Polygonal Keeps - Orford Castle floor plans

These are the ground plans of Orford Castle. The black areas indicate solid walls and the white areas indicate rooms. Each floor has one central circular room with small corridors and chambers built into the surrounding masonry. The first image shows the layout of the ground level floor which was used for storage. In the centre of the ground floor room are the remains of a well that provided the castle's occupants with their water. The small rectangular room at the bottom of the plan at the base of the forebuilding is the dungeon with a toilet and ventilation. The small segmented circle shows the position of the spiral staircase. This staircase provides the only access of the ground level floor.

Inside Orford castle are two large halls, one on top of the other. Each hall spans two floors of the castle. These two plans show the layout of the two floors that make up the first large hall. The only entrance to the castle is shown at the bottom of the first plan along with the steps that lead up to the doorway. The doorway and lobby is built into the forebuilding. The large room on the second floor is the chapel.

These two plans show the arrangement of chambers and corridors leading from the upper of the two main halls. Again the upper hall spans two floors.

Other polygonal Keeps

Castle Name	Date	Location	Notes	On this site
Chilham Castle		Kent
Conisborough Castle	abt. 1180	South Yorkshire
Odiham Castle	abt. 1210	Hampshire
Orford Castle		Suffolk
Tickhill Castle		Yorkshire