20 ways to be king (or queen) of your own castle
Of all the luck. One minute Meghan Markle is living in Canada and starring in a television series, the next she is marrying a prince (newly slipped to sixth in line to the throne, but still) in a castle. And not just any old castle, but a thumping, 1,000-year-old, super-size castle, crouched high above the Thames at Windsor, stuffed with royal chivalric imagery and the much-loved “real” home of Her Majesty the Queen.
Anyone who has built a sand castle knows the basics of castle construction: a mound for safety, a moat for defence, a drawbridge to allow selected visitors across. Then a mighty superstructure, the more intimidating the better, preferably castellated and pierced with arrow slits for firing through. Add wall-walks and portcullises to taste.
This is what makes them so brilliant to visit. You are scrambling, or possibly getting married, on the medieval equivalent of a Millennium Falcon; a live workspace once full of people, primed for battle and laden with sophisticated defensive technology.
Inside are the spaces its occupants needed to live in reasonable comfort, with a well, storage for food, weapons and artillery, guard rooms and private apartments, maybe prison cells, possibly dungeons and occasionally torture chambers (these are surprisingly rare; the Tower of London, for example, had the only rack in England.)
Paul Pattison, senior curator for English Heritage, who worked on the re-creation of the interiors at Dover Castle, defines a medieval castle as “a fortified residence and a seat of power for a particular family or clan,” explaining that the two functions would later split into military forts and domestic buildings. He also says that, as far as we know, there were no such castles in Britain until the Norman invasion of the 1060s.
Imagine Wales without Edward I’s mighty symbols of invasion, or Scotland denuded of its clan power bases, or England minus the Tower. They are so much part of our national identity and such visual links with our history.
Everybody has a favourite. Pattison’s, not surprisingly, is Dover, encrusted on a mighty escarpment overlooking the sea, with – among other things – its intimidating stone keep and siege tunnels used to repel the Dauphin of France during the reign of King John.
Mine is probably Corfe Castle in Dorset, a smashed tooth of a building, marooned on its mound between two ranges of hills blocking access to the Isle of Purbeck, and familiar since childhood. I love Bamburgh in Northumberland, overlooking a curve of pink sand beach, with views across the sea to Lindisfarne Castle on Holy Island; and Dudley, slighted in the Civil War, its walls full of fossils, with its own Thirties zoo.
Then there are the stories: the dark death of Edward II in Berkeley Castle, the ghosts of Glamis (which appeared in a BBC radio play), the Countess of Norfolk heroically defending Norwich Castle under siege – plus the poisonings, the babies dropped from windows, the escapes, the secret tunnels, the mantraps and priests’ holes.
And, I’m afraid, what could be more mesmerising than a dungeon, with the comforting insulation of centuries between us and the realities of imprisonment and torture? The Horrible Histories effect replaces the undoubted ghastliness with the comedy.
You can say one thing for a castle, and particularly for Windsor: it knows how to put on a show. Ms Markle’s big day will look sensational; her dress will face stiff competition from military uniforms and chivalric banners.
So I wonder if, as she and The Dress make their way under the fan-vaulted ceiling of St George’s Chapel and into the Quire, she will sense the presence of Henry VIII, Jane Seymour and Charles I (with separate head) in the royal vault beneath her feet, and the generations of Garter Knights whose stall plates crowd the walls around.
As for the rest of us, we may have to pick another castle for the moment, and luckily there are loads to choose from. Some you can actually stay in for a weekend. Some you can visit and stay nearby. And some, like Meghan’s, can be yours for the day.
The top 20 castle experiences in Britain
1. Fit for a Queen – Sudeley Castle, Gloucestershire
Sudeley is on the edge of pretty Winchcombe with views of the Cotswold escarpment. It has strong royal links: Katherine Parr, who numbered Henry VIII and Thomas Seymour among her four husbands, is buried here and Charles I stayed with his nephew, Prince Rupert. Its slighted Civil War ruins sit among glorious gardens.
