Well, DJ Sammy/Ian Van Dahl (pick your version), people build castles near London because they look bloody spectacular, and they make for an excellent day trip too. It’s a chance to live like the kings and queens you are, whilst also learning a bit about medieval history and the various power struggles that have shaped our fair nation. And with the release of the latest (and final series) of The Crown, we figured that it was high time that we showed you where you could live out your Royal fantasies! So, without further ado, here are 20 of the best castles in London and castles near London we reckon you should be paying a visit to!
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Castles in London
There’s only one King in town, but if you fancied a lesser title for the day, head to one of these fine castles in London and maybe bestow yourself with a dukedom or something? Go on – why not treat yourself?
1. Tower of London
Like we could possibly overlook this one… One of the city’s oldest and most recognisable tourist attractions, the Tower of London has stood since William the Conqueror decided the capital needed a fortress to remind Londoners of his conquest. Nearly 1000 years later, it’s still standing, famously housing the Crown Jewels and a flock of ravens. A visit here might encompass a paid guided tour – or checking out the Ceremony of the Keys, which is free though you’ll need to check when it’s on.
Seasonal events such as their immersive theatre tour for LGBT+ History Month and their ‘Trailblazers: Woman at the Tower of London’ tour run at various points throughout the year – check their website for further details.
🏰 Built 1078
📍London, EC3N 4AB.
🚇 Nearest station is Tower Hill.
2. Severndroog Castle
OK, so it’s technically a folly rather than a castle, but this little delight is still impressive enough to snag a spot on our list. Severndroog Castle never hosted armies or repelled invaders, but on a clear day, you can see seven counties (and most of London) from the viewing platform on the top. Unless you’re beset by cloudy foes, of course…
🏰 Built 1784
📍Severndroog Castle Castle Wood, Shooters Hill, London, SE18 3RT.
🚇 Nearest stations are Welling and Eltham.
3. Strawberry Hill House & Gardens
Again, not technically a castle, but it looks enchanting enough to get away with it – you certainly wouldn’t be complaining if you lived here, would you? Strawberry Hill House is the creation of Horace Walpole, who wanted a suitably swish pad alongside the Thames, complete with battlements, towers, and some extremely blingy interiors.
🏰 Built 1747.
📍268 Waldegrave Road, Twickenham, TW1 4ST.
Castles near London
Escaping the hustle and bustle of the city offers a better chance of capturing a castle – and these castles near London range from country mansions to hilltop ruins. But – all of them are well worth a visit!
4. Highclere Castle
I’m sure you recognise this one, even if you’re not sure where from. Highclere Castle is, of course, more widely known as Downton Abbey, and thus makes for an absolute must-visit for fans of the show. However, should you remain clueless about what the Crawleys are up to, you’re advised to visit for sumptuous state rooms, sculpted gardens, and picnic concerts, amongst other events.
🏰 Built 1679, remodelled 1842-49.
📍Highclere Park, Highclere, Newbury, RG20 9RN.
🚇 Nearest station is Newbury, though we’d recommend driving as you’ll need to get a taxi otherwise.
5. Windsor Castle
You’ll need a pretty convincing claim to dislodge the current tenant, so a day visit should suffice. The oldest and largest occupied castle in the world, Windsor Castle has been home to a whopping 40 monarchs, including our current King, Charles III. You can take guided walking tours of the state apartments, see St. George’s Chapel (where Harry and Meghan were married), and there’s the added benefit of the Legoland theme park being nearby, too. If you’re wanting to join a half-day walking tour, you can get your tickets here.
🏰 Built circa 1066.
📍Windsor, West Berkshire, SL4 1NJ.
🚇 Nearest station is Windsor & Eton Riverside and Windsor & Eton Central.
6. Bodiam Castle
You’d ideally need a boat to conquer Bodiam Castle, which – save for a small causeway up to the main gate – is surrounded on all sides by water. It was built to repel the French during the Hundred Years War, but since they didn’t bother pitching up, the castle was left alone until the War of the Roses, when even that moat couldn’t prevent a quick surrender. The castle was mostly dismantled during the English Civil War, and has remained a picturesque ruin despite some restoration work.
