to defend the castle for three months while he fled to Brittany. William won the Castle back after a 3 month seige.
In what year was the stone keep completed, and what else happened in this year?
The stone keep was completed, Henry I spent Christmas there
What notable event happened at the castle in 1174?
Prince Henry, eldest son of Henry II, rebelled against his father and took the castle. Henry II took it back in 1175
What notable event happened at the castle in 1215-16?
Louis, Dauphin of France, took the Castle after being invited over by English barons unhappy with King John. He was sent back to France after John died and his son took the throne
What notable event happened at the castle in 1345?
Edward III relinquished the Castle as a royal palace. It was used as the county gaol
What notable event happened at the castle in 1793-8?
Sir ohn Soane built a new gaol inside and around the keep
What notable event happened at the castle in 1822-27?
Soane’s gaol was demolished and replaced with William Wilkins’ design; courtroom built at bottom of mound
What notable event happened at the castle in 1834?
Anthony Salvin began re-facing the castle with Bath limestone
What notable event happened at the castle in 1888?
Architect Edward Boardman submits plans for converting the gaol to a museum. Excavation and building work begins
What notable event happened at the castle in 1894?
The castle was converted into a museum and is opened on 23 October by the Duke and Duchess of York, later King George V and Queen Mary
What notable event happened at the castle in 1950?
A large development programme sees the construction of two new art galleries
What notable event happened at the castle in 1969?
The central Rotunda is introduced with the infilling of an open courtyard and garden to unify the museum and provide new facilities
What notable event happened at the castle in 2001?
Norwich castle was re-launched after a Heritage Lottery funded refurbishment
What notable event happened at the castle in 2006?
Norwich Heritage Economic and Regeneration Trust (HEART) includes the Castle in its Norwich 12 initiative which promotes the 12 most important buildings in Norwich
What was the original entrance to the royal hall in the keep?
The Bigod arch
What do the elaborate carvings on the doorway show?
Symbols of wealth and power - pegasus, the classical winged horse (Normans believed they were the next Romans), a dragon, an eagle, a kneeling knight (reminder of the feudal system) and royal hunting scenes (William’s new and hated hunting laws) - to remind the Saxons of who’s in power now
What were the Garderobes?
communal toilets so people could ‘do their business’ and be ‘privy to information’. Waste would have come down the Castle’s west wall where the Saxons lived, perhaps reminding them what the Normans thought of them
What are the features of the Castle’s well?
The Well was the fist thing to have been built and is around 40m deep. It would have stretched all the way to the top floor of the keep where it was probably enclosed within a room of its own
Describe the fireplace and sink of Norwich castle
water would have come out of the lion’s mouth on the outside of the wall, both fireplace and sink were in the south wall in the king’s quarters and were a reminder of how wealthy the Normans were
What did the Graffiti in the prison show?
reiligious carvings and declarations of innocence made by Medieval prisoners
What was the design of Wilkins’ prison in 1822?
gaoler’s house and chapel were in the centre with cell blocks radiating out from them so he could ‘oversee’ all prisoners and be a source of inspiration to them
Describe the grave markings
Grave markings of murderers who were hanged outside Norwich Castle and whose bodies were not allowed to be buried in churchyards
Name three ways the site was important either locally or nationally
It was a Norwich landmark for over 900 years.
One of the finest surviving secular (non-religious) Norman buildings in Europe.
Norfolk’s principal museum and art gallery from 1894
Name three similarities between the features of Norwich castle and Norman castles in general
Outside - any from:
Motte or mound
A big stone keep
Large, stone bilding blocks and thick walls
Curverd, arched doorways
Small, narrow windows for shooting arrows
Bailey or yard at bottom of motte
A moat and drawbridge
Inside - Dark, cramped, noisy, smelly, smoky
What are the differences between Norwich castle and norman castles in general
Does not have a great tower
Not as smoky as other castles as the two fireplaces in the outer walls had chimneys or smoke outlets but the fire in the centre of the Great Hall didn’t have an outlet
Built as a royal palace so not as grim and stark as other castles of the period - Falaise in Normandy is the closest but not as decorative as Norwich
Prison buildings and a courtroom built around the Castle in 1822
What were other Norman castles built immediately after the Norman Conquest?
Pevensy (Sussex), Hastings (Sussex), Dover (Kent)
Why was Norwich and other castles built immediately after the Norman Conquest?
To deter atempts at local rebellion
Built to protect William’s strategic connection with Normandy across the English Channel
Which other castles were ordered by William to be built during the 1070s?
Stone castles at Colchester and London, the latter now known as the white tower
Which Castles were built around 1087-1100 during the reign of William Rufus?
Norwich and Rochester, these were also palaces where the king could receive his powerful subjects and dispense justice
How did the role of the castle begin to change during the middle ages?
Gradually the king ceased to visit the larger castles such as Colchester and Norwich. At the same time their defensive role declined as they were unable to resist attack by cannon. Instead the role of some castles, such as Colchester and Norwich, were reduced to being a prison. Smaller castles continued to be built but these were more prestigious country houses rather than military strongholds
What happened to the english castles in the 17th century?
some castles in England briefly served a military purpose (not Norwich) due to the english civil war. Some were badly damaged as a result. Others such as Rochester gradually fell to ruin, losing their roogs and floors and becoming covered in vegetation. Some castles were used to house military garrisons, such as Caen from 1718 and Dover from 1744. Finally, some castles became museums, as was the case at Colchester in 1860 and Norwich in 1894
similarities between norwich castle prison and pentonville prison
Gaoler’s house in the middle of the prison to oversee and inspire his prisoners
Exercise yards in between cell blocks
Different blocks for different types of prisoners, e.g. criminal, debtors
Hard labour for prisoners e.g. treadmill, oakum picking
Differences between Norwich castle prison and pentonville prison
Norwich castle keep was part of the prison with cells and an exercise yard inside the keep
Norwich used the silent system (where prisoners aren’t allows to speak to each other) until 1850 whereas Pentonville was designed for the separate system from when it was built in 1842. The seperate system kept prisoners apart - they only left their cells for religious services and exercises
Similarities between Norwich castle museum and art gallery and other county museums
Galleries on the county’s history, artefacts, natural history and art
Differences between Norwich castle museum and art gallery and other county museums
Norman keep
19th century prison buildings and courtroom
Nationally significant collections
What was everyday life like in the castle while it was used as a gaol?
Suspects had to pay for everything - food, bedding, clothes, etc. - but conditions were horrendous as everyone was held together (men, women, children, suspects of minor and mahor crimes, debtors, etc), the food was very basic, flooding took place, there was no heating and there were rats which shows no one thought suspects were worth looking after
What was the punishment for a lot of crimes?
hanging which was done outside of the castle to crowds of thousands
What does the punishment of hanging reveal about everyday life?
it shows the government thought capital punishment was a good idea and would deter people from committing crimes and shows that people thought hangings were entertainment
How did punishment for crimes change from the 1820s?
prison became the main form of punishment, hanging was only for murder and treason
What dies the castle museum reveal about the victorians?
They were great collectors and wanted to show others their curiosities, e.g. the Fitch room displays the collections of Robert Fitch who donated Saxon and Roman finds, porcelain, books, minerals and geological speciments
What are the benefits of studying the historic environment?
Gives a sense of place, well-being and cultural identity
Defines and enhances a connection of people to a place, such as regional and local distinctives
Stimulating and life-enhancing way to engage with history
What are the challenges of studying the historic environment?
Difficult to interpret due to lack of sources and evidence
Different interpretations of the same site
Lack of written sources and physical evidence
