Haughley Castle

Haughley Castle
Suffolk, England
Part of the moat of Haughley Castle
Haughley Castle
Coordinates	52°13′21″N 0°57′48″E / 52.2226°N 0.9633°E / 52.2226; 0.9633Coordinates: 52°13′21″N 0°57′48″E / 52.2226°N 0.9633°E / 52.2226; 0.9633
Grid reference	grid reference TM025624
Type	Motte and bailey
Site history
Events	Revolt of 1173-4

Haughley Castle was a medieval castle situated in the village of Haughley, some 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) north-west of the town of Stowmarket, Suffolk. Prominent historians such as J. Wall consider it "the most perfect earthwork of this type in the county," whilst R. Allen Brown has described it as "one of the most important" castle sites in East Anglia.

Haughley Castle was built in the late 11th century by Hugh de Montfort. The castle had a motte and bailey design, with a very large motte, 210 feet (64 m) wide at the base and 80 feet (24 m) tall. D. J. Cathcart King in his summary of mottes in England and Wales questioned this measurement, and suggested that the motte was probably closer to 40 feet (12 m) in height. The bailey is rectangular, 390 feet (120 m) by 300 feet (91 m) across, with the entrance on the west side. Both the motte and the bailey were protected by a deep ditch, fed from a diverted stream from the west to produce a wet moat. Earlier investigations suggested that a stone shell keep had been built on the motte, but the foundations of this, if correct, can no longer be seen. A further bailey may have originally surrounded the surviving earthworks, enclosing the local church as well. The dimensions and scale of the castle has led J. Wall to describe Haughley as "the most perfect earthwork of this type in the county," whilst historian R. Allen Brown considers it "one of the most important" castle sites in East Anglia.

The castle formed the caput, or main castle, at the centre of the Honour of Haughley. The honour was sometimes known as the "honour of the constable", because the owner was obligated to provide castle-guard soldiers and knights to the constable of Dover Castle. Hugh de Montfort became a monk in 1088 and the castle passed through his family until the mid-11th century. Towards the end of King Stephen's reign the castle was given by the king to Henry of Essex, one of his supporters.