🏰 Built 1385.
📍Bodiam, Robertsbridge, TN32 5UA.
🚇 There are no stations near so you’ll need to drive to this one.
7. Warwick Castle
All these castles near London are brilliant in their own right, but for me, Warwick Castle stands alone for one simple reason: they’ve got a goddamn, honest-to-God awesome trebuchet, which they routinely use to fling heavy objects for the delight of guests. This is, naturally, the only reason one needs a trebuchet in 2023, but still, you love to see it. Archery displays, falconry shows, and informative historical displays round off an excellent day out. They’ve even got a spooky dungeon here – be prepared to scream!
🏰 Built 1068.
📍Warwick, Warwickshire, CV34 6AU.
🚇 Nearest station is Warwick.
8. Hadlow Tower
Your best chance to visit Hadlow Tower (the only remaining part of Hadlow Castle) came back in 2018, when it went on sale for a cool £2 million. Sadly, some lucky devil snapped it – and its drawing room, media room, top-floor master bedroom, and roof terrace – up, so your only chance to see it now is if you join one of their guided tours.
🏰 Built 1838.
📍Hadlow Castle, High St, Hadlow, Tonbridge, Kent, TN11 0EG.
🚇 Nearest station is Tunbridge, though we’d recommend driving as you’ll need to get a taxi otherwise.
9. Dover Castle
The largest castle in England, the Grade I-listed Dover Castle has stood guarding the English Channel since the days of William the Conqueror who, upon landing on green England’s shores, immediately fortified the castle to ensure that no-one followed him. It’s been described as ‘the key to England’, and has seen use in the Napoleonic Wars and World War 2, when it was used as a command centre and underground hospital. It also doubled as the spot for Anne Boleyn’s execution in The Other Boleyn Girl. Stirring stuff indeed.
🏰 Built 1066.
📍Castle Hill Road Dover, CT16 1HU.
🚇 Nearest station is Dover Priory.
10. Hever Castle
There are plenty of reasons to love Hever Castle, beginning with that seriously impressive moat – a perfect defence against enemies of your queendom, or just annoying relatives. It’s also famous as the childhood home of Anne Boleyn (and later belonged to Anne of Cleves, one of Henry VIII’s more fortunate wives – she was only divorced), and now boasts lavish interiors, award-winning gardens, and a Japanese tea house. One of the south east’s better wild swimming spots is nearby, too.
🏰 Built 1270.
📍Hever Road, Hever, Edenbridge, TN8 7NG.
🚇 Nearest station is Hever.
11. Hadleigh Castle
The good news is that Hadleigh Castle is free to enter. The bad news is that’s because the place is in ruins, with the stonework mostly sold off in the sixteenth century. Still, it’s a rugged, romantic place for a wander, commanding some pretty neat views of the nearby Thames Estuary. English Heritage are in charge now, so you can tell that this one’s in good hands.
🏰 Built circa 1215.
📍Castle Lane, Hadleigh, Benfleet, Essex, SS7 2AP.
🚇 Nearest station is Leigh-on-Sea.
12. Carisbrooke Castle
Carisbrooke Castle managed to imprison Charles I despite his best efforts to escape, but your stay will hopefully be a little more temporary. One of the best tourist attractions on the Isle of Wight, Carisbrooke Castle hosts no monarchs these days, but does maintain a herd of donkeys, who raise water using a sixteenth-century water wheel. A wander round the walls and a slice of cake in the tea room should ensure a peachy day trip.
🏰 Built circa 1100.
📍Castle Hill, Newport, Isle of Wight, PO30 1XY.
🚇 As this one is one the Isle of Wight, you’ll need to get here via car and ferry.
13. Leeds Castle
Stealing the title of ‘most confusingly-named castle near London’, the Grade I-listed Leeds Castle is nowhere near Leeds, Yorkshire. It is in fact in Kent, perched on the edge of a lake, and thus revels in the title of being ‘the loveliest castle in the world‘, bestowed by Lord Conway of Allington. Hard to argue with him, particularly since it boasts plentiful gardens, birds of prey, a maze, and a history which has seen it belong to no fewer than six queens of England.
