Framlingham Castle
Twelfth-century Suffolk castle with a walkable curtain wall, Tudor chimneys and an exhibition about its owners and its time as a poorhouse.
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Over het museum
A castle at Framlingham is first mentioned in 1148. After Hugh Bigod joined a revolt against Henry II, the king had its defences destroyed between 1173 and 1176. The castle seen today was built by Roger Bigod, 2nd Earl of Norfolk, between about 1189 and 1213. It has a high curtain wall with 13 towers and no central keep.
In 1216 King John took the castle during the First Barons' War. Later it passed through the hands of the Mowbray and Howard families, and for more than 400 years it was associated with the Dukes of Norfolk. In the late fifteenth century John Howard began Tudor improvements, which include the tall decorative brick chimneys on top of the towers. In July 1553 Mary Tudor was proclaimed queen at Framlingham, and the castle became a centre of national events.
In 1635 Sir Robert Hitcham bought the castle and left it to Pembroke College, Cambridge. From the later seventeenth century the inner buildings were taken down to make way for a workhouse, and a poorhouse built on the site of the great hall in 1729 remained in use until 1839. In the twentieth century the army used the site in its defences against invasion. The castle is now run by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building and scheduled monument. Visitors can walk along the top of the wall, with views of the town and the Mere, and an exhibition in the former workhouse tells the stories of the castle's people.
Hoogtepunten
- Wall walk on the 13-tower curtain wall
- Tudor chimneys with different brick patterns
- Exhibition in the former poorhouse about the castle's owners and residents
- Free audio guides for adults and children
- Views over the town and the Mere
Vaste collectie
- Exhibition in the Workhouse – An exhibition on the reinstated mezzanine level of the former workhouse about the castle's owners, including the Howard family and Mary Tudor, and about the people who lived in the poorhouse.
- Beheerder
- English Heritage
Toegangsprijzen & kortingen
Standard, saver and super saver tickets are sold; booking online in advance up to midnight the day before saves 15 percent, while tickets bought on the day cost full price. Tickets are valid all day. English Heritage members enter free.
Toegankelijkheid
- Deels rolstoeltoegankelijk
- Lift
- Aangepast toilet
- Gehandicaptenparkeerplaats: geen informatie
- Hulphonden welkom
- Tastmodellen / voelbare objecten
- Rondleidingen in gebarentaal: niet aanwezig
- Informatie in eenvoudige taal
- Audiodescriptie: geen informatie
The exhibition in the former workhouse has level access, and a platform lift reaches the first floor. The grounds are mostly loose gravel and grass, and the wall walk and upper floors are reached by steep spiral stairs. An accessible toilet is about 300 metres from the entrance on a tarmac path; there is no adult changing area. The access road is a single track, so visitors should call ahead. A free audio guide, large print and Easy Read material are available, and a virtual tour with a hearing loop is on the ground floor of the exhibition. Braille guides and handling objects are available. Assistance dogs are welcome.
Kinderen & gezin
Erg geschikt voor kinderen & gezinnen
- Gezinsrondleidingen & workshops
- Speurtocht, doeboekje of kinderaudiotour
- Doe- en voelstations
- Verschoonruimte
Families can try on hats and costumes, play interactive games and follow a children's audio guide. A World Builder trail lets children build a forest. Baby changing is at the toilets in the car park.
Bereikbaarheid & parkeren
Met het openbaar vervoer
Framlingham Castle (Katch minibus)
The nearest railway stations are Wickham Market, 6.5 miles away, and Saxmundham, 7 miles away. The Katch electric minibus runs from Wickham Market station to Framlingham and stops at the castle. Buses 63 (First Bus) and 118 (Ipswich Buses) serve Framlingham.
Met de auto
Betaald parkeren
On-site car park with 30 spaces, free for English Heritage members displaying a valid car sticker; non-members pay. If it is full, there are three pay-and-display car parks in Framlingham. There is no coach parking.
The castle is on the B1116. Roadworks may affect access routes; check the latest diversions before travelling.
Route plannenService & horeca
- Café
- Museumwinkel
The Framlingham Castle Café serves hot and cold meals, snacks and cakes, with vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free options, children's meals and highchairs. The shop sells English Heritage gifts, and a second-hand bookshop is in the workhouse. Picnic benches are outside the workhouse.
Evenementen & zaalverhuur
Het museum heeft hierover geen informatie gepubliceerd.
Je bezoek plannen
| Audiotour | ja |
|---|---|
| Aanbod voor scholen | ja |
| Goed om te weten | A free audio guide is available in an adult version and a children's version. Dogs on leads are allowed in the grounds and castle, except at the café counter. Pushchairs can be used in the café and the ground-floor shop but not on the first floor or the wall walk; there is a place to leave them. |
