NHER 3455 (Monument record) - Wormegay Castle

July 1975. Visited.
Motte and bailey of castle.
Motte ditched, and bailey. Slight mounds round lip of both. Motte under trees. Blocking of bailey ditch is in line with village street, and faint traces of possible causeway can be seen in bailey (see sketch and NHER 3463) but crossing of motte ditch is to southeast.
E. Rose (NAU), 15 July 1975.

Plan of castle in (S1) published in King's Lynn.

See file for sketch by R. R. Clarke (NCM) from one in Bulwer Manuscripts of 1830.
Castle was seat of the Barony of Wormegay.
Cropmark, linear, runs south from east end of bailey; does it have any connection with the castle, or is it a later field boundary?
Contour survey by D. Edwards and J. Smallwood (NAU).

Monument under good grass cover. Motte supports mature trees. Some thorn and bramble and nettle patches throughout the site. Grazed by cattle, minimal poaching.
(S2) to be implemented, with cutting of thorn and bramble.
H. Paterson (NLA), 14 May 1993.

Agreement now implemented.
Information board might be considered in conjunction with long distance King's Lynn to Gressenhall path.
H. Paterson (NLA), 13 December 1993.

Site under good grass pasture, with a few thistle and nettle patches. Dump of domestic refuse noted on previous visit has been removed.
Grazed by a small herd of bullocks.
H. Paterson (NLA), 20 September 1995.

Castle Meadow House has been sold by Pearsons. New owner is hoping to fence off the mound and graze sheep on it. Site in good condition, some nettles have been poisoned, a few patches remain on mound.
Poaching minimal on mound sides.
H. Paterson (NLA), 1 December 1995.

(S2) Management Agreement signed 29 January 1997 (3 years).
See copy in office file.
H. Paterson (NLA), 14 September 1999.

(S2) Management Agreement signed 13 October 1998 (5 years).
See copy in office file.
H. Paterson (NLA), 14 September 1999.

NB: Wormegay Castle has two different areas with two different agreements for different periods.

January 2000.
Earthwork survey at 1:1250 and report in file, which does not accept that causeway across bailey is an older road.
See (S6).
B. Cushion (NLA), 8 Feb 2000.

7 July 2000. Visit.
Site in excellent condition. Pasture grazed by sheep on motte, castle and bailey.
Nettles strimmed and sprayed. A few nettle patches against fence around motte.
No animal poaching, a little mole disturbance.
H. Paterson (NLA), 28 August 2000.

Ancient Monument details (S3) and earthwork survey in file and plandale.

October 2001.
Whole site under healthy grass cover with minimal mole disturbance or nettle/thistle growth.
Motte grazed by sheep, bailey by cattle. An area of straw resides in the centre of the bailey.
Field has been rolled and cut.
[1] died September 2000, widow and family to retain field for grazing cattle.
H. Paterson (NLA), 18 October 2001.

January 2003.
Whole site under good grass cover. Bailey grazed by cattle in the summer months. No cattle poaching. Motte close cropped grass, sheep grazing to recommence in February. Moat almost completely waterfilled. One large oak has uprooted to south. Nothing noted in huge upturned root plate. Unable to examine hole under the root, as water filled. Owner did not notice any artefacts.
H.Paterson (A&E), 28 January 2003.

(S4) argues that there is circumstantial evidence for a Late Saxon manor house on the castle site.
D. Gurney (NLA), 14 May 2003.

Section 17 Agreement (S2) signed 7 October 2003.
Copy in office file.
H. Paterson (A&E), 17 October 2003.

December 2009.
Both Section 17 management agreements renewed (one covers the bailey, the other the motte).
See (S5).
D. Robertson (NLA), 11 August 2010.