Burgh Castle (Roman fortification)
| Burgh Castle Roman Site | |
|---|---|
| Norfolk, England | |
A bastion on the eastern wall | |
| Site information | |
| Type | Rectangular Roman Shore fort later Norman motte and bailey fort |
| Owner | Norfolk Archaeological Trust and English Heritage |
| Open to the public | Yes |
| Condition | Roman fort: fair, surviving walls on 3 sides to 4.6 m (15 ft) high Norman fort: no remains |
| Location | |
Shown within Norfolk | |
| Coordinates | 52°34′57″N 1°39′05″E / 52.5826°N 1.6515°E |
| Grid reference | grid reference TG474045 |
| Site history | |
| Materials | Flint and some brick/tile |
Burgh Castle is the site of one of nine Roman Saxon Shore forts constructed in England around the 3rd century AD, to hold troops as a defence against Saxon raids up the rivers of the east and south coasts of southern Britain. It is located on the summit of ground sloping steeply towards the estuary of the River Waveney, in the civil parish of Burgh Castle, in the county of Norfolk (but until 1974 in Suffolk).
This fort was possibly known as Gariannonum, although the single record that uses the name may perhaps be referring to the Roman site at Caister-on-Sea. Between the mid-7th and 9th centuries the site was possibly occupied by a monastic settlement, and in the 11th and 12th centuries a Norman motte and bailey castle existed there.