Castle Rising

Castle Rising is a ruined medieval fortification in the village of Castle Rising, Norfolk, England. It was built soon after 1138 by William d'Aubigny II, who had risen through the ranks of the Anglo-Norman nobility to become the Earl of Arundel. With his new wealth, he constructed Castle Rising and its surrounding deer park, a combination of fortress and palatial hunting lodge. It was inherited by William's descendants before passing into the hands of the de Montalt family in 1243. The Montalts later sold the castle to Queen Isabella, who lived there after her fall from power in 1330. Isabella extended the castle buildings and enjoyed a regal lifestyle, entertaining her son, Edward III, on several occasions. After her death, it was granted to Edward, the Black Prince, to form part of the Duchy of Cornwall. During the 15th century, the castle became increasingly valued for its hunting facilities rather than its military defences. It fell into disrepair and, despite the construction of new living quarters and service facilities, by the middle of the 16th century it was derelict. Henry VIII sold the property to Thomas Howard, the Duke of Norfolk, and most of the castle buildings were demolished. It was not until the 19th century, when Mary and Fulke Greville Howard inherited the property, that the castle was renovated and restored. Victorian scholars examined the site, and it was opened to the public. In 1958 the castle passed into the custody of the state, which carried out further stabilisation work and a programme of archaeological investigation. In 1998 English Heritage passed the management of the site back to its current owner, Baron Howard of Rising, who continues to operate the castle as a tourist attraction. Castle Rising comprises three baileys, each defended by large earthworks, covering a total area of 5 hectares (12 acres), which archaeologists Oliver Creighton and Robert Higham consider to be among the most impressive in Britain. In the inner bailey is the great keep, probably modelled on that of Norwich Castle. It features extensive Romanesque designs, including pilaster buttresses and arcading. Historians Beric Morley and David Gurney believe this to be "one of the finest of all Norman keeps", and its military utility and political symbolism have been extensively discussed by academics. The castle was originally surrounded by a carefully managed landscape, from the planned town in front of the castle, to the deer park and rabbit warrens that stretched out behind it, intended to be viewed from the lord's chamber in the great keep.

Babingley is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Sandringham, in the King's Lynn and West Norfolk district, in the county of Norfolk, England, about 1 mile (1.6 km) northwest of Castle Rising and 5+1⁄2 miles (9 km) north-north-east of King's Lynn. In 1931 the parish had a population of 91. On 1 April 1935 the parish was abolished and merged with Sandringham.The place-name 'Babingley' is first attested in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as Babinghelea. The name means 'the clearing of Babba's people'.The modern village is a small group of houses along the A149 road linking King's Lynn and Hunstanton. The site of the abandoned village is in fields west of the main road, marked by the ruin of St Felix's parish church.

Grimston Warren Pit is a 6.6-hectare (16-acre) geological Site of Special Scientific Interest east of King's Lynn in Norfolk. It is a Geological Conservation Review site.This former quarry is described by Natural England as "a nationally important site for dating the constituent facies of the Lower Cretaceous in north Norfolk". It has yielded ammonites which date to the Hauterivian age around 130 million years ago.The site is private land with no public access.

South Wootton is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk, approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) north-east of King's Lynn. It covers an area of 8.54 km2 (3.30 sq mi) and had a population of 3,717 in 1,450 households at the 2001 Census, increasing at the 2011 Census to a population of 4,247 in 1,696 households. For the purposes of local government, it falls within the District of King's Lynn and West Norfolk. The older part of the village grew up around the village green and St. Mary's church, though there has been a fair amount of new housing built since the 1960s. There are two schools in South Wootton, South Wootton Infant School, followed by South Wootton Junior School. The Parish Church of St. Mary the Virgin in South Wootton is led by the Rector, the Rev. Canon James Nash. It falls under the Parish of The Woottons and the Deanery of Lynn in the Diocese of Norwich.

