Caister Castle

Caister Castle was a 15th-century moated castle situated in the parish of West Caister, some 5 km north of the town of Great Yarmouth in the English county of Norfolk.

The castle had a 100 ft (33 m) high tower and was built by Sir John Fastolf, who was the inspiration for William Shakespeare's Falstaff.

Paston Letters

The castle features extensively in the 'Paston Letters', a unique collection of family correspondence covering the period of the Wars of the Roses, documenting the Paston family's struggles to climb and maintain position on the english social ladder. John Paston was a close confidante and advisor to Sir John Fastolf. Sir John died childless, and intestate; the castle was one of many properties in his estate. John Paston, with some justification, claimed to be his heir; this put him in direct conflict with various major players of the time, such as the Duke of Norfolk. As a result the castle was beseiged in 1469 by the Duke - in pursuit of his own claim of ownership - and defended by John Paston junior and approximately 30 men. The two month defence was unsuccesful, resulting in the death of one of the Paston's longest serving servants by a crossbow wound and the loss of the castle to the Duke. Some years later, the castle was ultimately returned to the Paston families ownership.

External links

• Map sources for Caister Castle
• Description of Caister Castle