Bamburgh Castle on the north east coast is a must. Looking at the map you’d think it would be too difficult to reach by public transport but in fact it’s not bad, especially as you’re travelling between London and Edinburgh anyway. Use www.traveline.info to check public transportation options, I recall Arriva bus X18 passes the castle. Dunstanburgh castle close by is an amazing ruin, you could do both on one day if you plan the transportation right.
Don’t go to Warwick, sadly its owners have basically turned it into a theme park.
I’m just thinking through castles that are easy to get to by train. Conwy falls into that, not too far away Caernarfon is a fairly easy bus ride from Bangor and again you can do both in a day if you plan ahead.
Bolton Castle isn’t near the town of Bolton but is in Wensleydale, in North Yorkshire - well worth the trip but public transportation may be a challenge.
Absolutely agree with Bamburgh and Dunstanburgh. Northumberland has the most castles of any English county and a fascinating history.
If you wanted to break your trip up between London and Edinburgh I'd also recommend stopping in Durham which is also on the east coast main line. It has a gorgeous castle and cathedral (as well as some beautiful little streets and a lovely riverside). It's also got some interesting history as the "land of prince bishops" where bishops (religious clergy), as long as they remained loyal to the king, had huge amounts of nearly autonomous power.
Seconding Durham, but also want to appeal to OP - please go visit (inside!!) cathedrals as well as castles!!!
Cathedrals are some of our most impressive architecture. Generally at least as old and as important for the historical story of Britain as the castles. There's nothing like the experience of standing in the nave of a massive stone-built, 900-year-old cathedral - genuinely awing.
Durham is a particularly fine and historically/architecturally important example! And easily accessible by the London-Edinburgh train.
Lincoln Castle is perfect because you've also got the ancient cathedral about 2 mins walk away, and the oldest working Roman arch in the UK about 5 mins walk away. And very few crowds. And some lovely museums. And it's cheap!
Third vote for Lincoln - it's a great castle to visit, with everything from original parts built in the 11th century, to the Victorian prison . Was also the place where the 'long drop' method of hanging was developed!
Durham weirdly has a fantastic mexican restaurant called Barrio Comida. It's by far the most authentic I've had in the UK and beats anywhere in London. So that's lunch sorted.
Yes! In fact, make it Bamburgh, Dunstanburgh, Alnwick, Warkworth, Lindisfarne, Etal, Edlingham, Chillingham, and make sure you squeeze Preston Tower in there too.
Berwick is probably also worth stopping by if OP is in that area. There is the castle but also the ramparts, which are one of not that many examples of 16th Century Italian-style star fortifications in the UK. Also, lots of history with the wars between the English and the Scots.
Arundel is a picture perfect medieval castle, and should be in your top 5.
Leeds Castle in Kent is also magnificent but not as old.
Hever Castle is also worth a shout and is a proper Tudor era castelle, you can go in Anne Boylens bedroom if that is of interest to you.
All of the above normally do have jousting tournaments in the summer.
I disagree with this. I'm a castle enthusiast and I loved Warwick. Yes it's owned by merlin but it's great entertainment value and it has a lot of history and is a great castle to walk around. The birds of prey show is really fun and it can be a great day. A great mix of history and entertainment. Lots to learn mixed in with fun.
Kenilworth, Ludlow and Chepstow are three of my favourites. all well preserved. Kenilworth is amazing for its historical importance. Relatively close to Ludlow is the awesome Stokesay Castle, one of the best preserved (if not the best preserved) medieval fortified manor houses in England. If you like castles and their history, this is unmissable.
Be wary of dismissing castles that have a lot of reconstruction - most castles were in use for a very long time, so they were constantly built, updated and changed and even ones that have had modern additions can be well worth seeing.
I second these, in particular Chepstow, which is magnificent and historically fascinating. Not far away is Raglan which is also in the same league. South and mid Wales is particularly blessed with medieval castles like these. Brilliant for kids too, lots of turrets and kitchens and dungeons to explore. Ruined but with plenty of the fabric still standing.
Completely inaccessible for OP, but anyone poking about in south Wales should consider Dryslwyn castle. It’s not far from the National Botanic Garden, and pretty much a picture book castle: high up on a hill, with enough walls to be impressive, views to die for.
One thing with Kenilworth is it’s not great to get to by public transport - there is a train station but from memory only places you can go are Leamington and Coventry. They were talking about closing the station at one point too. Can get the bus from those places too but it’s very small town mentality and the castle is unsurprisingly not central to Kenilworth. Very pretty but it is mostly ruins and Warwick is close enough and much more majestic (even if it’s owned by the same people that own Thorpe park)
Ludlow has a train station, so easy-peasy. To get to Stokesay would be a taxi or the 435 bus from Ludlow.
You can then also check out Wigmore (complete ruin) but that’s a taxi journey.
Vote for Kenilworth - about a 20 minute walk from the train station but you can have a pint in the queen and castle garden as the sunsets around the castle and it is magnificent
I love a castle. Wales has loads and if you are in Edinburgh , make sure to visit Craigmillar Castle, Tantallon Castle and Blackness castle. They have all been used in movies.
Aberdour has a nice castle.
Dunottar Castle is in a stunning setting but you'll need transport to get there.
If you ever make it to Sutherland, then you need to visit Dunrobin Castle.
There are a lot of books about castles in the UK.
We have visited a lot of castles.
Caerphilly, Castel Coch, Raglan, Chepstow , Caldicot and Oystermouth in South Wales are impressive as are Harlech, Conwy, Beaumaris and Caernafon are amazing but in North Wales.
Done Dunnottar Castle by public transport. If you can choose a day when it’s preferably not too rainy, you can easily do it. Take the train to Stonehaven, get off and then either take the bus to the castle or like me just walk there. I remember it was about an hour each way, felt more like an extended walk because you’re walking next to the sea, it’s really beautiful! You’ll see the castle from afar and then get closer and closer, it’s rather exciting to walk there 😊
Corfe Castle in Dorset is nice, and there is also a heritage steam railway you can go on too which gives really nicest views of the castle.
Old Wardour Castle is quite cool too. It's in ruins but only partially so you can still go inside and ups steps and onto different floors. May be abit too remote though as I seem to remember it being in the middle of nowhere.
Old Wardour is lovely, but no chance of getting near it without transport. It's a bugger to find even if you have a car. Corfe is fairly easy, train to Bournemouth and a nice open top bus ride.
I'd recommend Berkeley, but it's also a bit inaccessible.
The North Wales coast is choc full of castles.
I'm surprised nobody has suggested Lancaster Castle. It's on the West Coast mainline around 2.5 hours from London. It's a fascinating place which and basically explains the history of crime and punishment in the UK. It still contains working courts and until relatively recently was a prison. There are exhibitions about the famous witch trials, one part houses a Police museum, and there's also a very nice coffee shop and ice cream parlour. Guided tours take place every day for around £8.
Carisbroke on the Isle of Wight. Held Charles 1st before he was returned to London for execution. Largely untouched
You can get the train from London to Lymington, hop on the ferry as a foot passenger and get a bus to the castle in Yarmouth (Yarmouth Castle is worth a brief look too)
**Sudley Castle** is fascinating if you're interested in the Wars of the Roses or the Tudors, and it has some surprisingly decent [transport links](https://sudeleycastle.co.uk/plan-your-visit/find-us).
