In 1870-72, John Marius Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales described Castle Acre like this:
CASTLE-ACRE, a village and a parish in FreebridgeLynn district, Norfolk. The village stands on the Peddar way and the river Nar, 3½ miles NW of Dunham r. station, and 4 N of Swaffham; and has a post office under Brandon, and fairs on 1 May and 5 Aug. Here are extensive remains of a castle and a priory, founded, in 1085, by the Earl of Warrenne. ...
The castle occupies the site of previous works; covered an area of about 18 acres; and had an encircling embattled wall, 7 feet thick. The priory was a cell to Lewes; included an area of 29 acres; had a cruciform church 218 feet long, a chapter house 40 feet by 20, and a refectory 110 feet by 26; and was given, at the dissolution, to the Duke of Norfolk. Part of the south-west tower, some pillars of the nave, the walls of the transepts, the chapter house, the refectory, the prior's lodge, and the gatehouse are still standing; exhibit features from Norman to perpendicular; and look very picturesque.—The parish comprises 3,249 acres. Real property, £5,427. Pop., 1,405. Houses, 334. The property is much subdivided. The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Norwich. Value, not reported. Patron, the Earl of Leicester. The church is ancient, large, and good; has a lofty square tower; and contains an ancient font and some curious monuments. There are chapels for Baptists, Wesleyans, and Primitive Methodists, and a national school.
Castle Acre through time
Castle Acre is now part of Kings Lynn and West Norfolk district. Click here for graphs and data of how Kings Lynn and West Norfolk has changed over two centuries. For statistics about Castle Acre itself, go to Units and Statistics.
GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth, History of Castle Acre in Kings Lynn and West Norfolk | Map and description, A Vision of Britain through Time.
URL: https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/5978
Date accessed: 26th April 2024
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