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Geoffrey de Mandeville 12th century

Burwell Castle

History of Burwell Castle

Burwell Castle was built in 1143 by Stephen I of England on the site of a former Roman villa.

Burwell Castle date unknown. Louis Cobbett in foreground.

Geoffrey de Mandeville, Earl of Essex, attacked Burwell in 1144 when the castle was still unfinished, but during the operation he was hit by a crossbow bolt; he retired to nearby Mildenhall, where he died from the injury. After Geoffrey’s death the castle was never completed, although a stone gatehouse was completed on the site, suggesting a period of further occupation. The Abbot of Ramsey built a chapel on the site around 1246, and the site was finally abandoned in the 15th century.

Burwell Castle (Antiquity, x 1936)

Site of Burwell Castle (MoC264/54)

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