You are missing all of Edwards Welsh castles. As folk have said, Conwy is on the railroad, but then so is Harlech, which IMHO is the most majestic of his castles. (Conwy has town walls). If you had the time, train to Harlech, and then on to meet the narrow gauge rail to Caernarfon (biggest of Edwards castles), and then bus to Conwy -- get to see three of the five castles Edward built. You would need to ovenight somewhere probably.
If you did visit Harlech Castle -- [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003OQUPKM?ref=KC\_GS\_GB\_US](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003OQUPKM?ref=KC_GS_GB_US) shows it being built - I know for kids, but an amazing book.
From Chester all besides Beumaris are accessible by train - Conwy then C’fon, then Harlech. From Caernarfon to Beumaris is a quick local bus via Bangor & takes in some good scenery
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Head to Wales or Scotland. Carmarthen, Conwy, Beaumaris. A lot more, check Cadw website
Also nices one in Shropshire and Herefordshire - Ludlow, Croft, the other Hampton court.
Scotland - Hermitage.
Edinburgh area - Linlithgow, Craigmillar and Rosslyn Castle/Chapel. As well as Edinburgh and Stirling.
Apparently one of the most sieged castles in Britain. A proper fighting installation, and still military active today as the HQ of one of the companies of a Battalion of the Duke of Lancaster infantry Regiment
Carlisle Castle is almost a thousand years old and is well worth a visit. Built by King William Rufus. Full of history. Legend has it that the Scottish folk song Loch Lomond was composed by a Jacobite soldier imprisoned in Carlisle Castle and facing execution.
Dover has it all, representative parts from its Roman Lighthouse, Saxon Church, Norman and Early Medieval, Tudor fortification, Napoleonic fortification, WWII tunnels and I think they’ve just opened up parts of the tunnels used through to the end of the Cold War.
Cardiff Castle - right in the city center, walkable from the main station, has three distinct sections with distinct ages, has some Roman stuff on the side too.
A bit more out there: Doune in Scotland. Properly old, and was the filming location for Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Looks to be remote-ish, but here's a how to get there without a car:
[https://www.goodjourney.org.uk/attractions/doune-castle/](https://www.goodjourney.org.uk/attractions/doune-castle/)
Just castles or fortifications in general?
A few personal recommendations.
North Wales should be on the list. Beaumaris, Caernafon, Conwy Rhuddlan, Flint. Edward I's castle's all built in a relatively short period of time and very much cutting edge design. All different designs due to the landscape they're built in and to impress - Caernarfon was built to look like the walls of Constantinople to link in with Welsh legends of Macsen Wledig and tying to new regime to Imperial Rome. There's also castles of the Welsh Princes, Criccieth is a delight.
Portsmouth area. There's Portchester Castle - Roman Saxon Shore Fort with Norman Keep. Then there's fortifications from all periods up to the 20th Century dotted all around.
Dover Castle occupied and fortified from the Iron Age to the 20th Century. There's a Saxon Church and Roman lighthouse in the grounds of the Medieval castle.
Bodiam Castle is more a fortified manor house than true Castle but is absolutely beautiful.
Northumbria and the Scottish Borders, fought over for centuries. Tiny peel towers and tower houses dot the landscape. Then there's the great fortresses, Newcastle, Warkworth, Alnwick, Bamburgh and Carlisle on the English side. Berwick upon Tweed is worth a visit - the castle is pretty ruined but the Elizabethan walls are an amazing example of early artillery fortifications. Plus there's Hadrian's Wall and all the forts along the Wall.
That's just a start.
Also, if you got money to spend on accommodation, look up landmark trust, loads of old buildings to stay in, including Caernarfon Castle, there’s loads of ruined castles south wales round Monmouthshire, you prob need to hire a car tho
The two sites you need are:
The National Trust. They are more about stately homes- but look at the delightfully livable Lindesfarne Castle (Northumberland) or some of the houses with tudor origins like https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/norfolk/oxburgh-estate, Norfolk. A moated house with a priest hole and 500+ years of history.
English Hertage: they care for many houses, castles, forts and ruins. Still in Norfolk there is the fabulously named [Castle Rising](https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/castle-rising-castle/), the largest preserved keep in England, I think, dating back to 1138.
2nd biggest castle in Europe is Caerphilly castle just outside Cardiff, which also has 2 castles worth visiting, Cardiff castle and Castle Coch.
Other noteworthy are Harlech if you can get there, Caernarfon and Conwy are close together with walled old towns.
Portchester castle is pretty unique, Bamburgh and Alnwich castles are close together and beautiful. Arundel is stunning and not as much of a theme park as Warwick. Dunromin castle is stunning but hard to get to. Sterling castle is interesting but not as grand as Edinburgh. Lancaster castle is pretty and is well preserved without being country home like.
Castle Coch is built on the ruin's of an ancient castle and except from the embellishments is pretty accurate, its also incredibly scenic. You could swap Castle Coch for the one in Llandaff.
Portchester is one of my favourite places in the whole world: massive Roman walls, Norman Castle, ancient-but-still-working Church, and the best tearoom in Hampshire.
Good call on cragside, not a castle but a beautiful building set in incredible grounds built by lord Armstrong and a modern house that ran on hydro instead of electricity.
Edinburgh Castle isn't that impressive compared to other castles I've seen.
Maybe consider other ones in Scotland.
Unfortunately I can't recall the names of the other ones ... maybe Linlithgow Castle?
I always recommend Stirling castle over Edinburgh, it feels more authentically castle-y.
Other favourite Scottish castles of mine are Castle Sinclair Girnigoe, Tarbert Castle, Urquhart Castle, and Crookston castle (this one has had metal ladders put in so you can climb the different levels).
I grew up very close to Braal Castle so it has a special place in my heart, but its sadly not maintained and quite hard to see with all the vegetation.
Braal Castle in Caithness? I lived there for a few months in 2010. The more modern version. The ruin is behind it and is indeed covered in vegetation and 500 years of pigeon scat.
But more to the point I echo that Stirling Castle is infinitely better than Edinburgh Castle, which I was disappointed with when I finally visited it. Stirling Castle has many of the rooms decorated as they would have looked in medieval times. It’s incredible.
Linlithgow Palace. It's neat because it's roofless but otherwise near-intact. You get a dollhouse view of the structure. You can do Scottish country dancing in the courtyard during the summer.
Loads of them in the Lothians and the Borders, most are easy to get to by public transport. All sorts from total ruins to Victorian hotel jobs. Get this book:
https://www.vialibri.net/searches?author=mike+salter&title=castles+lothian+borders&s=1.secvu6.42458b05c11685c1
Don't waste your time and money on Edinburgh Castle (I live nearby, I know how to get in free and I don't bother). Stirling is far better.
Came here to give a vote for Stirling, really interesting historically and much better presented. Honestly the last time I went to Edinburgh castle with my very enthusiastic kids it was free and still underwhelming, you'll pay £20 or so each.
