Berkeley Castle has been home to many generations of the Berkeley family and is located on the outskirts of the town of Berkeley in the south of Gloucestershire. After arriving and parking in the large free on-site car park, we headed towards the castle via a path that is presented with nicely illustrated information boards which give a very informative introduction and history to the castle. Click here to read more about the history of Berkeley Castle.
The castle’s exterior was indeed very striking and one of the very first and obvious details we saw was the breach on the west side of the 12th century circular keep. The castle was badly damaged during the English Civil war as control of it passed between the Parliamentary and Royalist forces several times during the conflict. Once the war had ended the Berkeley family were allowed to retain ownership of it on the provision that the damage sustained was not to be repaired.
Click here to watch our tour of Berkeley Castle
We headed through the gatehouse and into the inner ward which is very beautiful as this is where we find many of the additional buildings and rooms that were constructed in the 14th century. After taking in this wonderful space we headed for the castle’s interior. The pandemic meant that the castle was operating a one-way system, so we entered the castle up some external steps which lead to the first room, the King’s gallery.
We explored many rooms including the very impressive Great Hall which is a real eye-opener. The rooms are rich in numerous artworks and antiques and contain well presented information boards which tell stories of the castle and its history. We were so impressed we decided to go around a 2nd time!
Our final part of the visit involved the beautiful terraced garden which you can get a lovely overview of looking out from the entrance to the castle. The garden is fully accessible with a pond and large open green areas – in the right weather it would be a lovely place for a picnic.
The castle is privately owned and open to the public from Sunday through to Wednesday and tickets can be bought on the castles website. The remaining days it is closed for private events.
P.S. If you are wondering from the photos, our visit was a week before Halloween so the castle had been heavily done out with various Halloween decorations!
24th October 2021
Address: Berkeley Castle, Gloucestershire, GL13 9BQ
Click below to watch our video on exploring Berkeley Castle and it’s history
I’m a huge fan of castles and when I was in England in 1995 I visited around 20 all over the country. Berkeley was one of my favorites and I’m so pleased that you wrote about your recent visit. The tiles in the Great Hall are spectacular and I really enjoyed looking at the detail on the wall tapestries. I’m sure that these give great insulation during the cold winter months.
I think that it was mean of parliament to insist on them not fixing the breach to the outer wall. It’s a beautiful castle.
Thank you for your comment, it is great to hear that you were able to visit Berkeley Castle and enjoyed it.
The Castle has such a long history spanning over a thousand years, it is a very interesting site, if you would like to read more about Berkeley Castle’s history then click here https://castlesandlegends.com/…
I agree it was a shame that parliament insisted on the Castle’s breach never being repaired however it meant that the castle did not get slighted (destroyed) like so many British castles sadly were.
Excellent article! Full of information and historical facts.
If I had the chance to travel this would definitely be one of the places I´d like to visit. Photos are amazing and the fact that it were taken during Halloween time of the year gives it the touch! Really important that you mention that Castle is only opened from Sunday to Wednesday, cause that´s something that not all know.
Thanks again!!!
Hello, thank you very much for your comment. I hope one day you are able to visit, it is such a beautiful and eye-opening place, a true gem! If you would like to read more into the castle’s history I recently wrote a post which goes into this and can be found here.
Thanks again.
Hi Madeleine,
What a beautiful castle, it makes me want to jump into the picture:) I love castles; they are so impressive and beautiful. No matter what castle I visit, I always feel I am getting back in time. The Berkeley Castle is outstanding from the outside and the inside! I am traveling next year with my children to England, so I definitely won’t miss this site. Is it required to wear a special dress code to enter the Castle?
Thank you very much for this excellent post
Wonderful I hope you and your family enjoy the castle. No there is no dress code, I would just recommend wearing sensible clothing.