Open until Dec 21. Adults (with local charity donation) £16.50, children aged three to 15 £7.50, family (two adults and two children) £43, under-threes free.
Sudeley Castle Guest Cottage is the nearest of the 16 estate cottages to the castle itself. Sleeps six, from £145 per night, minimum two nights; sudeleycastle.co.uk
2. War and pieces – Dunluce, Co Antrim
Warrior chieftains and warring clans form the backdrop to this spectacular ruin, built by the McQuillan clan in the 1500s. Things should have calmed down once it became seat to the earls of Antrim a century later, but no – a banshee appeared and the kitchen fell into the sea.
Open daily. Adults £5.50, children aged four to 16 £3.50, concessions £3.50, family (up to five members and up to three adults), under-fours free.
The Smugglers Inn (smugglersinnireland.com) is handy for the castle and Giant’s Causeway. Doubles from £70, including breakfast; discovernorthernireland.com
3. Joust the ticket – Warwick Castle
This 950-year-old castle is the priciest and most commercial of Britain’s castles, but boy is it fun: a trebuchet firing cannon balls (sadly no longer ablaze), the War of the Roses Live! summer show, creepy dungeons and a new Dragon Slayer evening show on August weekends (£15).
One-day Castle + Dungeon Saver Ticket £24, including all shows and timed dungeon entry (recommended aged 10 and over). Under-threes free.
Medieval Glamping at the Knight’s Village (June 30 to Sept 9), from £167 per night for B&B in a tent sleeping five, two days’ castle entrance and evening entertainment. Upgrade to year-round Woodland Lodge from £237; warwickcastlebreaks.com/mediaeval-glamping; warwick-castle.com
4. Movie knights – Corfe Castle, Dorset
Women have played their part in the history of this stunning ruin, gateway to the Isle of Purbeck. The Saxon chatelaine Elfrida may have poisoned her stepson here and the castle was stoically defended by the Royalist Lady Bankes in the Civil War.
Open daily 10am to 6pm. Gift aid adults from £10.50, children five to 18 £5.30, family (two adults and up to three children) £26.20, under-fives free. Book now for Cinema Under the Stars, Aug 24-26.
Castle Cottage, Corfe and Purbeck Holidays; corfeandpurbeckholidays.com. Five minutes from the castle, sleeps five, from £335 per week; nationaltrust.org.uk/corfe-castle
5. Now that’s a view – Beaumaris Castle, Anglesey
The name means “beautiful marshes” and Edward I set this stunning castle on the Isle of Anglesey, at the other end of the Menai Strait to Caernarfon, with views across the water to the hills of the mainland. It’s a pretty well perfect example of a concentric castle, sharing Unesco World Heritage Status with Caernarfon, Harlech and Conwy.
Open until June 30. Adults £6.50, concessions/children under 16 £4.20, family (two adults and up to three children) £19.30, under-fives free.
Chateau Rhianfa (chateaurhianfa.com) is a magical castle hotel overlooking the Strait. Doubles from £150, with Welsh breakfast; cadw.gov.wales/daysout/beaumaris-castle
6. Let the good times roll – Tower of London
The Tower and Windsor Castle are the best-preserved of the ring of fortresses built around London by William the Conqueror. The Tower has never been besieged and was a palace, mint, prison and menagerie for centuries before it became infamous for executions during the Tudor era. Anne Boleyn and her ladies occupied apartments specially built here before her coronation procession left for Westminster Abbey.
citizenM Tower of London (citizenm.com) has unrivalled views of the fortress, especially from the rooftop bar cloudM; if you’re lucky, you might get a Tower view room on digital check-in. Doubles from £99; hrp.org.uk/tower-of-london
7. Siege survivor – Skipton Castle, North Yorkshire
Home of the Clifford family since 1310, Skipton sits at the southern end of the Dales and is tough as old boots, surviving Scots raids and a three-year Civil War siege for starters.