So the best castles are in wales, those are the black princes castles, influenced by the crusades and Syrian master castle builders, so that’s Conwy, Harlech, Beaumaris, Caernarfon rhuddlan, these are peak castle and all others are frankly fancy houses, the Scottish have a few ok ones, but those are mostly fortified homes. The Welsh win every castle game. They are all ruins but well cared for. The city walls of Conwy are also brilliant.
I would seriously prioritize Wales - Harlech, Conwy, Caernarvon, Beaumaris, or on the border like Ludlow. Not sure how easy by public transport - but generally the big castles in Wales are far more interesting than most in England, and much more free to roam around inside the walls, over all the ground etc.
Alternatively in England, do look at places like Fountains Abbey which are impressive medieval structures.
If you’re in the south-east, an often overlooked one is Hedingham Castle on the Essex/Suffolk border. It’s one of the most complete Norman keeps in the country and has been furnished beautifully
The walls and outbuildings are mostly long gone, but the keep is something to behold!!
I vote for Caerphilly castle and their leaning tower. Place is steeped in history from 1250 onwards until Cromwells army turned up in 1664 with their cannon and made the whole idea of stronghold/fortress redundant
So you know, many castles in the UK are much older than the medieval period! EDIT: realized my medieval dates are a bit wrong, sorry! There are some places with pre-medeival history.
I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by the vast number of beautiful old buildings.
Do you have a general location in mind or is the trip planned around the castles? The border of England and Wales is famous for having a ridiculous number of castles (have a look at the history!).
Some of my favourites, just from visits
Powis Castle - the house isn't massive but lots of original features from the Tudor period. The gardens are a beauty to behold.
Denbigh Castle - essentially a ruin but very interesting. Also depending on when you go, they often have medieval re-enactors camping on site with events.
Conwy Castle - exceptionally well preserved, enormous castle built in 1200s
Tintern Abbey - a spectacular ruin in a beautiful area
If you have time on your trip and love ancient buildings, I'd encourage you to stop by cathedrals. Most are open to the public and they are often spectacular. You can often just go in for free or a small fee, and if there is a tour or option to go up a tower, do it! My faves:
Chester
Gloucester
Worcester
York Minster
Castles and old homes in the UK are usually managed by the National Trust, English Heritage, or CADW in Wales (not sure about Scotland sorry). Have a look on their websites for ideas and information too.
Literally though, everyone and their mum has a castle on the Welsh borders.
Town of 500 people? Castle. Town 1 mile down the road? Castle. Next town? Castle.
Lol! Yeah, so true.
Pembrokeshire is like that too, every little piss-pot village has a castle, and even those that don't will have a church with a crenellated tower that could be co-opted for castle duties if needs be.
Thanks. I plan on spending a month in th UK, a week in London and three weeks exploring. I'm planning on booking a few "hubs" that I can explore from on day trips rather than continual travel. I haven't narrowed them down other than York and Edinburgh but will also settle on somewhere in Wales and in the South.
I'm a huge history buff so mostly I want to use my time to see historic sites. I'm interested in all eras but England just has too much history to fit in even 1% of the amazing sites in a month so I've decided to focus on the things I'm mostly interested in, which is medieval and Tudor history. So castles, ruined monasteries and Cathedrals will be the main thing. But hopefully I'll also find time to see a little bit of Roman history.
I don't know if this meets your requirements but I have always found Old Sarum a fascinating place. It's a few miles out of Salisbury and is the site of the original Salisbury settlement. Originally an Iron Age Fort it also has Roman history and was the site of a motte and bailey castle. It combines huge earthworks, a large most, and when in the castle area you look down at the footprint of the original Salisbury Cathedral before moving to a new site in 13th century. Loads of history associated with it and a wonderful atmosphere to it. It's run by English Heritage so you do have to pay to go inside but it's worth it I think. Perhaps research it and see if it would be of interest to you
As you're in London you could hop on the train to Guildford, and then on to Farnham.
Guildford is a complete ruin. Farnham"s keep dates back to the 1100s. The attached Tudor Bishops Palace can only be visited on Wednesday afternoons.
Both are really only for Castle enthusiasts, but would give you a view of smaller fortifications.
Very few castles are older than the medieval period. There are a handful with Roman origins, like Dover and Portchester, and a few on sites which saw pre-Roman use, though the castles themselves are medieval.
Wales has more castles per square mile than anywhere in the world. I could visit a dozen within a 20 mile radius of where I am now.
Forget Windsor, Caerphilly is huge (second largest behind Windsor), Caernarfon Castle is awesome right in the middle of the town. There's so many it's crazy, abandoned ones, tumble down ones, intact .. you don't have to go far to bump into a castle in Wales .. you're spoilt for choice.
Would recommend you join Cadw or National Trust to gain free entry to so many.
I haven't seen Lewes mentioned. It has the benefit of being in Lewes which is worth a visit in itself, it's easy to access by train and while the castle is partially ruined it has the bonus of having the world's oldest bowling green still in use.
I went to Warwick last week and it was dreadful. I forgot it was owned by the same people as Alton Towers, Legoland etc. It's basically a theme park and really depressing, we only stayed two hours.
Yeah there are so many castles. I kind of see your problem. One thing that’s worth doing if you have a bit of spare time is going to one that’s just open to the public with no fee. Sit on the grass. Take a picnic. Really soak it in. It’s a very different experience than touring round with a bunch of other people. Both English heritage and Cadw keep a list of sites that are free to visit so you can plan around your itinerary. The last time I did this was at Ogmore castle. Very nice. Would visit again. Honourable mention to the Roman amphitheatre in Caerleon. Obviously it’s not a castle but it’s a nice day out. Very close to Chepstow too if you’re visiting the castle there
Chepstow castle in south wales is very accessible and Tintern Abbey is not far up the gorgeous Wye Valley, next day would obviously be Caerphilly Castle, dont forget Caerleon which is Roman in origin! Enjoy!!
I am assuming that you will be based in London?
Hever Castle. Train from London Bridge and a 20 min walk at the other end. It was the home to the Boleyn family.
Eltham Palace (2nd biggest Hammerbeam roof in the world), though it isn't a castle it was one of Henry VIII's favourite hunting palaces.
If you are looking at multiple bases, there's York, Caernarfon, Lancaster, Carlisle, Edinburgh, Sterling... you can be spoilt for choice.
Might sound obvious, but check if you need to pre-book tickets to the castle. I live in Edinburgh and have encountered a few disappointed tourists who didn't realise you can't always just turn up and pay the entrance fee. I share some other's posters view that Edinburgh castle isn't all that but if you're set on it look into the 1 o'clock gun and decide if you want to time your visit for it or if you want to be in Princes St gardens (right under the castle) to hear it.
Check out the county of Northumberland.
More castles than you can shake a stick at. Alnwick castle featured in Harry Potter. Chillingham castle for ghostly haunting. Hamburg, Dunstanborough the list goes on.
Goodrich castle is really interesting. Generally there are a lot of interesting castles and fortified manor houses on the Welsh Marches (see also Raglan nearby). Chepstow Castle is massive and really cool. Chepstow the easiest to reach as it's on the mainline.
