Walton Castle, Suffolk

Walton Castle
Walton Castle stood on the cliffs at Felixstowe
Location within Suffolk
Type	Saxon Shore fort
Coordinates	51°58′20″N 1°22′48″E / 51.972151°N 1.380014°E / 51.972151; 1.380014
County	Suffolk
Country	England
UK-OSNG reference	TM32253580

Walton Castle was a Saxon Shore Fort in the Roman province of Britannia. The fort was reused by the Normans who used it as the bailey for a castle. It stood 30 metres above sea level but was destroyed by coastal erosion in the 18th century. It was located in the village of Walton, Suffolk, now part of Felixstowe (grid reference TM32253580).

It is uncertain if Walton Castle is one of the Saxon Shore forts listed in the 5th century Notitia Dignitatum. It has sometimes been identified with the Portus Adurni which appears in the list. In the modern era though it has become more common to identify Portus Adurni with the Saxon Shore Fort at Porchester.

Walton Castle was a Saxon Shore type fort, probably built in the late 3rd century. Much of our knowledge of the fort derives from an outline drawing and plan of 1623, as well as some 18th-century literary accounts. The 1623 drawings show a plan similar to Burgh Castle to the north. Forward projecting curvilinear towers are present at the corners of the fort. The walls have flint facing with brick bonding courses. The presence of forward-projecting towers with rounded corners is thought to be good evidence for a construction date contemporary with other Saxon Shore forts such as Burgh Castle and Othona.

In 1722 the remains were described as:

"'Tis 100 yards long, five-foot above ground, 12 broad at each end and turned with an angle. Its composed of Pepple and Roman bricks in three courses, all round footsteps of buildings, and several large pieces of Wall cast down upon the Strand by the Seas undermining ye Cliff all which have Roman brick. At low water mark very much of the like is visible some distance in the Sea. There are two entire pillars with Balls, the Cliff is 100-foot high."