Caister Castle

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Caister Castle

Caister Castle was a 15th-century moated castle situated in the parish of West Caister, some 5 km north of the town of Great Yarmouth in the English county of Norfolk (grid reference TG504123).

The castle had a 100 ft (33 m) high tower and was built between 1432 and 1446 by Sir John Fastolf, who was the inspiration for William Shakespeare's Falstaff. Fastolf was the recipient of one of the five licences to crenellate, authorising the building of a fortified dwelling, issued by Henry VI, during his 50 years' reign. The castle suffered severe damage in 1469 when it was besieged and captured by the Duke of Norfolk. The castle, other than the tower, fell into ruin after 1600 when a new house was built nearby.

[edit] Paston Letters

The castle features extensively in the 'Paston Letters', a unique collection of family correspondence covering the period of the Wars of the Roses, documenting the Paston family's struggles to climb and maintain position on the English social ladder. John Paston was a close confidante and advisor to Sir John Fastolf. Sir John died childless, and intestate; the castle was one of many properties in his estate. John Paston, with some justification, claimed to be his heir; this put him in direct conflict with various major players of the time, such as the Duke of Norfolk. As a result the castle was besieged in August 1469 by the Duke - in pursuit of his own claim of ownership - and defended by John Paston junior and approximately 30 men. The two month defence was unsuccessful, resulting in the death of one of the Paston's longest serving servants by a crossbow wound and the loss of the castle to the Duke. Some years later, the castle was ultimately returned to the Paston families ownership.