Burgh Castle is the site of one of several Roman forts constructed to hold cavalry as a defence against Saxon raids up the rivers of the east and south coasts of southern Britain. Possibly this was Gariannonum, a name that appears in a some sources; the identification was once thought secure, but is now thought doubtful by specialists. The fort is roughly rectangular, approximately by, with three of the tall massively built walls still extant; the fourth fell into what was once an estuary but is now a marsh, Breydon Water. The site is owned by the Norfolk Archaeological Trust with the walls in the care ofEnglish Heritage. The site is freely open to the public and has a major access and interpretation scheme created by the Trust, with funding and collaboration from Natural England and English Heritage. There is a timber viewing platform overlooking the rivers and marshes which provides an ideal spot for wildlife observation.
Other history
Since William Camden, Burgh Castle has been suggested as the site of Cnobheresburg, the unknown place in East Anglia, where in about 630 the first Irish monastery in southern England was founded by Saint Fursey as part of the Hiberno-Scottish mission described by Bede. Historians find many arguments against this location, but are unable to agree on a better one. The Roman fort at Burgh Castle was excavated by Charles Green during 1958–61. A detailed report by Norfolk Museums Service in 1983 shows that there was never any monastic settlement in Burgh Castle itself. The church of Burgh Castle, St Peter and St Paul, one of 124 existing round-tower churches in Norfolk, has been a Grade II* listed building since November 1954. Points of interest include a well-preserved 14th-century "East Anglian Lion Font" and some magnificent stained glass windows, especially the small lancet "Fursey" window. In 2015 the first stage of a major restoration programme, repairs to the north aisle, was completed. The church is open daily from 10am to 5pm April to October and at weekends from 10am to 3pm during March and November. The civil parish of Burgh Castle has an area of and in the 2001 census had a population of 955 in 376 households. For the purposes of local government, the parish today falls within the district of Great Yarmouth. However prior to the Local Government Act 1972, the parish was within Lothingland Rural District in Suffolk. The House of Burke take the original form of their surname de Burgh, from the area.