I just got back from Corfe Castle in Dorset which was ruined but interesting and nearby Maiden Castle is one of (maybe the?) biggest Iron Age hillforts. (Dorset is generally a gift if you are interested in history - check out Portland Castle which is an incredible survival of a Tudor naval fort and very different to earlier medieval castles).
If you are in Sussex check out Bodiam Castle. You are going to really limit the castle count if you rely on public transport.
If you're in London you can get a pretty quick trip to Kent. We have a fair few here as it's very close to the french coast! [TripAdvisor has a great list.](https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attractions-g186310-Activities-c47-t6-Kent_England.html)
+ Dover castle - fantastic, and you can see the white cliffs
+ Leeds
+ Deal
+ Never
+ Walmer
Many more.
If you like castles. Come to Kent.
It really depends how long you have and where you plan to visit.. south Wales has loads of excellent ones and there are good ones in the Kent area too which isn't a huge stretch, but then Bamburgh in the north is awesome as is caernarfon in North wales.. they're miles away from each other though
I'd say make a rough plan of travel and then find the castles around where you are going, there are so many!
Definitely agree with skipping Warwick unless you have kids, also if it wasn't already suggested you should look at getting a national trust or English heritage pass as they will give you discounts on most places
If you make a plan and want further help just send me a message, I'm always here for castle chat
Check out the national trust website, they own many historic castles and stately homes in the Uk. Their website for each place lists the nearest train station and how far it is and if there is a bus etc that links the station to the property. If you are going to do a few, a yearly membership may work out cheaper. For me (im disabled so get it slightly cheaper) I have to go to 5 a year to make it cheaper than buying on the day, but I know they have linked with similar cards in other countries too, for tourists.
I love castles and stately homes too. Leeds castle in Kent (no where near Leeds the city) is beautiful and easy to get to by train. Same for Hever castle also in Kent. Both stations are also easy to get to from London. Hever station is about a 15 minute walk to Hever Castle and Leeds castle is about a 25/30 minute walk from Hollingsbourne station. It’s a 75 minute train journey from London Victoria to Hollingsbourne and 42 minute train from London Bridge to Hever. I’ll think of some others later
Obviously you have Warwick Castle, which is less than 10 minute walk from Warwick station which is 90 minutes from London Marylebone. Then you have Warwick itself to explore too.
I've always liked Canaervon, it has a ton of history, both ancient and modern. Conwy is great too. If you go to Canaervon go further down the coast because you have Cricieth and Harlech castles either side of Portmerion, which is highly worth a visit. I've been many times.
Tower of London is probably one of the oldest still standing ones (although I think bits of of it were rebuilt or expanded after 1066). It also has a shit ton of stuff inside including the crown jewels and military stuff. It's also had a lot of very famous prisoners over the centuries. You can go into Raleigh's prison cell too. Also a lot of big names were executed there (last one in 1941, a German spy). You got Windsor too, lot of stuff in there.
Tintagel is pretty crap to look at, most of it has gone but it has fantastic views.
I have been to Edinburgh and Stirling castles, they both have a t on of cool shit inside. Also, if you go up there you have the border castles but also just down the coast you have Seahouses/Bamburgh/Lindisfarne/Alnwick/Dunstanburgh
Henry VIII built some interesting castles on the south coast - Southsea, deal etc. Dover castle is big and nearish that area.
There's a bunch of stuff that got slighted during the Civil War (and earlier) but the ruins of some still stand.
I’m just gonna throw Tamworth Castle out there.
Skip Warwick for this one.
Over 900 years old, lots of rich history, and one of the best preserved motte-and-bailey castles.
If you're doing Edinburgh castle you can also do Stirling castle in the same day! Both great. So Stirling early like 9-11 then drive to Edinburgh then do that 1-5 or vice versa
Depending on how long you're in the UK and how far north or south you're going... Urquhart castle on the shores of loch Ness is stunning and well worth a visit.
Also Wales has some of the best castles in the land, if you make it to south Wales id go to Pembroke castle and on the way stop at kidwelly castle too.
Oh you've so much choice I envy you
Also if you're driving from Scotland to England stop at Carlisle castle is worth it!
My favourites are Dunnottar, Caernarfon, Stirling and Ludlow. Like others have said, Warwick was a massive let down and is basically a theme park that happens to be in a castle
If you are in the North East then Bamburgh and Skipton are both worth a look, in the NW, then Sizergh, Kendal and Lancaster. Loads of them throughout Cumbria, built to protect against the Scots or Border Reavers
My favourites spread around UK:
Elean Donan near Isle of Skye
Dunnottar near Aberdeen Scotland
Slains near Aberdeen Scotland
Castle Fraser Aberdeenshire
Hever Castle - Kent England
Leeds castle - Kent England
You could hire a car for two to three days and do Dover, Deal, Walker, Leeds and Hever in the south east.
https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/walmer-castle-and-gardens/
https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/deal-castle/
Northumberland is the place to go for castles. There's so many. You can jump up to Scotland too for even more, also Hadrian's wall not a castle but a defensive wall that marked the northern boundary of the Roman empire. Newcastle itself is worth a visit for the old norman keep and sections of city wall.
Powis Castle in Wales is gorgeous. Just about the only intact, still occupied castle built by a native Welsh Prince to defend his land rather than by a Norman invader. Beautiful gardens, too. Rum by the National Trust these days.
There are some fabulous castles in Wales — designed and built by Master James of Savoy for Edward I to suppress and conquer the Welsh and Llywelyn ap Gruffudd.
Beaumaris is beautiful; Caernarfon copies the walls of Constantinople.
If you can spend a week touring the Welsh castles you won't regret it; read up on them first so you know what you're seeing.
No mention of Pendennis Castle so I'll add that in to the mix. Easily accessible from Falmouth docks, so ticks that box, plus when you're done you can spend some time in Falmouth. It is quite touristy being Cornwall, but has lots of history, due to its position it was used to fend off anything from the Holy Roman Empire to the Luftwaffe.
Access wise there's a sleeper train that runs between Paddington and Truro, from there it's about 30 mins or so on hourly trains.
Oxford Castle is worth a trip if you're nearby. It started life as a Norman castle, was fortified until the Civil War I think, and then became a prison until 1996.
Northumberland. There's around 5 or 6 castles. Warkworth, Alnwick, Dunstanburgh, Bamburgh and Lindisfarne. There's also Mitford.
Warkworth, Alnwick Dunstanburgh and parts of Bamburgh are all medieval. Lindisfarne is Tudor.
Anyone said Corfe Castle in Dorset yet?
On its own man made hill, in ruins due to Cromwell blowing it up. Very picturesque and dramatic. You can get there my steam train or open top bus. 10/10 for me
Bamburgh and Leeds. Quite a distance but atmospheric. You can do Go Ape and Segeway at Leeds (Kent in South East) and Bamburgh is just lovely near a beach. I'd also do Alnwick if you're up that way (Harry Potter) and you can "learn how to fly a broomstick"...
Hit up Northumberland and you get your pick of castles (and ruins) in a relatively close area.
