Only the keep of Orford Castle remains today, but it is in near perfect condition. Henry II built the castle in the twelfth century as a fortified residence. The walls of the keep are three metres thick and conceal a maze of rooms and passages, not to mention a two-seated latrine.

A spiral staircase rises over thirty metres from the basement to the top of the tower. From here you can see over Orford Ness to the sea, an area popular with naturalists for its wildlife.