Berkeley Castle

Contents
1. Introduction 2. Interesting Facts 3. History 4. Description 5. Getting There 6. Best Time to Visit

Introduction

Berkeley Castle stands in the market town of Berkeley, Gloucestershire, and has been the ancestral home of the Berkeley family since its Norman stone keep was begun in 1153. Expanded over the centuries, the complex retains mediaeval defensive features alongside later Tudor additions and Georgian interiors. It is historically notable as the place where King Edward II died in 1327 and for hosting visits by Queen Elizabeth I and other monarchs. Today the privately owned castle is open to the public on selected dates from spring to autumn, offering access to state rooms, armour displays, landscaped terraces, a walled garden and a butterfly house, with parking on-site and convenient links from the M5 motorway and the nearby rail stations at Cam & Dursley and Bristol.

Interesting Facts about Berkeley Castle

• Berkeley Castle is the oldest continuously-occupied castle in England, having been inhabited for over nine centuries.
• The castle is the oldest building in the country to be inhabited by the same family who built it, with the Berkeley family maintaining unbroken ownership since the 12th century.
• King Edward II was allegedly murdered within the castle's walls in September 1327, making it the scene of one of the most infamous murders in British history.
• The Berkeley family is the only English family still in existence that can trace its ancestors from father to son back to Saxon times.
• The castle houses archives dating from 1154, comprising around 25,000 documents with about 6,000 dating from before 1490.
• Berkeley Castle was built in 1067 by William FitzOsbern as one of the March Castles specifically designed to keep out the Welsh.
• The castle contains Sir Francis Drake's cabin chest from his voyages on the Golden Hind, along with Queen Elizabeth I's bedspread.
• The Berkeley Hunt maintains the oldest hunting pack in the country, with around 90 Berkeley hounds housed in kennels built in the early 17th century.
• The castle is constructed from distinctive local pink, grey, and yellow Severn sandstone, giving it its characteristic warm appearance.
• During the English Civil War, Berkeley Castle endured a three-day siege by Parliamentary forces in 1645 before surrendering, with the outer walls flattened and gatehouse destroyed.
• The castle features an 11-metre deep dungeon where Edward II's cries are reportedly still heard each year on the anniversary of his death.
• Dickie Pearce, the last court jester in England, died at Berkeley Castle after falling from the Minstrels' gallery in the Great Hall.
• Queen Elizabeth I was famously insulted when Lord Berkeley rode out of the front gate just as she was riding in during one of her royal progresses.
• The castle estate includes one of the best examples of a mediaeval deer park in the country, along with 6,000 acres and a stretch of the River Severn.
• Berkeley Castle is the third-oldest continuously lived-in castle in England, with only the Tower of London and Windsor Castle being older.

History

Berkeley Castle stands as one of England's most remarkable medieval fortresses, boasting an extraordinary history spanning nearly a millennium. Originally constructed in 1067 by William FitzOsbern, one of William the Conqueror's trusted companions, the castle began as a traditional Norman motte-and-bailey fortification. Built from distinctive warm pink stone that glows beautifully in sunset light, Berkeley Castle was strategically positioned to overlook the Severn Estuary and served as one of the crucial March Castles designed to repel Welsh incursions. The original timber structure was transformed into a formidable stone fortress by the end of the 12th century, featuring the unusual design of a shell keep that surrounds the central mound rather than sitting atop it. In 1153, the castle and its surrounding lands were granted to Robert Fitzharding, a wealthy Anglo-Saxon supporter of the future King Henry II, marking the beginning of the Berkeley family's unbroken association with the castle.

The medieval period witnessed Berkeley Castle at the centre of some of England's most dramatic historical events. In 1215, it served as the final assembly point for rebellious West Country barons before their momentous journey to Runnymede and the signing of the Magna Carta. However, the castle's most infamous moment came in 1327 when the deposed King Edward II was imprisoned within its walls by his estranged wife, Queen Isabella of France, and her lover, Roger Mortimer. On 21st September 1327, Edward II was reportedly murdered in the castle's dungeon, with popular accounts suggesting he was killed with a red-hot poker, though the exact circumstances remain shrouded in mystery. The castle continued to play host to royalty throughout the centuries, welcoming King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn in 1535, and later Queen Elizabeth I in 1574, cementing its status as one of England's great noble houses.

