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Castle Acre Conservation Area Character Statement CASTLE ACRE, 4 miles N. of Swaffham, and 14 miles E. by S. of Lynn, is a considerable village, of great antiquity, having some traces of a Roman station, and the remains of an immense Castle and extensive Priory. WILLIAM WHITE 1845 Character Statement Designated: April 1971 Revised May 2009 Castle Acre Conservation Area Region Introduction 1 Origins and Historical Development 1 Setting and Location 4 Character Overview 4 Spaces and Buildings 5 Listed Buildings 8 Important Unlisted Buildings 11 Post War Development 11 Traditional Materials 11 Archaeological Interest 12 Detractors 12 Conservation Objectives 13 [email protected] Character Statement www.west-norfolk.gov.uk Castle Acre Conservation Area Introduction where changes to the environment occur, they do so in a sympathetic way without .0.1 A Conservation Area - “An area of harm to the essential character of the area. special architectural or historic interest, This type of assessment has been the character or appearance of which it encouraged by Government Advice (PPG15) is desirable to preserve or enhance”. and it has been adopted as supplementary planning guidance. .0.2 The conservation of the historic environment is part of our quality of life, .0.5 This character statement does not helping to foster economic prosperity and address enhancement proposals. providing an attractive environment in which Community led enhancement schemes will to live or work. The Borough Council is be considered as part of a separate process. committed to the protection and enhancement of West Norfolk’s historic built Origins and Historical environment and significant parts of it are Development designated as conservation areas. .0.1 Castle Acre was a Roman settlement .0.3 Conservation areas were introduced situated on the Peddars Way Roman Road by the 1967 Civic Amenities Act. Local at the point where it crosses the River Nar. Authorities were required to identify areas The Romans withdrew in the early part of of special architectural or historic interest, the 5th Century but finds from an early pagan whose character or appearance it is burial ground, and a later cremation desirable to preserve or enhance, and to cemetery, suggest that the Anglo Saxons designate them as conservation areas. This took over the settlement. This part of Norfolk duty is now part of the 1990 Planning (Listed was called The Field ‘Acre’; the area with the Buildings & Conservation Areas) Act which castle therefore became Castle Acre. also requires the review of existing conservation areas and, where appropriate, .0.2 Unusually for Norfolk, Castle Acre is the designation of new ones. The quality and built on the side of a valley and not only has interest of a conservation area depends upon a large Norman Castle and earthworks, a combination of factors including the including a fine bailey gate, but also the ruins relationship and architectural quality of of a Cluniac priory sometimes described as buildings, materials, spaces, trees and other the finest in the south of England. landscape features, together with views into and out of the area. .0.3 Following the Norman Conquest, ‘Acra’ was part of the huge estate given to .0.4 The Castle Acre Conservation Area William de Warenne, one of the King’s was first designated in 1971, the first to lieutenants at Hastings and also his son in be designated in Norfolk, and extended law. De Warenne’s principal home was in to include the area of St James’ Green in Lewes in Sussex, but in 1070 he began 1990. This document highlights the building a country house (hunting lodge) on special qualities that underpin the the site of the present castle. The rectangular character of the conservation area, stone house had a basement with living justifying its designation. It also seeks to accommodation on the first floor and was increase awareness of those qualities so that [email protected] 1 Character Statement protected by bank with a timber palisade. original market but this was soon relocated Twenty years later in 1090 his son, the to Stocks Green, then a broad street outside second Earl of Surrey, founded a priory to the town, but now the focus of the village. the south west, for Cluniac monks from By 1235 the Town had become known as Lewes. Castelacr, Castel being the Old French word for castle and added to the original Acra. .0.4 In the early part of the 12th Century, feuding between the Barons prompted the .0.6 The De Warenne line ended in 1347 Third Earl of Surrey to consider the need for and the estate passed to the Fitz Alans of greater security and by 1140 the house had Arundel Castle. Castle Acre Castle fell out