Castles · South East England
Old Wardour Castle
Old Wardour Castle — Grade I listed castle in Wardour, Wiltshire, England, UK.
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
- Tisbury · 2.8 km
- Paid entry
- Family-friendly
- Limited wheelchair access
About
Old Wardour Castle is a castle in the United Kingdom — fortified architecture from the medieval, Tudor, or Victorian-revival period. It covers approximately 384 km². Heritage designation: scheduled monument. Owned by English Heritage. Managed by English Heritage. Wikidata describes it as: "Grade I listed castle in Wardour, Wiltshire, England, UK". Coordinates: 51.0363°, -2.0889°.
Photo gallery
Heritage listing
Wardour Castle or Old Wardour Castle is a ruined 14th-century castle at Wardour, on the boundaries of the civil parishes of Tisbury and Donhead St Andrew in the English county of Wiltshire, about 15 miles (24 km) west of Salisbury. The castle was built in the 1390s, came into the ownership of the Arundells in the 16th century, and was rendered uninhabitable in 1643 and 1644 during the Civil War. A Grade I listed building, it is managed by English Heritage and open to the public.
From the Historic England List Entry under OGL v3.
From English Heritage
Showpiece house to romantic ruin, Old Wardour Castle is set in beautiful Wiltshire countryside
Read more on the official property page.
Protected designations
- Site of Special Scientific Interest: River Avon System SSSI
- Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty: Cranborne Chase & West Wiltshire Downs
Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
Wardour Castle or Old Wardour Castle is a ruined 14th-century castle at Wardour, on the boundaries of the civil parishes of Tisbury and Donhead St Andrew in the English county of Wiltshire, about 15 miles (24 km) west of Salisbury. The castle was built in the 1390s, came into the ownership of the Arundells in the 16th century, and was rendered uninhabitable in 1643 and 1644 during the Civil War. A Grade I listed building, it is managed by English Heritage and open to the public.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
Architecture
In the 1300s, the land on which the castle was built was owned by the St Martin family until Sir Lawrence de St Martin died in 1385. Later in that year the land was acquired by John, the fifth Baron Lovell. In 1392 or 1393, Baron Lovell was granted permission by King Richard II to build a castle on the site. It was constructed using locally quarried Tisbury greensand, and the master mason was William Wynford. The design was inspired by the hexagonal (six-sided) castles then in fashion in parts of the Continent, particularly in France (with similarities being noted to the château de Concressault); but its own design is unique in Britain. The inclusion of several self-contained guest suites…
Visiting
The castle, including the grotto on the north side of its grounds, appeared in the 1991 Kevin Costner feature Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. The cover of Sting's album Ten Summoner's Tales was photographed inside Wardour Castle.
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 51.0363, -2.0889
- District
- Wiltshire
- Parish
- Tisbury
- Postcode
- SP3 6RP
- Parliamentary constituency
- Salisbury
- Phone
- 01747 870487
- Nearest railway station
- Tisbury — 2.8 km
- Official site
- www.english-heritage.org.uk
Sources
- wikidata: Q7969192 (CC0)
- wikipedia: Wardour Castle (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- commons: Old Wardour Castle 56.JPG (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Other places nearby
Loading nearby places…
Nearby
📷 5Castles · South East England
Wardour Castle
Wardour Castle — a other in england-south-east, United Kingdom.
📷 5Natural landmarks · South East England
Cranborne Chase School
Cranborne Chase School — a school heritage in england-south-east, United Kingdom.
📷 5Castles · South East England
New Wardour Castle
New Wardour Castle — a castle in england-south-east, United Kingdom.
📷 5Manor houses · South East England
Hook Manor
Hook Manor — Grade II* listed building-listed manor in england-south-east, United Kingdom.
📷 5Manor houses · South East England
Hatch Manor
Hatch Manor — Grade II listed building-listed manor in england-south-east, United Kingdom.
Vineyards · South East England
Wick Farm settlement site
Wick Farm settlement site — a UK vineyard in england south east, producing English or Welsh wine from cool-climate grape varieties.
More places run by English Heritage
Flagship📷 10Museums · London
Kenwood House
Kenwood House — art museum and historic house in Hampstead, London.
📷 5Galleries · London
Apsley House
Apsley House — London townhouse of the Dukes of Wellington.
★ Iconic📷 5Abbeys & priories · London
Denny Abbey
Denny Abbey — church in South Cambridgeshire, England, UK.
📷 5Chapels · London
Duxford Chapel
Duxford Chapel — chapel in Whittlesford, Cambridgeshire, England, UK.
More castles in this region
📷 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.
📷 5Castles · South East England
Basing House
Basing House — Tudor palace and castle in Old Basing, United Kingdom.
Frequently asked questions
- Where is Old Wardour Castle?
- Old Wardour Castle is in South-East England, United Kingdom (postcode SP3 6RP), in the parish of Tisbury.
- Who runs Old Wardour Castle?
- Old Wardour Castle is operated by English Heritage.
- Is Old Wardour Castle a listed building?
- Old Wardour Castle is officially recognised as scheduled monument listed.
- Is Old Wardour Castle a protected site?
- Yes — Old Wardour Castle is part of the River Avon System SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest and the Cranborne Chase & West Wiltshire Downs National Landscape (AONB).
- Does Old Wardour Castle charge admission?
- Old Wardour Castle typically charges admission. Check the official site for current ticket prices and opening hours.
- How do I get to Old Wardour Castle?
- The nearest railway station is Tisbury, about 2.8 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode SP3 6RP.