Norwich Castle Museum Part One

Apologies to SensualWhirl!.Boadicia and the Iceni, The 60's, Textiles, Tibetan human bone apron and random stuff.
Norwich Castle was founded by William the Conqueror sometime between 1067. It originally took the form of a motte and bailey. Norwich is one of 49 castles mentioned in the Domesday Survey of 1086. When inserted into a pre-existing settlement, building a castle could require demolishing properties on the intended site. In the case of Norwich 98 Saxon homes were torn down to make way for the castle, although this was the most recorded of the 11 urban castles in the Survey.
The stone keep, which still stands today, was probably built between 1069 and 1098. In about the year 1100 the motte was made higher and the surrounding ditch deepened. The keep is built in Caen stone over a flint core. The keep is some 95 ft (29 m) by 90 ft (27 m) and 70 ft (21 m) high, and is of the hall-keep type, entered at first floor level through an external structure called the Bigod Tower. The exterior is decorated with blank arcading. Castle Rising is the only other comparable keep in this respect.
Although the keep remains, its outer shell has been repaired repeatedly, most recently in 1835--9 by Anthony Salvin, with James Watson as mason. The stone used was Bath stone. None of the inner or outer bailey buildings survive, and the original Norman bridge over the inner ditch was replaced in about the year 1825.
The castle was used as a gaol from 1220, with additional buildings constructed on the top of the motte next to the keep. These buildings were demolished and rebuilt between 1789 and 1793 by Sir John Soane, and more alterations were made in 1820. The use of the Castle as a gaol ended in 1887, when it was bought by the city of Norwich to be used as a museum. The conversion was undertaken by Edward Boardman, and the museum opened in 1895.
The castle remains a museum and art gallery today and still contains many of its first exhibits, as well as many more recent ones. Two galleries feature the museum's decorative art collections, including costume, textiles, jewelry, glass, ceramics and silverware, and a large display of ceramic teapots. Other gallery themes include Anglo-Saxons and Vikings, Queen Boudica and the Iceni tribe, Ancient Egypt, and natural history.
The fine art galleries include works from the 17th through 20th centuries, and include English watercolour paintings, Dutch landscapes and modern British paintings. The Castle also houses a good collection of the work of the Flemish artist Peter Tillemans. Two galleries feature changing exhibits of modern art, history and culture.
Norwich Castle is a Scheduled Ancient Monument and Grade I listed building.Visitors can tour the castle keep and learn about the castle through interactive displays. Separate tours are also available of the dungeon and the battlements.
Although not permanently on display, one of the largest collections it holds is the butterfly collection of Margaret Fountaine.

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