,«,, NORWICH CASTLE AS A MUSEUM. 693 



"Bigod's Tower," probably built by Hugh Bigod, third Earl of 

 Norfolk, who succeeded his brother as High Constable of the Castle 

 early in the 12th century. This tower, which was an open portal to 

 the grand entrance of the castle, is of a richer kind of architecture, 

 and in the genuine Norman style. Since 1824, it has been entirely 

 restored so as to exhibit its pristine aspect, which certainly difters 

 from the rest of the keep. The beautiful arch in this tower, and the 

 galleries on the same level, giving access to the loop-holes and furnished 

 with seats for the archers, are, together with the staircases in the an gles, 

 about the most interesting portions of the building to the archaeologist, 

 as they still bear the marks of the Norman chisels. 



During many succeeding reigns, the castle was principally used 

 by the soAereign for the reception of State prisoners, and was held 

 by the king's Constable, and afterwards by the Sheriffs for Norfolk 

 and Suffolk, who were expected " to keep it in repair and competently 

 fortified with \ictuals and other things necessary and convenient, lest 

 danger might threaten the king." (Edward H., 1308.) 



Notwithstanding the king's commands, the citizens of Norwich 

 having, in 1294, begun to enclose their city with walls and gates, 

 the castle, which had up to that period been considered the defence 

 of the city, became neglected, and in its subsequent history, from 

 1345, must be considered simply as that of the county gaol, and its 

 jurisdiction vested in the Sheriffs of Norfolk and Suffolk as custodians 

 for the sovereign for the time ; and so it remained for the next 500 

 years, save that in 1805 his Majesty King George HI., having no 

 use for the place, " freely gave this ancient and royal demesne in the 

 county of Norfolk, to be and remain in the possession of the high 

 sheriff and justices of the peace of the county of Norfolk, for the 

 administration of justice, the freedom of elections, and the confine- 

 ment of the county prisoners." (S. Woodward.) 



The plateau on which the castle stands is more than six times 

 the area occupied by the keep itself, and on this plateau (once the 

 inner bailey of the castle) the original county prison and shire-house 

 were situated. These were replaced by new prison buildings in 

 1824-28, and the keep refaced and restored 1834-39. In 1887, the 

 county prison having been removed to Mousehold, the buildings were 

 purchased of the Government by the Corporation of the City of 

 Norwich for the sum of ^4,000. 



It was about this time that Mr. E. Boardman, F.R.I.B.A., the 

 City Architect, submitted a plan to the corporation, which he had 

 cherished for many years, by which he proposed to utilise the old 

 prison bviildings and the Norman keep on the Castle Hill, and con- 

 vert the whole into a magnificent museum of science and art for the 

 city, preserving at the same time the most ancient building, " the 

 keep," rescuing it from further decay, and from its former degradation 

 as a prison, and restoring it as an ancient historical monument, to 

 an honoured place among the chief public buildings in the city. 