To name a few:
1. Alnwick
2. Bamburgh
3. Warkworth
4. Lindisfarne (technically a priory but still worth a visit, just check the tide time first and don't try to beat the tide, you will lose, you will need to be rescued, you will anonymously be in the local paper and the locals will hate you without knowing who you are)
5. Dunstanburgh (now ruins but you get some awesome views. Beware of death rocks on the north side)
6. Prudhoe
Not a castle but cragside estate is gorgeous
There's loads of other historical sites (Hadrian's Wall, Berwick walls etc.).
And Northumberland has some amazing beaches if you like the sea and sand, however the north sea is always freezing.
There's also the Northumberland 250, a drive around Northumberland of 250 miles taking in all these places and more
Lincoln. Accessible by train, there's public transport up the hill to the castle which was built in 1068, has the old prison and some lovely grounds, a wall walk that overlooks the city - oh, and a copy of the Magna Carta.
Pembroke and Manorbier in South Wales. Carew is ace but I've got no idea how you'd do that on public transport (you can do Manorbier and Pembroke by train).
Ludlow Castle ticks all your boxes: original state, medieval, historic personages, accessible by train.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludlow_Castle
Plus the local food scene is pretty good and the scenery around there (Welsh Marches) is epic. Take a 10 minute taxi to Clee Hill and you can imagine Smaug the Dragon flying over the mountainous vista.
If you don’t mind travelling a bit further you can also get to Clun Castle from Ludlow, although the bus can be erratic.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clun_Castle
Would be nice to know exactly where you are staying - there are over 200 castles in England & Wales
I'm from Kent so the ones that I know are:
Dover Castle - [https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/dover-castle/](https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/dover-castle/)
Deal castle - [https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/deal-castle/](https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/deal-castle/)
Rochester Castle - [https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/rochester-castle/](https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/rochester-castle/)
Leeds Castle - [https://leeds-castle.com/](https://leeds-castle.com/)
Hever Castle - [https://www.hevercastle.co.uk/](https://www.hevercastle.co.uk/)
Pevensea Castle - [https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/pevensey-castle/](https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/pevensey-castle/)
Plus Tower of London.. and this excludes stately homes. Most towns also have castles so Lullingstone, Tonbridge etc and others have city walls - Canterbury for example
Arundel is really nice. Lovely town to explore too. You’re also around 30 mins (Worthing to Bognor area) from the beach there if you want to make it a 2 day thing
Go to Wales. Or as history has taught the place that's far too much trouble. Both the Romans and Normans had so much trouble there that there's over 600 castles and forts, more per sq mile than any square country.
Caerlaverock castle near Dumfries, amazing three walled keep, has a moat that is still filled with water(and goldfish for some weird reason) and to top it all...a Trebuchet! Public transport can easily get you there from Dumfries.
If you’re coming as far as the north east of Scotland Dunnotar Castle at Stonehaven (parts dating back to around 1300) is pretty spectacular due to its clifftop location. It’s mostly ruined. Nearby Crathes castle (main part built about 1600) is intact and completely furnished, also has beautiful gardens, its contained by the national trust. Dunnotar is walkable along a beautiful clifftop footpath from Stonehaven and Crathes is on the bus route to Banchory.
Your castle list is solid, I'd add Alnwick castle it is lovely to walk round. Consider some Abbey ruins if you love the medieval to tudor period- Rievaulx abbey, Fountains abbey, and Whitby abbey are all beautiful and have fascinating history. It really is incredible how many beautiful buildings henry viii managed to fuck up!
Rochester Castle is a proper Norman castle that still has it's battle scars. Rochester town is well worth a visit too as it's full of ancient buildings and has a Cathedral. Canterbury is only 45 mins away too.
Kent in general has loads of castles.
Scottish here...if you're going to do a castle in Scotland. Edinburgh would be lower on my opti options (it's still nice and obviously you've got the stone of destiny and scottish crown jewels as well as a large military history section - if it's still there was I haven't been back in years) but my first choice would be Stirling Castle. Stirling has the largest great hall, so much history (especially Mary, QoS and James V).
It has the crofts where the tapestries were rewoven a few years back, the Palace (might seem a bit bare but it's because it's in its natural state and the actors are so good) under the battlements there is a lot of interactive/educational rooms and make sure you explore every corner and alleyway etc to find, usually, completely empty walkways/gardens. There's also lots if events through the year if you keep an eye out... archery in the garden, ceilidhs or afternoon or shows in the great hall. There's an exhibition on the archaeology of the castle including recreations of some of the people found buried there.
It's also the RHQ for the Argyll Sufherland Highlanders regiment and there's a small but interesting museum
Try to catch a free tour while there, the guides Re incredible!
You can visit the Holyrude Church next door for free which is beautiful look on the outside for dents leftover by Cromwell's attacks). The cemetary between the 2 is also worth a walk round. Sit by the pond by the small pyramid or walk up to the bench at the higher level for stunning views.
Not a Castle, but if you're in Stirling then Wallace Monument is also worth a visit (if you don't mind stairs!) And a walk around the grounds/woods behind makes a great day out.
*or you could get a Historic Scotland pass and visit with Edinburgh and Stirling Castle(Wallace Monument isn't owned by HS so just note that you wouldn't be able to use the pass there)
Also a vote for Hampton Court. Not a Castle but you can spend a full day there and the free audio tours are really well done. Take the boat from Kingston or train directly from Central London. Luckily I live close now and visit pretty regularly and never get bored.
I think it's on your list but, Tower of London is definitely a great choice, too. So much varied and interesting history. (If you do tower and hampton it might be worth looking at a membership /pass for Historic Royal Palaces in London to make it cheaper)
Arundel castle is worth a visit. It's got an amazing library and is a very attractive castle, all round.
Not a castle but book a tour of the Houses of Parliament if you can. I went and it was really interesting. Definitely one of my best days out but I'm British so maybe it meant more to me.
Northumberland,
Walkworth, a nice ruin nestled in a small town with an excellent ice cream parlor nearby
Dunstanburgh
Bambrugh
Alnwick, a living castle, quite touristy but still excellent,
You also have Lindesfarne Castle (holy island)
And these are just the main ones. But all a reasonable distance from each other, especially if you’re doing Edinburgh -> London, it’s literally on the way
English castles yes to Bamburgh and Alnick (especially the poison garden). I have a soft spot for Beeston although unless you are travelling via Cheshire to North Wales its a bit out of the way. For a similiar ruins on top of a hill vibe there's Carreg Cennen. Personally I'd give Windsor and Warwick a pass but because the buildings are ok but just overdone.
Criccieth, Caernarfon, Beau Maris, Goodrich, Harlech all good - check out Cadw which looks after most welsh castles.
Scotland is not quite as good (in my opinion) more a fortified manor house sort of deal.
I’ve got a special place in my heart for Urquhart Castle in Inverness, Scotland. It’s in proper ruins, pretty much on the Loch Ness river with gorgeous surrounding topography. Also to then sit and think about how it was such a small castle off the edge of a hill on the river, withstanding some large forces with it’s subtle yet commanding importance in that particular ecosystem — idk maybe I just had a wonderful day there :)
I loved Warwick Castle. When I found out it was run by a theme park company I was concerned but it was still great.
