Baconsthorpe Castle Baconsthorpe Castle is a fortified manor house , now a ruin , to the north of the village of Baconsthorpe , Norfolk , England . It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building , and is a Scheduled Ancient Monument . History . The Heydons were an ambitious family . They first made their fortunes through the Law profession and subsequently from wool . John Heydon rose to prominence and influence as a supporter and ally of the 1st Duke of Suffolk , William de la Pole . During the turbulent Wars of the Roses ( 1455 – 1485 ) John often switched his political allegiance to serve his own purposes . Although he managed to amass great wealth , he also made many enemies , and was described by contemporaries as crafty and quarrelsome . His position meant he needed a secure base from which to operate . Construction . This castle was built from around 1460 to 1486 by John Heydon ( died 1479 ) and Sir Henry Heydon ( died 1504 ) . It was built without a licence to fortify and initially consisted of a quadrilateral manor house which was later fortified . It became increasingly large and more elaborate as the family ' s wealth grew . The east side contained a lake , the other three were protected by a deep ditch . Inner Gatehouse . A three - storied gatehouse was built in the middle of the south wall . It was an important symbol of John Heydon ' s Lordship . This gatehouse was also large enough to serve as a self - contained defendable residence in times of danger . The gatehouse had two lodges on the ground floor , one of which housed a porter , the other the chief servant . There was a spacious suite of chambers for Heyden ' s family on the first floor . There is a description of these rooms in the will of John Heyden ' s son , Sir Henry Heyden . They are described as being luxuriously furnished with feather beds and silk curtains . The small room directly above the porch was thought to be a private chapel . The Quadrangle . The quadrangle was completed with walls , towers and a range of buildings . A service range of buildings stood on the eastern side of the quadrangle . These buildings were converted in the Tudor period by Sir John Heyden II into a wool processing factory . The large windows in this building provided plenty of light for the spinners and weavers that worked there . Much of the cloth produced at Baconsthorpe was sold to the Netherlands . The coarse material was softened by the process of " Fulling " . This involved the pounding of the cloth by foot in soapy water or stale urine . It is thought that this process was carried out in the tower that stands on the northeast corner of the quadrangle The Outer Gatehouse . A drawbridge crossed the moat and to the south an outer gatehouse was built . The outer gatehouse was a later addition to the moated residence beyond and was built to display the family ' s status and wealth . It formed an impressive entrance to the Heydon ' s property as part of the outer court . The court was flanked on the east side by a row of cottages . On the west flank was a long barn parts of which are still in use today by the local farmer . The house was subject to a dispute in the 16th century when its owner , Sir William Heydon ( 1540 – 1594 ) fell into debt and mortgaged it . He decided to sell part of his property in 1590 but was challenged by his son , Sir Christopher Heydon ( 1561 – 1623 ) . Sir William then threatened to demolish the house , but Sir Christopher secured a prohibition order from the Privy Council and the house was spared . The house fell into ruin after the Civil War . Present condition . The ruins are constructed of flint with some brick . The curtain walls are complete and include the remains of towers , forming a square court of . The remains of a three - storey gatehouse with a two - storey projection for the drawbridge are in the middle of the south wall . The remains of a two - storey range are along the east wall . The ruins are administered by English Heritage and are freely accessible to the public .