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Heritage > British Castles
Hedingham Castle
The lovely village of Castle Hedingham is the sublime setting for this soaring 12th century Norman keep, the medieval home of the de Veres, Earls of Oxford, apart from one brief interlude when King John successfully besieged it. Many monarchs, including Henry VII and Elizabeth I, later paid more friendly visits. Hedingham's ornate banqueting hall boasts a fine minstrel's gallery.
The Castle
One of the finest and best preserved Norman keeps in England, buit by Aubrey de Vere in 1140 and home of the de Veres, Earls of Oxford, Lord great Chamberlains of England, for 550 years. Besieged by King John and visited by King Henry VII, King Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth I, the castle is of great historical interest and is still owned by a descendant of the earls of Oxford.
The Banqueting Hall is a fine decorative stone work, and the magnificent arch supporting the ceiling is a tribute to the skill of the Norman masons. The beauty of this splendid room can also be enjoyed from the Minstrels'Gallery, built within the thickness of the ten foot walls.
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