Burgh Castle

Burgh Castle is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It is situated on the east bank of the River Waveney, some 3.7 miles (6.0 km) west of Great Yarmouth and within the Broads National Park.[2] The parish was part of Suffolk until 1974.[3]

Burgh Castle

Church of St Peter and St Paul
Burgh Castle
Location within Norfolk
Area6.76 km2 (2.61 sq mi)
Population1,150 (2011)[1]
• Density170/km2 (440/sq mi)
OS grid referenceTG476049
Civil parish
  • Burgh Castle
District
  • Great Yarmouth
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townGREAT YARMOUTH
Postcode districtNR31
PoliceNorfolk
FireNorfolk
AmbulanceEast of England
The Roman fort remains from above
Burgh Castle walls, 1845 engraving

Roman Fort

Burgh Castle is the site of one of several Roman forts constructed to hold cavalry as a defence against Saxon raids up the rivers of the east and south coasts of southern Britain (the Saxon Shore). Possibly this was Gariannonum, a name that appears in a some sources;[4][5] the identification was once thought secure, but is now thought doubtful by specialists. The fort is roughly rectangular, approximately 205 m (673 ft) by 100 m (330 ft), with three of the tall massively built walls still extant; the fourth fell into what was once an estuary but is now a marsh, Breydon Water.

The site is owned by the Norfolk Archaeological Trust with the walls in the care of English Heritage. The site is freely open to the public and has a major access and interpretation scheme created by the Trust, with funding and collaboration from Natural England and English Heritage. There is a timber viewing platform overlooking the rivers and marshes which provides an ideal spot for wildlife observation.[6][7]

Other history

Since William Camden, Burgh Castle has been suggested as the site of Cnobheresburg, the unknown place (a castrum or fort) in East Anglia, where in about 630 the first Irish monastery in southern England was founded by Saint Fursey as part of the Hiberno-Scottish mission described by Bede. Historians find many arguments against this location, but are unable to agree on a better one. The Roman fort at Burgh Castle was excavated by Charles Green during 1958–61. A detailed report by Norfolk Museums Service in 1983 (East Anglian Archaeology 20) shows that there was never any monastic settlement in Burgh Castle itself.

The church of Burgh Castle, St Peter and St Paul, one of 124 existing round-tower churches in Norfolk, has been a Grade II* listed building since November 1954.[8][9] Points of interest include a well-preserved 14th-century "East Anglian Lion Font" and some magnificent stained glass windows, especially the small lancet "Fursey" window. In 2015 the first stage of a major restoration programme, repairs to the north aisle, was completed. The church is open daily from 10am to 5pm April to October and at weekends from 10am to 3pm during March and November.[10]

The civil parish of Burgh Castle has an area of 1,670 acres (680 ha) and in the 2001 census had a population of 955 in 376 households. For the purposes of local government, the parish today falls within the district of Great Yarmouth. However prior to the Local Government Act 1972, the parish was within Lothingland Rural District in Suffolk.[11][12]

The House of Burke take the original form of their surname de Burgh, from the area.

References
  1. "Parish population 2011". Retrieved 24 August 2015.
  2. Ordnance Survey (2005). OS Explorer Map OL40 - The Broads. ISBN 0-319-23769-9.
  3. "Parish Summary: Burgh Castle". norfolk.gov.uk. Retrieved 1 March 2017.
  4. "Error 404". 5 January 2007. Archived from the original on 5 January 2007. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  5. Crisp, F.R.J. (1825). The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. 143, The Strand, London: J. Limbird. pp. 257–158.CS1 maint: location (link)
  6. "English Heritage website: Burgh Castle". Retrieved 1 March 2017.
  7. "Burgh Castle - Norfolk Archaeological Trust". www.norfarchtrust.org.uk. Archived from the original on 26 October 2012. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  8. Service, Norfolk Historic Environment. "Norfolk Heritage Explorer". www.heritage.norfolk.gov.uk. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  9. Stuff, Good. "Church of St Peter and St Paul, Burgh Castle, Norfolk". www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  10. "Burgh Castle: St Peter & St Paul - A Church Near You". www.achurchnearyou.com. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  11. Office for National Statistics & Norfolk County Council (2001). Census population and household counts for unparished urban areas and all parishes. Retrieved December 2, 2005.
  12. Local Government Act 1972, Schedule 1 Part II Non-metropolitan counties.
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