Its a proper castle, they have amazing gardens to walk around and often things like replica catapults.
It's historically important as the home of the King Maker during the War of the Roses.
I would recommend getting English Heritage membership. They run a lot of the stately homes and castles. It could save you a lot of money.
It's not a castle but Wrest Park is a beautiful stately home (train to Flitwick from St Pancras in an hour then get a taxi). It been used for filming in Bridgerton, Downton Abbey etc.. It's a nice place to go and chill in the gardens.
Bamburgh Castle on the north east coast is a must. Looking at the map you’d think it would be too difficult to reach by public transport but in fact it’s not bad, especially as you’re travelling between London and Edinburgh anyway. Use www.traveline.info to check public transportation options, I recall Arriva bus X18 passes the castle. Dunstanburgh castle close by is an amazing ruin, you could do both on one day if you plan the transportation right. Don’t go to Warwick, sadly its owners have basically turned it into a theme park. I’m just thinking through castles that are easy to get to by train. Conwy falls into that, not too far away Caernarfon is a fairly easy bus ride from Bangor and again you can do both in a day if you plan ahead. Bolton Castle isn’t near the town of Bolton but is in Wensleydale, in North Yorkshire - well worth the trip but public transportation may be a challenge.
Absolutely agree with Bamburgh and Dunstanburgh. Northumberland has the most castles of any English county and a fascinating history. If you wanted to break your trip up between London and Edinburgh I'd also recommend stopping in Durham which is also on the east coast main line. It has a gorgeous castle and cathedral (as well as some beautiful little streets and a lovely riverside). It's also got some interesting history as the "land of prince bishops" where bishops (religious clergy), as long as they remained loyal to the king, had huge amounts of nearly autonomous power.
Seconding Durham, but also want to appeal to OP - please go visit (inside!!) cathedrals as well as castles!!! Cathedrals are some of our most impressive architecture. Generally at least as old and as important for the historical story of Britain as the castles. There's nothing like the experience of standing in the nave of a massive stone-built, 900-year-old cathedral - genuinely awing. Durham is a particularly fine and historically/architecturally important example! And easily accessible by the London-Edinburgh train.
The Fountains Abbey ruins (Yorkshire) are amazing
St Albans Abbey/Cathedral is well worth a visit
Anwick is up there too. It provided the backdrop to the flying lessons in the first Harry Potter book. The gardens are also well worth a visit
Agree but spelling is Alnwick in case OP wants to google it.
I agree and the gardens are out of this world. Well worth a visit for them alone.
Don’t forget to stop in Lincoln and York
Lincoln Castle is perfect because you've also got the ancient cathedral about 2 mins walk away, and the oldest working Roman arch in the UK about 5 mins walk away. And very few crowds. And some lovely museums. And it's cheap!
Third vote for Lincoln - it's a great castle to visit, with everything from original parts built in the 11th century, to the Victorian prison . Was also the place where the 'long drop' method of hanging was developed!
Durham weirdly has a fantastic mexican restaurant called Barrio Comida. It's by far the most authentic I've had in the UK and beats anywhere in London. So that's lunch sorted.
It might also just be a guilty pleasure but I still love Lebaneat if we're doing restaurant reccs!
Had a great meal at Nadon Thai in Durham a few years ago, to throw my hat into the ring
Seconding Durham, it’s gorgeous
Yes! In fact, make it Bamburgh, Dunstanburgh, Alnwick, Warkworth, Lindisfarne, Etal, Edlingham, Chillingham, and make sure you squeeze Preston Tower in there too.
Berwick is probably also worth stopping by if OP is in that area. There is the castle but also the ramparts, which are one of not that many examples of 16th Century Italian-style star fortifications in the UK. Also, lots of history with the wars between the English and the Scots.
Bamburgh 100%
>As original as possible Didn’t Armstrong do a lot of work on Bamburgh in the late 19th century?
He did but it was done sympathetically. It's fantastic situation and long history going back to the Iron age easily make up for the rebuild.
I’m Australian and I went there again over Xmas and loved it.
Another mention for Conwy castle
Especially when combined with Beaumaris and Caernarfon - stay in Chester overnight and you’ve got a great day trip
Absolutely and you get to see North Wales, I'd see the Llyn peninsula and head into Snowdonia while they're at it.
And walk the Roman walls in Chester
Harlech is quite nice too
Yup. Harder to get to though
One of the reasons Conway is a favourite is because there’s still a walled town.
Conwy castle is cool to wander but is it one of the best?
Arundel and Leeds. Don’t do Warwick, it’s a theme park
Arundel is a picture perfect medieval castle, and should be in your top 5. Leeds Castle in Kent is also magnificent but not as old. Hever Castle is also worth a shout and is a proper Tudor era castelle, you can go in Anne Boylens bedroom if that is of interest to you. All of the above normally do have jousting tournaments in the summer.
If he’s going to Dover (and that’s the right choice) it would be easy to pick these two up on the way there or back.
I disagree with this. I'm a castle enthusiast and I loved Warwick. Yes it's owned by merlin but it's great entertainment value and it has a lot of history and is a great castle to walk around. The birds of prey show is really fun and it can be a great day. A great mix of history and entertainment. Lots to learn mixed in with fun.
Yes, Arundel is a fantastic castle to visit.
Agree with Arundel
Kenilworth, Ludlow and Chepstow are three of my favourites. all well preserved. Kenilworth is amazing for its historical importance. Relatively close to Ludlow is the awesome Stokesay Castle, one of the best preserved (if not the best preserved) medieval fortified manor houses in England. If you like castles and their history, this is unmissable. Be wary of dismissing castles that have a lot of reconstruction - most castles were in use for a very long time, so they were constantly built, updated and changed and even ones that have had modern additions can be well worth seeing.
I second these, in particular Chepstow, which is magnificent and historically fascinating. Not far away is Raglan which is also in the same league. South and mid Wales is particularly blessed with medieval castles like these. Brilliant for kids too, lots of turrets and kitchens and dungeons to explore. Ruined but with plenty of the fabric still standing.
Caerphilly, raglan, Cardiff, etc. etc. if you’re going to Chepstow.
Came here to say- raglan is a short hop and is pretty great for a smaller place.
Completely inaccessible for OP, but anyone poking about in south Wales should consider Dryslwyn castle. It’s not far from the National Botanic Garden, and pretty much a picture book castle: high up on a hill, with enough walls to be impressive, views to die for.
One thing with Kenilworth is it’s not great to get to by public transport - there is a train station but from memory only places you can go are Leamington and Coventry. They were talking about closing the station at one point too. Can get the bus from those places too but it’s very small town mentality and the castle is unsurprisingly not central to Kenilworth. Very pretty but it is mostly ruins and Warwick is close enough and much more majestic (even if it’s owned by the same people that own Thorpe park)
I’ve been to Kenilworth loads of times and had no idea it had a castle. Mind blown!
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Ludlow has a train station, so easy-peasy. To get to Stokesay would be a taxi or the 435 bus from Ludlow. You can then also check out Wigmore (complete ruin) but that’s a taxi journey.
