Open to
the public Yes | Materials Stone and timber | |
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Grid reference grid reference TL515250 | ||
Stansted Mountfitchet Castle, also termed simply Mountfitchet Castle, is a Norman ringwork and bailey fortification in Stansted Mountfitchet, Essex, England. The site is currently in use as a Living history museum, complete with livestock that would have been kept by people during the period that the castle was in use.
History
The castle was built following the Norman conquest of England by the Mountfitchet family. It was constructed on high ground with a ringwork defence, enclosing around 0.5 acres (0.20 ha), and a bailey complex, enclosing 1 acre (0.40 ha) on slightly lower ground. Within the ringwork was a keep, within a small, round enclosure.
In the 1980s the castle was reconstructed as a tourist attraction. Although efforts were made during the reconstruction to protect the original features of the castle, the transformation and subsequent tourist numbers have caused damage to the site.