England's Castles
 

I am in the very early stages of planning a tour of castles in England and perhaps Wales and I would love some input. I am not so interested in ruins as I am in residences. We toured the chataeux of the Loire Valley this year and loved and would like to do a similiar tour in UK. I have searched this site but surprisingly have found very little. Thanks in Advance.

Hi Barry - a good place to start is with English Heritage - they're the government's appointed body in charge of historic buildings. Their website is www.english-heritage.org.uk, and it shows a list of all the historic properties they manage on behalf of the nation. Lots of castles!

I'm really surprised that a search has not pulled up lots of references to castles in England and Wales. The top 10 always include Warwick Castle, in the English Midlands; Conway Castle in Wales and Leeds and /or Windsor Castles just outside London

Try a search here on Fodors, using "castles" and using the UK as a keyword.

Also search on the terms "palaces" and "stately homes" - My personal recommendations include:<BR><BR>Blenheim Palace in Woodstock<BR>Woburn Abbey (not an abbey, but a palace) in Bedfordshire<BR>Windsor Castle<BR>Buckingham Palace (can only tour in August or September)<BR>Castle Howard in Yorkshire<BR>Hampton Court Palace<BR>Warwick Castle<BR>Longleat House & Safari Park near Bath<BR>

One very popular destination is Blenheim Palace, just outside Oxford.<BR>Still the home of the Dukes of Marlborough, and Winston Churchill was born there (and is buried not far away).<BR>Tours offered all year except winter. http://www.blenheimpalace.com<BR><BR>Castle Howard not far outside of York is one of my favorites, partly because it was the inspiration for the fictional Brideshead in the book and film "Brideshead Revisited." Coincidentally, same architect as Blenheim. Still a residence.<BR>Tours in season, and magnificent grounds. www.castlehoward.co.uk/ also www.treasurehouses.org.uk

Most of the English castles are in ruins. But the great homes are there<BR>in all their glory. Buy a Heritage Pass which will cover your entry fee and parking at most of the great houses.

Barry - may I had that I hope you are going sometime between spring and fall as most of these are not open during the off season.

In addition to English Heritage , check National Trust ..www.nationaltrust.org<BR><BR>if you see several you'd like to visit it pays to join The Royal Oak society, the American arm of NT. www.royal-oak.org...Paying for a family membership will allow free entrance, plus additional member benefits and it pays for itself if you visit more the 4 properties and it's tax deductible!

Try www.castles-of-britain.com. I think there is a similar site regarding castles of wales. I found this via www.allthingsbritish.com which I've always found very helpful in trip planning.

Don't forget Alnwick Castle where Harry Potter was filmed. Currently the home of the Duke of Northumberland, Percy, with an extensive art collection.

There are so many historic houses and castles open to the public in England and Wales (someone said over 1000) that you would have a hard time visiting all of them in a lifetime. It would be a good idea to start with a good guidebook (and there are a lot of them, too) and see what interests you. Many are available for a good price at half.com. Some personal favorites:<BR><BR>“National Trust Guide”<BR>“AA Illustrated Guide to Britain” or one of the AA “Touring Guide” series<BR>“Hudson’s Historic Houses and Gardens” (good for up-to-date information about times and hours)<BR><BR>Some other web sites to look at:<BR><BR> - www.nationaltrust.org.uk (the one given above without the “.uk” is the U.S. organization)<BR> - www.hha.org.uk (Historic Houses Association; they have a good pass, too)<BR> - www.britainexpress.com/Where_to_go_in_Britain/historic_houses/historic_house_index.htm<BR><BR>Other Internet search terms:<BR><BR>“Country house”<BR>“Historic house”<BR><BR>Some other very interesting properties:<BR><BR>Haddon Hall, Hardwick Hall, Chatsworth (often named as the greatest country house), The Vyne, Wallington, Broadlands, Belvoir Castle, Hatfield, Burghley, Wilton<BR><BR>You can also select which ones to visit based on your interests:<BR><BR> - Famous people & events<BR> - Properties used in TV, Movies (see the HHA site for a list of some of theirs)<BR> - Famous architects (Wren, Vanbrugh, Adam, …)<BR><BR><BR>Let me know if I can help with anything.<BR>

A big vote for Warwick..went there more than 16 years ago and still can't stop raving about it.. Also, haven't been inside Chatsworth, but on a drive through to the village of Bakewell it is a must on our next trip..BTW Bakewell is the most gorgeous little english village..make sure you go into Sinclair's a old china shop with the most delightful salesladies .

Loved Warwick, but the very best castle I've ever been to is Edinburgh Castle.<BR><BR>Now that is a castle....with a view, sitting on the top of an extinct volcano, tons of history and what a view!<BR><BR>A great castle!<BR><BR>US

The web site http://www.historic-uk.com/StayUK/CastleHotels.htm shows castles which are now hotels. Not cheap, but great fun. Welcome to England.<BR><BR>Ben Haines, London<BR>

Some Welsh links:<BR><BR>CADW's site is at<BR>http://www.cadw.wales.gov.uk/. This is the Welsh equivalent of English Heritage, and looks after many historic monuments (including all the major castles) in Wales. 'Cadw' is Welsh for 'keep'.<BR><BR>The Welsh Tourist Board also has lots of information: http://www.visitwales.com.<BR><BR>Castle Wales is a good independent web site with lots of info on many Welsh castles:<BR>http://www.castlewales.com/home.html<BR><BR>Enjoy your visit to Wales!<BR><BR>Mel.<BR>

Did anyone recommend Arundel? That's a castle. Among my favorite great houses are Montacute House in Somerset, Corsham Court in Wiltshire, and Ightham Mote in Kent. The British Heritage Pass is great!!!! J.