In the shadow

Baconsthorpe Castle lies north of the village. It was built by Sir John Heydon from 1450, and completed by his grandson, Sir Henry, in 1486. It's in a lovely setting, with a moat on three sides and a mere on the fourth. The main part of the castle was dismantled in the 17th century, when the family fell on hard times, and had to sell of parts of it as building material. But the outer gatehouse, known as Baconsthorpe Hall, was still inhabited until 1920. The castle is now looked after by English Heritage.