Norfolk: Castle Acre Priory and Castle

The village of Castle Acre lies further south of the county, only 4 miles north  of Swaffham and 15 miles east of King’s Lynn. It is well worth the drive to see such a lovely medieval planned settlement with the broad tree-lined Stocks Green where you can find a café and a pub. The town was entered in the 12th century by the Bailey Gate, now the only remaining gate of the town. Many of the houses in the town have been built from blocks of stone from the priory.

We stopped here on our way to Oxburgh Hall which is south of Swaffham mainly to see the Priory, but we were quite taken by the charming village and the castle too.

Castle Acre Priory, which is under the care of English Heritage, is a beautiful and peaceful place with some of the most intact Cluniac priory buildings in England. For 450 years it was the home and workplace of monks and their servants, a refuge for pilgrims and a stopping point for royalty, clergy and nobility. While rooted in the economy and society of Norfolk it was also part of a vast monastic network centred on the great abbey of Cluny in France. Walking around this site you get a feeling of the size and serenity of this place and if you use the audio tour provided then you can listen to the monks tales and walk in their footsteps.

Whilst in Castle Acre we also visited the Norman ‘motte and bailey’ castle which was abandoned in the middle ages, and although what little of the building left is in ruins, there are impressive earthworks.

A great day out except for the weather which was a little damp!

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Heyjude

I have lived in the UK for most of my life, but when young I definitely had wanderlust and even ended up living in South Africa for several years which was a wonderful experience. I now look forward to a long and leisurely retirement doing what I like most - gardening, photography, walking and travelling.

27 thoughts on “Norfolk: Castle Acre Priory and Castle”

  1. I love castles, but there aren’t too many here in the States. 🙂 Guess I should take another trip to Britain and the continent. Sounds like a good excuse.

    janet

    2. Sorry to hijack this blog, but if you come back to the UK and like castles, please go to Pembrokeshire, South Wales. Pembroke Castle itself, and Manorbier, which has accommodation inside, and is on a beach! Both wonderful. Many more castles all over Wales, the legacy of troubles, and conquest!
      There is also Warwick Castle, lovingly preserved. Regards, Pete.

  2. A lovely post on Castle Acre! I once went there in January, it was a cold and windy day and as I was on my way to a funeral in Cambridge I didn’t feel like making photos. I really enjoyed walking the grounds there once more looking with your eyes. Do we see the same? 🙂
    Enjoy your weekend!
    Dina ♥

    1. Thanks Dina. It was a pretty horrendous day when we visited, heavy rain and windy, but fortunately it stopped long enough for me to grab a few shots in the drizzle. An atmospheric site.

      Have a good weekend yourself, hope you manage to get out into the lovely Norfolk countryside and coast and use that new camera 😉
      xx

  3. A great appreciation of what is now, one of my favourite places. i would have liked to have seen more of the castle, a fabulous Motte and Bailey. ( Not in this post, but when I visited)The tea room was wonderful, quintessentially English.
    And lucky me, fifteen minutes away from this wonder. I went there in oppressive heat, unlike you, but it was still fabulous. One of the gems of Norfolk, and well-served by this lovely post Jude.
    Regards as always, Pete. x

    1. haha, yes ‘motte and bailey’ is firmly stuck in my mind too! No blue skies on this day I’m afraid until much later on…

  7. I love visiting English Heritage places and Castle Acre Priory looks magnificent. Well worth a visit one of these days, next time in Norfolk perhaps! Lovely photos (despite the not-so-great weather) and write up as always Jude xx

    1. Thanks Sherri. I think EH sites are especially good when you use the audio equipment they have at some sites. You can get a real feel of the place.

  8. I used to live a few miles up the road from Castle Acre, there’s some lovely villages nearby that are worth visiting if you’re in the area. I haven’t been back there for donkeys, thanks for reminding me of all those years ago.

    1. I agree, the west of Norfolk looks like it could be a lovely area to explore. Thanks for dropping in Kev 🙂

    1. I have heard about the flies in Norfolk; fortunately we didn’t experience any. Swaffham looked quite nice though.

  10. Great shots, on my bucket list is spending a couple of months in England,Scotland, Ireland and Wales just visiting castles..:-)

    1. Thanks Ed. There are plenty to keep you occupied! I haven’t even started on the Scottish ones myself yet 🙂

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