Wood Farm is a farmhouse on the British Royal Family's Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, England. Historically occupied by members of the Royal Family and their guests, the house was a long favourite of Elizabeth II. From his retirement in 2017, the house was home to Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

Wolferton is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Sandringham, in the King's Lynn and West Norfolk district, in the county of Norfolk, England. It is 2 miles west of Sandringham, 7½ miles north of King's Lynn and 37¼ miles northwest of Norwich. In 1931 the parish had a population of 185. On 1 April 1935 the parish was abolished and merged with Sandringham.

Wolferton was a railway station on the Lynn and Hunstanton Railway line which opened in 1862 to serve the village of Wolferton in Norfolk, England. The station was also well known as the nearest station to Sandringham House, and royal trains brought the royal family to and from their estate until the station's closure in 1969. After spending some time as a museum, the station is now preserved in private hands. The signal box and part of the station are listed buildings, Grade II*.

North Wootton is a village, civil parish and electoral ward near the town of King's Lynn in Norfolk, England. It covers an area of 32.33 km2 (12.48 sq mi) and had a population of 2,387 in 935 households at the 2001 census, the population including Babingley and increasing to 2,445 at the 2011 Census. For the purposes of local government, it falls within the district of King's Lynn and West Norfolk. It is close to the Norfolk coast and is slightly smaller than the nearby South Wootton. North Wootton is near the village of Castle Rising and both were owned by the Howard family who are patrons of both parish churches. Former marshland links the village to the coast. Predominantly a farming village, the village is now experiencing a period of growth owing to new developments, holiday retreats for Londoners being the most recent of these.The old part is located around the small village green consisting of a few houses, an old schoolhouse and a former post office (now closed). With the arrival of the railway, a station (now disused) was built in the west of the village towards the marsh. The railway linked King's Lynn with Hunstanton. The old station waiting room is still extant though now part of a private house. The signal box was used by the local scout group for many years, but has now been removed for future use on a heritage railway outside the local area. The station would have been familiar to the Royal family being only 2.8 miles (4.5 km) away across the River Babingley from Wolferton station which served the nearby Sandringham Estate.The old Red Cat Hotel still stands. It is in the heart of North Wootton near the old railway. The Red Cat hotel is a traditional Norfolk Inn.West Norfolk Rugby Club is based there and was founded in 1925 around the time when there were only a small selection of clubs in Norfolk. The club itself was originally based in Swaffham but was later moved during the early 1930s to the Dukes Head in King’s Lynn until WW2. At the end of the war the club reformed and moved to North Wootton where it used the stables at the Red Cat hotel for changing facilities. West Norfolk Rugby Club has continued and now has a youth section.There is only one school, North Wootton Academy, the Principle is Mr J. Grimsby. All Saints Church is a Grade II listed building, designed by Anthony Salvin in 1852. The parish is part of the Anglican Benefice of the Church in the Woottons is led by the Rector, the Revd. Canon James Nash.

Roydon Common is a 194.9-hectare (482-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest east of King's Lynn in Norfolk. It is also a Grade I Nature Conservation Review site, a National Nature Reserve and a Ramsar site. It is part of the Roydon Common and Dersingham Bog Special Area of Conservation and Roydon Common and Grimston Warren nature reserve, which is managed by the Norfolk Wildlife Trust,

Dersingham Bog is a 159.1-hectare (393-acre) biological and geological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Norfolk, England. It is a Nature Conservation Review site, Grade 2, a National Nature Reserve and a Ramsar site It is part of the Norfolk Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and the Roydon Common & Dersingham Bog Special Area of Conservation Part of it is a Geological Conservation Review site.

North Wootton was a railway station on the King's Lynn to Hunstanton line which opened in 1862 to serve the village of North Wootton on the outskirts of King's Lynn in Norfolk, England. The station closed along with the line in 1969.

Gayton Road railway station was a station in Norfolk, located close to King's Lynn on the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway.