Framlingham Castle

Framlingham Castle, a classic, crenellated affair at the top of Church Street, dates from the twelfth century, and was the seat of the dukes of Norfolk, who were movers and shakers in Tudor England – and we all know what happened to most of them. Run by the English Heritage, it's more or less a shell now, but the outer walls still stand, and you can if you want clamber about on the footpaths that lead around the moat and down to and around the lake or “mere” below, where you in turn you can see across the valley to Framlingham College. Inside, you get a free audio tour and you can stroll around the impressive keep, home to an eighteen-century poorhouse, clamber about on the walls above, which give lovely views over the Mere below and the surrounding countryside, and view a small exhibition on the castle's history – itself a bit of a rundown on the doings and beheadings of Tudor England.