Adults £8.30, seniors/students £7.30, children aged five to 17 £5.20, family (two adults and up to three children), under-fives free.
Devonshire Arms Hotel & Spa, Bolton Abbey (thedevonshirearms.co.uk) is a 10-minute drive away. Best of Yorkshire deals (Sunday to Thursday) with two nights’ B&B, afternoon tea, six-course tasting menu at the Burlington Restaurant, £248 per person; skiptoncastle.co.uk
8. It’s a conversion – Astley Castle, Warwickshire
It’s not always just history; this RIBA award-winning contemporary house for eight is built into the fire-damaged ruins of a 13th-century castle owned by three queens. Elizabeth Woodville, Elizabeth of York and Lady Jane Grey would recognise the moat, the bridge and the gatehouse, no problem, but might be startled by the lift.
Four nights self-catering for eight people from £1,391; landmarktrust.org.uk
9. History joys – Dover Castle, Kent
Ever seen a Roman lighthouse? There’s one here. Want to see the Second World War tunnels from which Winston Churchill surveyed the Channel? Here, too. Norman keep? Yup. Thirteenth-century siege tunnels? And those. The only problem is you need about three days to see it all, so staying in one of the castle cottages really helps.
Open year round. Gift aid adults £22, concession £19.80, children aged five to 17 £13.20, family (two adults and up to three children) £50.
The Sergeant Major’s House stands inside the castle walls with a garden and views over the town. Sleeps six. Three nights from £530; 0370 333 1187; english-heritage.org.uk
10. Treachery! – Ludlow Castle, Shropshire
It’s very special, staying in one of the three apartments in castle house, within the outer bailey walls of this mighty castle, which is still in the hands of the Herbert family, Earls of Powis.
Soak up the atmosphere once the visitors have left: this was home to the treacherous Mortimers and to the princes later murdered in the Tower. Outside, Ludlow offers fabulous food.
Open daily. Adults £6, seniors £5, £15, children over five £3, family (two adults and four children), under-five free. Each apartment sleeps four. Four nights from £445; 01584 874465; ludlowcastle.com
11. Sweet schemes – Dudley Castle, West Midlands
This castle, on its steep motte, dates back to the 1070s and was home to the scheming Dudley family. The mound is stuffed with trilobites (aka “Dudley Bugs”), also visible in the stone walls of the slighted castle, which is entered via the Thirties zoo built by Berthold Lubetkin. His famous “Tectons” are still there, though no longer occupied by the zoo animals. Free tours and ghost walks take place at 3.30pm daily.
Open 10am to 4pm. With donation, adults £16.50, children aged three to 15 £10.50, concession £13, under-threes free.
Minutes from the castle is the Village Hotel Birmingham Dudley (village-hotels.co.uk/hotels/birmingham-dudley). Doubles cost from £69; dudleyzoo.org.uk
12. Lair of You-Know-Who – Glamis, Angus
No, not the late Queen Mother, who was born here, but the eponymous antihero of Shakespeare’s “Scottish play”, which seems to be everywhere right now. The pinnacled, battlemented, pink-stone seat of Earls of Strathmore and Kinghorne, and Elizabeth Bowes-Lyons’ childhood home, is everything a Scottish castle should be.
Open daily until Oct 31. Adults £12.50, seniors/students £10.50, children aged five to 16 £9, family (two adults and up to three children) £40.
Go baronial with a stay in the west end of Dundee (12 miles/19km away) at 14-room Taypark House (01382 643777; tayparkhouse.co.uk). Doubles cost from £85; glamis-castle.co.uk
13. Henry’s haunt – Amberley, West Sussex
This ancient castle in the South Downs National Park, now a luxury hotel, started life as a 12th-century hunting lodge and evolved into a fortified manor owned by the Bishop of Chichester, among others. Henry VIII popped in to discuss his first divorce.
Today’s Queen has stayed here with friends. In June and July there are Castle History Tours for £55 per person, including a three-course lunch and champagne.
