Mettingham Castle

Mettingham Castle
Mettingham, Suffolk
Gatehouse of Mettingham Castle
Mettingham Castle is located in Suffolk
Mettingham Castle
Mettingham Castle
Coordinates52°26′41″N 1°28′17″E / 52.4448°N 1.4714°E / 52.4448; 1.4714
TypeFortified manor house
Site information
OwnerPrivate
Open to
the public		Yes, on selected days
ConditionRuined
Site history
MaterialsStone
The original sign was erected in 1960 and included Mettingham castle on top and two owls in the spandrels. The new sign was erected and unveiled on 23rd June 2019 after seeing the deterioration of the old one. John Reeve, a local farmer and artist, who had painted the old sign for years, noticed the damage. Richard Lees, who had developed his skill as an expert wood carver and craftsman after his retirement from the army, generously offered to design and make a new sign. He had restored the sign in Geldeston, and created a new one in Ellingham. After much discussion it was decided to keep the castle for the new sign and include the owls as before. It was also decided to include a horse. There are a plenty of horses in Mettingham now, but there were even more working during the First and Second World Wars. The obvious model for the central figure was the Supreme Champion mare, Florence, belonging to Jayne Groom who can be seen in the centre of the sign holding the horse with a Farrier attending to the hooves. The Mettingham name is still carved down the post, with a carving of the church and what look like vegetables or trees below the name. The sign is located at the side of the B1062 close to the Tally Ho antiques centre, not far from the church.
Mettingham Village Sign

Mettingham Castle was a fortified manor house in the parish of Mettingham in the north of the English county of Suffolk.