Cambridge Castle is an altered Norman stone motte and bailey fortress, with the remains of Civil War bastions and ramparts. By the 19th century, this important royal Edwardian castle had been used more as a court and a prison than a residence. Sadly its curtain wall flanked by towers, the large twin-towered gatehouse and the great tower on the motte have all been removed, to be used in the college buildings. The 20th century Shire Hall now stands in the levelled inner bailey and the position of the outer bailey has been lost.