I undertook a walk of the Castle Fee with Colin on Monday and I thought a related article would be of interest. The Castle Fee is an area outside the Keep that is controlled by the Crown and is normally defined by a stone wall for defensive purposes, very much based on the Motte and Bailey principle, the Motte being a mound with a Keep on it and the Bailey being the walled courtyard outlining the extent of the Fee. The city would have control of the area outside of the Fee. There were instances where you could reside inside the Crown jurisdiction, commit a crime outside the Fee and walk free! The Fee ended in 1345 when the military purpose of the castle diminished and the Crown started selling off their land to the city authorities.
Here is an article that shows you the extent of the Castle Fee and the early history of the castle. I didn’t realise that it was subject to at least two sieges:
https://norwichcastle.wordpress.com/2020/09/15/a-castle-fit-for-a-king/
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