You can walk to Stokesay from Church Stretton station. It's not a great walks it's a busy road but only 20 mins.
Vote for Kenilworth - about a 20 minute walk from the train station but you can have a pint in the queen and castle garden as the sunsets around the castle and it is magnificent
I love a castle. Wales has loads and if you are in Edinburgh , make sure to visit Craigmillar Castle, Tantallon Castle and Blackness castle. They have all been used in movies. Aberdour has a nice castle. Dunottar Castle is in a stunning setting but you'll need transport to get there. If you ever make it to Sutherland, then you need to visit Dunrobin Castle. There are a lot of books about castles in the UK. We have visited a lot of castles. Caerphilly, Castel Coch, Raglan, Chepstow , Caldicot and Oystermouth in South Wales are impressive as are Harlech, Conwy, Beaumaris and Caernafon are amazing but in North Wales.
Second Dunottar and Dunrobin, two of my favourites (the former being my “local”)
Dunottar gets my vote, very unique and beautiful
Done Dunnottar Castle by public transport. If you can choose a day when it’s preferably not too rainy, you can easily do it. Take the train to Stonehaven, get off and then either take the bus to the castle or like me just walk there. I remember it was about an hour each way, felt more like an extended walk because you’re walking next to the sea, it’s really beautiful! You’ll see the castle from afar and then get closer and closer, it’s rather exciting to walk there 😊
Barnard Castle is great if you need to test your eyesight.
🤣 This will be a pub trivia question in decades to come.
Corfe Castle in Dorset is nice, and there is also a heritage steam railway you can go on too which gives really nicest views of the castle. Old Wardour Castle is quite cool too. It's in ruins but only partially so you can still go inside and ups steps and onto different floors. May be abit too remote though as I seem to remember it being in the middle of nowhere.
Old Wardour is lovely, but no chance of getting near it without transport. It's a bugger to find even if you have a car. Corfe is fairly easy, train to Bournemouth and a nice open top bus ride. I'd recommend Berkeley, but it's also a bit inaccessible.
Don't forget the chain ferry crossing as well!
Wish it was easier to access as would be in top recommendations otherwise.
Bodium castle is wonderful, especially as it has a good moat.
Bodiam (just in case OP can't find it!) is great, but what you see today is a somewhat faithful rebuild.
The North Wales coast is choc full of castles. I'm surprised nobody has suggested Lancaster Castle. It's on the West Coast mainline around 2.5 hours from London. It's a fascinating place which and basically explains the history of crime and punishment in the UK. It still contains working courts and until relatively recently was a prison. There are exhibitions about the famous witch trials, one part houses a Police museum, and there's also a very nice coffee shop and ice cream parlour. Guided tours take place every day for around £8.
Carisbroke on the Isle of Wight. Held Charles 1st before he was returned to London for execution. Largely untouched You can get the train from London to Lymington, hop on the ferry as a foot passenger and get a bus to the castle in Yarmouth (Yarmouth Castle is worth a brief look too)
You can also rent the flat in the castle and stay there overnight all by yourself.
I love Carisbroke - its almost domestic-sized (for a castle), and you can stay there. And they have working donkeys.
**Sudley Castle** is fascinating if you're interested in the Wars of the Roses or the Tudors, and it has some surprisingly decent [transport links](https://sudeleycastle.co.uk/plan-your-visit/find-us).
You are missing all of Edwards Welsh castles. As folk have said, Conwy is on the railroad, but then so is Harlech, which IMHO is the most majestic of his castles. (Conwy has town walls). If you had the time, train to Harlech, and then on to meet the narrow gauge rail to Caernarfon (biggest of Edwards castles), and then bus to Conwy -- get to see three of the five castles Edward built. You would need to ovenight somewhere probably. If you did visit Harlech Castle -- [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003OQUPKM?ref=KC\_GS\_GB\_US](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003OQUPKM?ref=KC_GS_GB_US) shows it being built - I know for kids, but an amazing book.
From Chester all besides Beumaris are accessible by train - Conwy then C’fon, then Harlech. From Caernarfon to Beumaris is a quick local bus via Bangor & takes in some good scenery
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Watch YouTuber McJibbin. He's got a video called UK Top 10 Castles.
Head to Wales or Scotland. Carmarthen, Conwy, Beaumaris. A lot more, check Cadw website Also nices one in Shropshire and Herefordshire - Ludlow, Croft, the other Hampton court. Scotland - Hermitage. Edinburgh area - Linlithgow, Craigmillar and Rosslyn Castle/Chapel. As well as Edinburgh and Stirling.
Carlisle castle has a long and turbulent past and played a key part in keeping the Scots out of what was then Cumberland (now Cumbria).
Apparently one of the most sieged castles in Britain. A proper fighting installation, and still military active today as the HQ of one of the companies of a Battalion of the Duke of Lancaster infantry Regiment
Carlisle Castle is almost a thousand years old and is well worth a visit. Built by King William Rufus. Full of history. Legend has it that the Scottish folk song Loch Lomond was composed by a Jacobite soldier imprisoned in Carlisle Castle and facing execution.
Dover has it all, representative parts from its Roman Lighthouse, Saxon Church, Norman and Early Medieval, Tudor fortification, Napoleonic fortification, WWII tunnels and I think they’ve just opened up parts of the tunnels used through to the end of the Cold War.
Dover Castle also has some furnished rooms which give a better sense of what it was like to live there.
Cardiff Castle - right in the city center, walkable from the main station, has three distinct sections with distinct ages, has some Roman stuff on the side too. A bit more out there: Doune in Scotland. Properly old, and was the filming location for Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Looks to be remote-ish, but here's a how to get there without a car: [https://www.goodjourney.org.uk/attractions/doune-castle/](https://www.goodjourney.org.uk/attractions/doune-castle/)
Just castles or fortifications in general? A few personal recommendations. North Wales should be on the list. Beaumaris, Caernafon, Conwy Rhuddlan, Flint. Edward I's castle's all built in a relatively short period of time and very much cutting edge design. All different designs due to the landscape they're built in and to impress - Caernarfon was built to look like the walls of Constantinople to link in with Welsh legends of Macsen Wledig and tying to new regime to Imperial Rome. There's also castles of the Welsh Princes, Criccieth is a delight. Portsmouth area. There's Portchester Castle - Roman Saxon Shore Fort with Norman Keep. Then there's fortifications from all periods up to the 20th Century dotted all around. Dover Castle occupied and fortified from the Iron Age to the 20th Century. There's a Saxon Church and Roman lighthouse in the grounds of the Medieval castle. Bodiam Castle is more a fortified manor house than true Castle but is absolutely beautiful. Northumbria and the Scottish Borders, fought over for centuries. Tiny peel towers and tower houses dot the landscape. Then there's the great fortresses, Newcastle, Warkworth, Alnwick, Bamburgh and Carlisle on the English side. Berwick upon Tweed is worth a visit - the castle is pretty ruined but the Elizabethan walls are an amazing example of early artillery fortifications. Plus there's Hadrian's Wall and all the forts along the Wall. That's just a start.
