When seen from above the shape of the keep becomes apparent. A roughly circular core with three square turrets. The section at the bottom shows the position of the forebuilding with the main entrance and portcullis. The forebuilding extends only up to the first floor. The main staircase, shown as a segmented circle, extends from the basement to the top floor of the castle.

The lowest of the six floors is the basement and this was used for storage. There are two main halls in the keep and each hall spans two complete floors. Entrance to the keep is via a doorway with portcullis and lobby built into the forebuilding on the first floor. The chapel is located on the second floor above the main entrance, also built into the forebuilding.

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.