What makes Berkeley Castle truly extraordinary is that it represents the oldest building in the country to be inhabited by the same family who built it, with the Berkeley family maintaining continuous residence for over 900 years. This remarkable continuity has preserved not only the castle's architecture but also its extensive archives, which date back to 1154 and comprise approximately 25,000 documents, making them among the most complete medieval records in England. The castle survived the turbulent English Civil War when Parliamentary forces laid siege to it in 1645, eventually capturing it from the Royalist defenders before it returned to Berkeley family ownership. Today, the castle remains a private family home whilst serving as a popular tourist destination, allowing visitors to explore its Great Hall, medieval chapel with painted wooden vaulted ceilings, and the very dungeon where Edward II met his grisly end. The surrounding Elizabethan gardens feature Elizabeth I's bowling green and a pine tree believed to have originated from the Battle of Culloden in 1746, whilst the castle itself has served as a filming location for productions including 'The White Princess'.

Description

Architecture and Structure

The Norman Keep

The castle's most striking feature is its imposing circular shell keep, which rises majestically above the surrounding Gloucestershire countryside. Built from distinctive warm pink-grey and yellow Severn sandstone that glows beautifully in soft sunset light, the keep's massive walls measure up to 8 feet thick in places, testament to its Norman builders' defensive priorities. The structure follows classic Norman design principles whilst showcasing the evolution of architectural styles across the centuries.

The keep's lower levels retain their austere Norman character with thick walls and small windows, whilst the upper floors reveal evidence of later modifications. Larger windows were added in subsequent centuries to bring more light into the living spaces, reflecting the castle's gradual transformation from a purely military structure to a more comfortable residence.

Defensive Features

Berkeley Castle maintains all the formidable defensive features befitting one of the March Castles built to guard against Welsh incursions. The fortress boasts an impressive array of medieval military architecture including:

• Trip steps designed to make enemy forces stumble during an assault
• Arrow slits strategically positioned throughout the walls
• Murder holes for defending key passages
• Enormous barred doors with original ironwork
• Slots where the mighty portcullis once fell
• Worn stones marking where medieval sentries stood their watch

The imposing gatehouse, with its twin towers and portcullis mechanism, serves as the primary entrance and continues to impress visitors with its formidable presence. The battlements drop some 60 feet to the Great Lawn below, creating a dramatic silhouette against the sky.

The Curtain Wall and Towers

Surrounding the keep, the medieval curtain wall creates an impressive defensive system punctuated by a series of projecting towers. The wall walk along the top offers stunning views across the castle grounds and the surrounding countryside. Thorpe's Tower, positioned to the north of the keep, represents 14th-century additions to the complex, built to enhance both defence and domestic accommodation.

Interior Spaces

The Great Hall

The magnificent Great Hall serves as the social heart of Berkeley Castle, showcasing spectacular medieval architecture. This vast space features a soaring ceiling supported by an intricate hammerbeam roof - a fine example of 14th-century carpentry that creates an immediate sense of grandeur. The hall would have hosted medieval feasts, council meetings, and legal proceedings, and its impressive dimensions continue to awe visitors today.

At one end of the Great Hall stands the minstrels' gallery, a raised platform from which musicians would have entertained assembled guests during medieval banquets. The hall's walls display an impressive collection of tapestries and armorial displays that reflect the castle's long and distinguished heritage.

State Rooms and Living Quarters

The castle's state rooms demonstrate the evolution of aristocratic living across the centuries. The Morning Room showcases elegant Georgian furnishings and large windows that overlook the castle gardens, providing a striking contrast to the medieval austerity found elsewhere in the castle.

The Long Drawing Room, created during the 17th century, exemplifies the changing tastes of the English nobility with its ornate plasterwork ceiling and collection of fine paintings. These spaces reflect the Berkeley family's wealth and status whilst maintaining the castle's intimate, lived-in atmosphere.