Doubles from £195 including breakfast; amberleycastle.co.uk
14. Arty angle – Lindisfarne, Northumbria
Of all the extraordinary locations, Lindisfarne must have one of the best, perched on a rocky Holy Island in the North Sea off the coast of Northumberland and reached from the mainland only by a tidal causeway.
The castle was converted into a house by Edward Lutyens a century ago and has just reopened after a £3 million restoration. Although stays are possible, until November it is home to an immersive art installation by Anya Gallaccio.
Overnight in Grade II listed St Oswald’s Cottage on Holy Island, also by Lutyens, with views of Lindisfarne and Bamburgh. Sleeps five. Three nights from £462; nationaltrust.org.uk
15. Longbow draw – Caernarfon, Gwynedd
You’ve got to hand it to brutal Edward I, he knew how to place a castle. Caernarfon guards the western Menai Strait and on a still day its polygonal towers and curtain walls are mirrored in the water. Look out for events such as Longbow Day on May 27.
Adults £9.50, students/seniors £7.60, under-16s £5.70, families (two adults and up to three children) £27.50, under-fives free.
Cartref Caernarfon (cartref-caernarfon.co.uk) is a guesthouse within the castle walls and can arrange castle tours. Doubles from £75; cadw.gov.wales
16. A Roman fort – Portchester Castle, Hampshire
Portchester was built in the third century by Romans well aware of the Saxon threat. Seen from above it’s a square, with a square tower in one corner, a church in the other and magnificent views over Portsmouth Harbour.
The Red Lion Fareham (oldenglishinns.co.uk) is a former coaching inn some three miles from the fort.
Double rooms cost from £55, breakfast included; english-heritage.org.uk
17. Loch of luxury – Aldourie, Loch Ness
This is a Highland fantasy castle, the grey cones of its turrets peeping out from the trees beside Loch Ness, built in the 19th century and still sitting on a 500-acre estate. Go mad and take sole possession: it’s available for exclusive use with full staff, endless country sports and other castles to visit, although food and drink are extra.
Loyd & Townsend Rose. Sleeps 28 in 13 double/twin rooms and two singles, £27,500 including VAT for three nights; ltrcastles.com
18. Flower power – Caerhays, Cornwall
Regency architect John Nash designed this castle 200 years ago and a century later its famous springtime gardens began with plant hunters’ specimens from China and now contains, among other things, 600 magnolias. Guests have garden access, according to season and can stroll down the drive to the beach.
Castle tours until June 15; entrance to gardens until June 17. Combined tickets adults £14, children 5-16 £6.50.
There are 12 properties on the 140-acre estate, booked via Niche Retreats (nicheretreats.co.uk). The Rabbit Warren, in the castle’s west wing, sleeps four from £596 per week; caerhays.co.uk
19. Her Majesty’s pleasure – Lincoln Castle
This Norman castle is perched, like the cathedral, on Castle Hill high above the city. It has a wall walk, Victorian prison and a vault displaying the cathedral’s fine version of Magna Carta and Charter of the Forest.
Open daily except Christmas and New Year. Adults £13.50, children aged five to 16 £7.20, family (two adults and up to three children) £34.20, under-fives free. Annual passes and Castle/Cathedral tickets also available; Lincoln Hotel (thelincolnhotel.com); doubles from £89; lincolncastle.com
20. Spellbound – Hogwarts Castle, Hertfordshire
Few castles have gripped the imagination of a generation like Harry Potter’s alma mater. The famous model of its soaring corbel turrets, flying buttresses and Gothic windows – startlingly like Glamis Castle – is the climax of Warner Bros’ Studio Tour at Leavesden. Adults £41, children aged five to 15 £31, family (two adults and two children or one adult and three children) £124, under-5s free. Advance booking essential, especially for Hogwarts in the Snow, Nov 17 to Jan 27.
The Grove (thegrove.co.uk) is a spa hotel in wonderful grounds a short drive away. Doubles from £340, with breakfast; wbstudiotour.co.uk/home
