Castles · South East England
Herstmonceux Castle
Herstmonceux Castle — castle near Herstmonceux, East Sussex, England; formerly a manor.
Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 1.5 h–3 h
- Nearest railway station
- Pevensey Bay · 5.8 km
- Family-friendly
- Limited wheelchair access
About
Herstmonceux Castle is a castle in the United Kingdom — fortified architecture from the medieval, Tudor, or Victorian-revival period. Records date its origin to 1401. Constructed primarily of brick. Heritage designation: Grade I listed building. Owned by Alfred Bader. Wikidata describes it as: "castle near Herstmonceux, East Sussex, England; formerly a manor". Coordinates: 50.8702°, 0.3392°.
Photo gallery
Heritage listing
Herstmonceux Castle is a brick-built castle, dating from the 15th century, near Herstmonceux, East Sussex, England. It is one of the oldest significant brick buildings still standing in England. The castle was renowned for being one of the first buildings to use that material in England, and was built using bricks taken from the local clay, by builders from Flanders. It dates from 1441. Construction began under the then-owner, Sir Roger Fiennes, and was continued after his death in 1449 by his son, Lord Dacre. The castle was gifted to Queen's University at Kingston, a Canadian university, in 1993 by Alfred and Isabel Bader. The parks and gardens of Herstmonceux Castle and Place are Grade II* listed on the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens.
From the Historic England List Entry under OGL v3.
Protected designations
- Site of Special Scientific Interest: Pevensey Levels SSSI
- Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty: High Weald
- Ramsar wetland: Pevensey Levels
Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
Herstmonceux Castle is a brick-built castle, dating from the 15th century, near Herstmonceux, East Sussex, England. It is one of the oldest significant brick buildings still standing in England. The castle was renowned for being one of the first buildings to use that material in England, and was built using bricks taken from the local clay, by builders from Flanders. It dates from 1441. Construction began under the then-owner, Sir Roger Fiennes, and was continued after his death in 1449 by his son, Lord Dacre. The castle was gifted to Queen's University at Kingston, a Canadian university, in 1993 by Alfred and Isabel Bader. The parks and gardens of Herstmonceux Castle and Place are Grade II* listed on the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens. Other listed structures on the Herstmonceux estate include the Grade II listed walled garden to the north of the castle, and the Grade II* listed telescopes and workshops of the Herstmonceux Science Centre.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
The first written evidence of the existence of the Herst settlement appears in William the Conqueror's Domesday Book of 1086, which reports that one of William's closest supporters granted tenancy of the manor at Herst to a man named 'Wilbert'. In 1541, Sir Thomas Fiennes, Lord Dacre, was tried for murder and robbery of the King's deer after his poaching exploits on a neighboring estate resulted in the death of a gamekeeper. He was convicted and hanged as a commoner, and the Herstmonceux estate was temporarily confiscated by Henry VIII of England, but was restored to the Fiennes family during the reign of one of Henry's children. The profligacy of the 15th Baron Dacre, heir to the Fiennes…
Visiting
The castle was used for filming part of The Silver Chair, a 1990 BBC adaptation of the book (one of The Chronicles of Narnia) by C. S. Lewis. The castle and gardens were used by comedians Reeves and Mortimer for one of their Mulligan and O'Hare sketches. In August 2002, The Coca-Cola Company rented the castle for use as part of a prize in a Harry Potter-themed sweepstakes—the castle served as "Hogwarts" in a day of Harry Potter-related activities for the sweepstakes winners. A "painting" of the castle was used as a magical cursed object in the U.S. television show Charmed – episode 2.3 "The Painted World". Due to its suitable appearance, Herstmonceux Castle was a filming location for the…
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 50.8702, 0.3392
- County
- East Sussex
- District
- Wealden
- Parish
- Herstmonceux
- Postcode
- BN27 1RN
- Parliamentary constituency
- Bexhill and Battle
- Established
- 1401
- Nearest railway station
- Pevensey Bay — 5.8 km
- Official site
- www.herstmonceux-castle.com
Sources
- wikidata: Q2652207 (CC0)
- wikipedia: Herstmonceux Castle (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- commons: Herstmonceux castle aerialview.jpg (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Other places nearby
Loading nearby places…
Nearby
📷 5Science centres · South East England
Herstmonceux Science Centre
Herstmonceux Science Centre — a other in england-south-east, United Kingdom.
📷 5Historic churches · South East England
The Parish Church of All Saints, Herstmonceux
The Parish Church of All Saints, Herstmonceux — Grade I listed church in Herstmonceux, East Sussex, England, UK.
📷 5Public art & sculpture · South East England
Isti Mirant Stella
Isti Mirant Stella — a public art in england-south-east, United Kingdom.
📷 5Windmills · South East England
Windmill Hill Mill, Herstmonceux
Windmill Hill Mill, Herstmonceux — Grade II* listed building-listed windmill in england-south-east, United Kingdom.
📷 5Historic churches · South East England
Herstmonceux Free Church
Herstmonceux Free Church — church in Herstmonceux, East Sussex, England, UK.
📷 5Forests & woodlands · South East England
Pevensey Levels SSSI
Pevensey Levels SSSI is a forest or woodland in the United Kingdom.
Other castles from this era
📷 5Castles · London
Allington Castle
Allington Castle — stone-built moated castle in Allington, England.
📷 5Castles · London
Cheveley Castle
Cheveley Castle — castle in Cheveley, Cambridgeshire, England, UK.
📷 5Castles · London
Guildford Castle
Guildford Castle — castle in Guildford, Surrey, England, UK.
📷 5Castles · London
Hertford Castle
Hertford Castle — Grade I listed castle in East Hertfordshire, England, UK.
More castles in this region
Flagship📷 10Castles · South East England
Old Wardour Castle
Old Wardour Castle — Grade I listed castle in Wardour, Wiltshire, England, UK.
📷 5Castles · South East England
Amberley Castle
Amberley Castle — Grade I listed castle in Horsham District, United Kingdom.
📷 5Castles · South East England
Arundel Castle
Arundel Castle — castle in West Sussex, England, UK.
📷 5Castles · South East England
Ballands Castle
Ballands Castle — former castle in Somerset, England, UK.
Frequently asked questions
- Where is Herstmonceux Castle?
- Herstmonceux Castle is in East Sussex, South-East England, United Kingdom (postcode BN27 1RN), in the parish of Herstmonceux.
- When was Herstmonceux Castle built?
- Built or established in 1401.
- Who owns Herstmonceux Castle?
- Herstmonceux Castle is owned by Alfred Bader.
- Is Herstmonceux Castle a listed building?
- Herstmonceux Castle is officially recognised as Grade I listed building listed.
- Is Herstmonceux Castle a protected site?
- Yes — Herstmonceux Castle is part of the Pevensey Levels SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest and the High Weald National Landscape (AONB).
- Does Herstmonceux Castle charge admission?
- Herstmonceux Castle typically charges admission. Check the official site for current ticket prices and opening hours.