been converted into one of the grandest of use and stone was used to expand the motte and bailey castles in England, Priory. The settlement prospered as it was controlling both the Peddars Way and the on the main route to the medieval shrine at then navigable River Nar. At the same time, Walsingham and was the stopping off point a planned Norman town, approximately 200 for many pilgrims as well as other travellers. yards square was laid out on a grid between the Castle and the Priory. The town was .0.7 In the early 1400s, the Parish church defined by a ditch and wall which followed of St James the Great was built outside the the present line of Pyes Lane, through Bailey town walls, probably on the site of an earlier Gate, along the southern edge of Stocks Saxon Church. Stocks Green also dates Green before turning south, just east of the mainly from the 15th Century. church, and following Chimney Street back to the Castle. .0.8 In 1537, the Prior, Thomas Malling, surrendered the Priory and lands to Henry .0.5 The early town still forms part of the Vlll. It then passed to the Gresham and Cecil existing village. Bailey Street was the main families. With the Dissolution of the route through the town and the gate with its Monasteries the village declined some what circular towers still stands at the northern and much of the land, including the ruined end of the street. The southern gate was castle and priory was acquired by the Cokes demolished during the last century. Pales of Holkham although there was no resident Green was an open area within the planned landlord or Lord of the Manor. town. It may have been the site of the 2 www.west-norfolk.gov.uk Castle Acre Conservation Area .0.9 Castle Acre retained its markets .0.12 In the 1850s, Castle Acre had six during the 1500s although many in Norfolk recorded places of worship including St became obsolete, and records from 1595 James’s Church and Baptist, Primitive shows a fair held on 25 July, the day of St Methodist and Wesleyan Chapels, and a James, the patron saint of the Parish Church. number of industries including a foundry, a tanner, a brick kiln, two corn mills, two .0.10 By the 1800s the village had smithies, a wheelwright, numerous expanded again. ‘Holkham Estate windows’ dressmakers and tailors, and a saddlers. can still be seen, and many buildings in the There was also a theatre in Drury Lane village are recorded as showing signs of which was visited by groups of touring stone plundered from the Priory or Castle. players and the village was a local centre for Bryants Map of 1826 shows a settlement shopping. including the area of the original Norman Town, Priory and Castle and around the area called St James’s Green. .0.13 Castle Acre has grown again in the late 20th Century. Many of the small terraces and cottages have become desirable places to live, and there has been considerable new development linking the different areas of the village. The ruined .0.11 The school was built in 1839 and the Castle and Priory are popular tourist White’s Directory of 1845 records two fairs, attractions. mainly for pleasure, held on May 1st and August 5th. Castle Acre was an “open” village, without manorial control of property, where the poor and homeless could move in, and more houses could be built to accommodate them. Small terraces constructed mainly of brick with imported slate roofs and small or non-existent garden were often financed by tradesmen, craftsmen or small capitalists and, despite their cheapness, many still survive bearing the name or initials of their owner or builder. [email protected] 3 Character Statement Setting and Location Character Overview .0.1 Castle Acre is situated along the .0.1 Castle Acre is a village of contrast upper northern slope of the Nar valley, 22.5 with old cottages, open village greens, kilometres (14 miles) east of King’s Lynn, mature trees, enclosed spaces, narrow and 6 kilometres (4 miles) north of streets and sunken lanes. It's antiquity is Swaffham. The village is the only sizeable very evident in the way that the village fabric settlement on the line of the Peddars Way, is imposed onto and around the 12th Century the ancient track way which crosses the castle precinct, with the remains of the county from Knettishall Heath on the Suffolk Cluniac Benedictine Priory standing a short border to Holme-next-the-Sea on the north distance away, beside the river on the side Norfolk coast. of the valley. These two great scheduled ancient monuments, cared for by English Heritage, contribute significantly to Castle Acre’s outstanding conservation area. .0.2 The core of the village is contained within or beside the defensive earthworks.

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