Key facts
- Operator
- English Heritage
- Condition
- Ruin
- Access
- Free, open access
Pinpoint
Castle Lane, Baconsthorpe, Holt NR25 6LL
Telephone 0370 333 1181
Possible Opening hours
Opening times change. Always check the official website before you travel.
| Monday | 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM |
| Tuesday | 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM |
| Wednesday | 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM |
| Thursday | 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM |
| Friday | 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM |
| Saturday | 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM |
| Sunday | 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM |
The ruins of a fortified manor built by a Norfolk wool-trading family whose fortunes, and later their decline, are written into the decaying gatehouse and curtain walls - one reviewer describes wealth squandered on lavish living. It's free, remote, and recently restored, set in open countryside reached by a genuinely scenic drive.
Worth the trip
The gatehouse ruins - reviewers describe a distinctly atmospheric, slightly spooky feel that most castle ruins don't quite manage.
Before you go
The car park is good and the ground level and easy underfoot, making it an easy stop despite being in the middle of nowhere - just budget the drive time to get there.
Reviewers consistently enjoy Baconsthorpe as a free, well-maintained ruin, with several praising the recent restoration work and the peaceful, atmospheric setting complete with a moat and swans. One visitor found the approach track poorly kept and the car park gravelly, but this is a minor note against an otherwise uniformly positive set of reviews.
“Popped in to have a look. Gorgeous ruins and you can certainly feel a spooky vibe.”— Darren Hobbs, visitor review