🏰 Built in 1119.
📍Broomfield, Maidstone, Kent, ME17 1PL.
🚇 Nearest station is Harrietsham.
14. Arundel Castle
The whole town of Arundel is well worth a visit, especially if Sussex CCC are playing their annual cricket match on the castle’s cricket ground. Built in the eleventh century, and restored with Gothic flair in the late nineteenth, Arundel Castle now hosts medieval jousting, knights tournaments, and an annual tulip festival. The castle’s art collection – featuring works by Gainsborough, Van Dyck, and Canaletto – shouldn’t be overlooked either.
🏰 Founded in 1067 and then restored and remodelled.
📍Arundel, West Sussex, BN18 9AB.
🚇 Nearest station is Arundel.
15. Camber Castle
In between divorcing, beheading, and procreating, Henry VIII found time to commission the construction of Camber Castle, which was designed to protect the gorgeous Sussex town of Rye. The town itself cries out for a day trip, and even though Cromwell’s forces dismantled most of the castle during the English Civil War, it remains a pretty dramatic place for a wander.
🏰 Built in 1512.
📍Harbour Road, Rye, TN36 4JS.
🚇 Nearest station is Rye.
16. Rochester Castle
Guarding both the main road to London and the River Medway, Rochester Castle has been besieged by King John (who used pig fat to set part of it on fire, the wily fox), damaged by the forces of Simon de Montfort, and eventually ransacked during the Peasant’s Revolt. A hard life, indeed, although it’s been easier in recent years, having been open as public gardens since the 1870s. It also offers fantastic views over the River Medway.
🏰 Built in 1127.
📍Castle Hill, Rochester, ME1 1SW.
🚇 Nearest station is Rochester.
17. Framlingham Castle
Two significant events have ensured Framlingham Castle’s place in history. In 1553, Mary Tudor assembled a mighty military force at the castle, ensuring her ascension to the throne of England in spite of her dying brother’s attempts to redraw the line of succession given that she was a Catholic. Plus, back in 2017, Framlingham Castle made an appearance as the ‘Castle on the Hill’ in Ed Sheeran’s namesake song, and subsequent got lodged in all of our heads for several months. Try not to sing it as you’re wandering around the walls…
🏰 Built circa 1160.
📍Church Street, Framlingham, Woodbridge, Suffolk, IP13 9BP.
🚇 There are no stations near so you’ll need to drive to this one.
18. Hastings Castle
Having suffered at the hands of the French and the weather, Hastings Castle and Keep is now an impressive ruin. It’s a far cry from the castle’s heyday, when William the Conqueror claimed his famous victory at the Battle of Hastings, although it now features a 16-minute presentation about the history of the castle and battle.
🏰 Built in 1070.
📍Castle Hill Road, Hastings, TN34 3HY.
🚇 Nearest station is Hastings.
19. Donnington Castle
Just a hop, skip and a jump from the Berkshire market town of Newbury lies Donnington Castle, which was first built as a military gatehouse during the late 14th century, and it now offers charming panoramic views of Newbury, Wash Common, Enbourne and the rolling green hills of Hampshire. It’s a lovely spot, and you can also wander down to the Kennet and Avon canal, where you may be able to spot wildlife including kingfishers, herons, red kites and buzzards.
🏰 Built in 1386.
📍Donnington Castle Farm Cottage, Castle Lane, Donnington, Newbury, West Berkshire, RG14 2LE.
🚇 Nearest station is Newbury.
20. Herstmonceux Castle
Rounding off this list of the best castles near London is Herstmonceux Castle, a brick-built castle, dating from the 15th century. It’s one of the oldest and most significant brick buildings still left in the UK, and is surrounded by a charming moat and 300 acres of carefully-managed woodland and beautiful garden. They’ve got falconry here, and it’s sometimes even used as a wedding venue! Queue the wedding bells…
🏰 Built in 1441.
📍Hailsham, East Sussex, BN27 1RN
🚇 There are no stations near so you’ll need to drive to this one.
So there you have it – a roundup of the best castles in London and castles near London. So if you’re looking to get your history fix or live like a lord or lady, then you know exactly where to head!
Also published on Medium.