The historically significant King's Gallery presents a long, narrow chamber with thick walls and small windows that bear witness to its original defensive purpose. This room carries particular historical weight as the location where Edward II was imprisoned in 1327.

The Chapel of St. Mary

The castle's chapel represents a gem of early 14th-century Gothic architecture. Its graceful windows feature delicate stone tracery that demonstrates the high level of craftsmanship employed throughout the castle's construction. The east window proves particularly noteworthy for its exquisite stonework.

Within the chapel, visitors can observe faded medieval wall paintings that offer glimpses into the vibrant decorative schemes that would have adorned the castle in its early years. The space also houses several important funerary monuments to members of the Berkeley family, showcasing changing styles of commemoration across the centuries.

The Dungeon

Berkeley Castle features one of England's most notorious dungeons - an 11-metre deep chamber that serves as a sobering reminder of the castle's darker purposes. The cell maintains its grim medieval atmosphere, and local legend suggests that the echoes of historical events can still be sensed within its stone walls.

Grounds and Setting

The Inner Courtyard

Despite the castle's formidable exterior defences, the Inner Courtyard creates an surprisingly intimate atmosphere on a human scale. Here, uneven battlements combine with small towers and doors and windows of every conceivable shape and size, creating a charming architectural medley that reflects centuries of organic development.

The Great Lawn and Gardens

The castle sits within beautifully maintained grounds that complement its medieval architecture. The Great Lawn stretches below the dramatic drop of the battlements, whilst the surrounding gardens blend historical elements with horticultural beauty. These outdoor spaces provide the perfect setting for appreciating the castle's impressive silhouette and understanding its strategic position overlooking the surrounding landscape.

Character and Atmosphere

Berkeley Castle successfully maintains the paradox of being both "grand and gruesome; homely and horrid" as historic descriptions aptly put it. The fortress manages to combine its impressive medieval military architecture with the warmth of a family home that has been continuously inhabited for nearly nine centuries.

The castle's distinctive pink sandstone construction, combined with its fairytale-like towers and battlements, creates a romantic silhouette that seems to glow in certain lights. Yet this beauty coexists with the undeniable sense of the castle's martial past, from its defensive features to its dungeon depths.

The building represents a fascinating architectural palimpsest where Norman foundations support Tudor embellishments and Georgian refinements, creating a living document of nearly a millennium of English architectural evolution. Each room and corridor tells part of a continuing story, making Berkeley Castle not merely a historic monument but a vibrant, lived-in home that happens to be nearly 1,000 years old.

Getting There

By car, the castle is situated just 10 minutes from junction 13 or 14 of the M5 motorway - simply follow the road signs for the town of Berkeley and then the brown heritage signs for Berkeley Castle, using postcode GL13 9PJ for satnav directions. By train, the nearest railway station is Cam & Dursley, located approximately 6 miles from the castle, from where you'll need to arrange a taxi for the final leg of your journey. Alternatively, you can travel to Bristol Temple Meads station and connect to the Cam & Dursley line.

By coach, National Express and other operators provide services to Bristol, from where you can catch connecting buses via Rock Street to reach Berkeley Castle, though this involves multiple changes and takes considerably longer than driving. The castle offers free parking for visitors, with designated spaces for disabled guests and a separate coach park near the main entrance.

Best Time to Visit

The best time to visit Berkeley Castle truly depends on what you hope to experience, as each season brings its own unique character to this historic fortress. The castle is generally open from the spring until late autumn, welcoming visitors from Sunday to Wednesday. A visit in springtime is rewarded with vibrant gardens coming into bloom and family-friendly Easter events. Summer is arguably the most lively period, featuring spectacular medieval jousting tournaments and outdoor theatre performances, with the castle's roses being a particular highlight in June. For those who enjoy a touch of magic and mystery, autumn offers atmospheric ghost tours around Halloween and a Harvest Festival that celebrates local Gloucestershire produce. To also enjoy the on-site butterfly house, plan your trip between the beginning of May and the end of September.