Lidgate Castle was built in the village of Lidgate, Suffolk, probably around 1143, during the years of the civil war known as
the Anarchy. At this time King
Stephen of England was engaged in a campaign against the rebel baron
Geoffrey de Mandeville, and the castle may have been built as part of the campaign to contain his advances in the region. The castle was built on a natural rise, and takes the form of an unusual, quadrangular
motte and bailey design. The motte is square, 20 m across and is today around 2 m high, with two adjacent protective platforms alongside it; the main bailey to the south is protected by a protective ditch, 20 m wide and 5 m deep, and a 3.2 m high outer bank. Today the castle is a
scheduled monument. ==See also==