Reading Norman Buildings

Looking closely at stone, arches and the logic of a Norman keep.

All entries

A rounded stone opening with two visible bands and a small impost ledge. Illustrative image, generated with AI.

Reading a Norman arch: a calm visual guide

A practical method for spotting and describing the parts of a rounded Norman arch, with a comparison table, checklist and local Castle Hedingham examples.

20/09/20266 min read

The motte and bailey earthworks at Castle Hedingham, with the Norman keep beyond. Illustrative image, generated with AI.

NB-004Reading Norman Buildings

What is left of the motte and bailey?

Discover how to read the earthwork defences at Castle Hedingham and how they relate to the Norman keep, with practical tips for observation.

20/09/20266 min read

The deep splay of a keep window, seen from inside, where a narrow exterior slit opens into a wider internal opening. Illustrative image, generated with AI.

NB-003Reading Norman Buildings

What Do the Keep Windows Tell Us?

Read the openings in a Norman keep as evidence of daily life, comfort and careful medieval design, not just as defensive slits in a thick stone wall.

20/09/20266 min read

Pale limestone blocks in the keep wall, with visible joints and weathering. Illustrative image, generated with AI.

NB-002Reading Norman Buildings

Why is the keep built of Barnack stone?

Barnack limestone in the Hedingham keep: what it looks like, why long-distance stone supply made sense, and how to read the walls on a visit.

20/09/20266 min read

A Norman window opening in the keep wall, typical of the 12th-century work at Hedingham. Illustrative image, generated with AI.

NB-001Reading Norman Buildings

How do we date the keep to about 1140?

Explore the evidence behind the 1140 construction date for Hedingham's Norman keep: documents, fabric, and the limits of each.

20/09/20266 min read