What is recorded here

Orford Castle is a late 12th-century fortification built by Henry II between 1165 and 1173 on the Suffolk coast. Its cylindrical keep, originally approximately 90 feet high with walls some 10 feet thick, remains the principal architectural feature of this Norman military site. The scheduled monument also preserves adjoining quarry workings and fragmentary remains of a 20th-century observation post, marking the castle's continued strategic role during the Second World War before artillery fortification rendered medieval defences obsolete.

The National Heritage List for England records Orford Castle with adjoining quarry and remains of 20th century look-out post as a scheduled monument. The saved point comes from the centre supplied by the official record. Listing does not by itself mean that the public may enter the place.

Built by King John of England in the late 12th and early 13th centuries, Orford Castle was a strategic coastal fortress designed to assert royal authority in East Anglia and defend against potential French invasion. It is remembered for its unique concentric design and as a key example of early English military architecture.

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