Castle Acre

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Castle Acre is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The village is situated on the River Nar some 8 km north of the town of Swaffham, 20 km east of the town of King's Lynn and 50 km west of the city of Norwich.[1]

The village is best known today for the twin ruins of Castle Acre Castle and Castle Acre Priory, which lie immediately to the east and west of the village respectively. Both were founded soon after the Norman Conquest by William de Warenne, the first Earl of Surrey. At its heyday, Castle Acre played an important role in the affairs of the State, with many visits from royalty. Castle Acre itself was once a fortified town and still possesses one of its gates, the Bailey Gate. When first established, Castle Acre was one of the finest examples of Norman town planning in the country, and much of this can still be seen.[2]

The civil parish has an area of 13.18 km² and in the 2001 census had a population of 799 in 370 households. For the purposes of local government, the parish falls within the district of King's Lynn and West Norfolk.[3]

The hamlet of Fiddler's Green lies to the northeast of the village.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Ordnance Survey (1999). OS Explorer Map 236 - King's Lynn, Downham Market & Swaffham. ISBN 0-319-21867-8.
  2. ^ Castles Abbeys and Medieval Buildings. Castle Acre Castle Priory. Retrieved February 9, 2006.
  3. ^ Office for National Statistics & Norfolk County Council (2001). Census population and household counts for unparished urban areas and all parishes. Retrieved December 2, 2005.

[edit] External links

Coordinates: 52.70310° N 0.68633° E

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