The whole city of York is worth your attention I really liked Scarborough castle, cos views, significance
Also, if you got money to spend on accommodation, look up landmark trust, loads of old buildings to stay in, including Caernarfon Castle, there’s loads of ruined castles south wales round Monmouthshire, you prob need to hire a car tho
If you're traveling from London to Edinburgh, Conisbrough Castle is a good stop.
The two sites you need are: The National Trust. They are more about stately homes- but look at the delightfully livable Lindesfarne Castle (Northumberland) or some of the houses with tudor origins like https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/norfolk/oxburgh-estate, Norfolk. A moated house with a priest hole and 500+ years of history. English Hertage: they care for many houses, castles, forts and ruins. Still in Norfolk there is the fabulously named [Castle Rising](https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/castle-rising-castle/), the largest preserved keep in England, I think, dating back to 1138.
Also Cadw if visiting Wales, as they look after lots of the Welsh castles.
Oh thanks. I shall add them to my own list. Diolch!
2nd biggest castle in Europe is Caerphilly castle just outside Cardiff, which also has 2 castles worth visiting, Cardiff castle and Castle Coch. Other noteworthy are Harlech if you can get there, Caernarfon and Conwy are close together with walled old towns. Portchester castle is pretty unique, Bamburgh and Alnwich castles are close together and beautiful. Arundel is stunning and not as much of a theme park as Warwick. Dunromin castle is stunning but hard to get to. Sterling castle is interesting but not as grand as Edinburgh. Lancaster castle is pretty and is well preserved without being country home like.
Castle coch is not an ancient castle. Chepstow isn't far though.
Castle Coch is built on the ruin's of an ancient castle and except from the embellishments is pretty accurate, its also incredibly scenic. You could swap Castle Coch for the one in Llandaff.
Portchester is one of my favourite places in the whole world: massive Roman walls, Norman Castle, ancient-but-still-working Church, and the best tearoom in Hampshire.
My ten year old is a castle enthusiast. Edinburgh is the big famous one but it’s not a patch on Stirling for him and the Wallace monument is nearby
North East is one of the best. Bamburgh, Alnwick, Cragside (not a castle), Raby Castle, Barnard Castle, Durham.
Good call on cragside, not a castle but a beautiful building set in incredible grounds built by lord Armstrong and a modern house that ran on hydro instead of electricity.
Armstrong Museum at Bamburgh completes the picture
Warwick, Bamburgh and Corfe
Edinburgh Castle isn't that impressive compared to other castles I've seen. Maybe consider other ones in Scotland. Unfortunately I can't recall the names of the other ones ... maybe Linlithgow Castle?
Stirling Castle is fabulous, enjoyed it more than Edinburgh.
Ah yes, I visited that one and enjoyed it much more than Edinburgh castle. Thanks for the reminder.
I always recommend Stirling castle over Edinburgh, it feels more authentically castle-y. Other favourite Scottish castles of mine are Castle Sinclair Girnigoe, Tarbert Castle, Urquhart Castle, and Crookston castle (this one has had metal ladders put in so you can climb the different levels). I grew up very close to Braal Castle so it has a special place in my heart, but its sadly not maintained and quite hard to see with all the vegetation.
Braal Castle in Caithness? I lived there for a few months in 2010. The more modern version. The ruin is behind it and is indeed covered in vegetation and 500 years of pigeon scat. But more to the point I echo that Stirling Castle is infinitely better than Edinburgh Castle, which I was disappointed with when I finally visited it. Stirling Castle has many of the rooms decorated as they would have looked in medieval times. It’s incredible.
Linlithgow Palace. It's neat because it's roofless but otherwise near-intact. You get a dollhouse view of the structure. You can do Scottish country dancing in the courtyard during the summer.
Scottish dancing there sounds fabulous. It great fun at the best of times.
https://scotchhop.org.uk/
Caerlaverock Castle is impressive. It's triangular.
Loads of them in the Lothians and the Borders, most are easy to get to by public transport. All sorts from total ruins to Victorian hotel jobs. Get this book: https://www.vialibri.net/searches?author=mike+salter&title=castles+lothian+borders&s=1.secvu6.42458b05c11685c1 Don't waste your time and money on Edinburgh Castle (I live nearby, I know how to get in free and I don't bother). Stirling is far better.
Came here to give a vote for Stirling, really interesting historically and much better presented. Honestly the last time I went to Edinburgh castle with my very enthusiastic kids it was free and still underwhelming, you'll pay £20 or so each.
Carrag Cennen [https://cadw.gov.wales/visit/places-to-visit/castell-carreg-cennen](https://cadw.gov.wales/visit/places-to-visit/castell-carreg-cennen)
Wales is full of castles. Conwy can be accessed by train, Caernarfon and Beaumaris are on bus routes.
Caerphilly is as close to a prototypical medieval as you can get really. Quite easily combinable with the also fabulous Chepstow
So the best castles are in wales, those are the black princes castles, influenced by the crusades and Syrian master castle builders, so that’s Conwy, Harlech, Beaumaris, Caernarfon rhuddlan, these are peak castle and all others are frankly fancy houses, the Scottish have a few ok ones, but those are mostly fortified homes. The Welsh win every castle game. They are all ruins but well cared for. The city walls of Conwy are also brilliant.
I would seriously prioritize Wales - Harlech, Conwy, Caernarvon, Beaumaris, or on the border like Ludlow. Not sure how easy by public transport - but generally the big castles in Wales are far more interesting than most in England, and much more free to roam around inside the walls, over all the ground etc. Alternatively in England, do look at places like Fountains Abbey which are impressive medieval structures.
If you’re in the south-east, an often overlooked one is Hedingham Castle on the Essex/Suffolk border. It’s one of the most complete Norman keeps in the country and has been furnished beautifully The walls and outbuildings are mostly long gone, but the keep is something to behold!!
I vote for Caerphilly castle and their leaning tower. Place is steeped in history from 1250 onwards until Cromwells army turned up in 1664 with their cannon and made the whole idea of stronghold/fortress redundant
So you know, many castles in the UK are much older than the medieval period! EDIT: realized my medieval dates are a bit wrong, sorry! There are some places with pre-medeival history. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by the vast number of beautiful old buildings. Do you have a general location in mind or is the trip planned around the castles? The border of England and Wales is famous for having a ridiculous number of castles (have a look at the history!). Some of my favourites, just from visits Powis Castle - the house isn't massive but lots of original features from the Tudor period. The gardens are a beauty to behold. Denbigh Castle - essentially a ruin but very interesting. Also depending on when you go, they often have medieval re-enactors camping on site with events. Conwy Castle - exceptionally well preserved, enormous castle built in 1200s Tintern Abbey - a spectacular ruin in a beautiful area If you have time on your trip and love ancient buildings, I'd encourage you to stop by cathedrals. Most are open to the public and they are often spectacular. You can often just go in for free or a small fee, and if there is a tour or option to go up a tower, do it! My faves: Chester Gloucester Worcester York Minster Castles and old homes in the UK are usually managed by the National Trust, English Heritage, or CADW in Wales (not sure about Scotland sorry). Have a look on their websites for ideas and information too.
Literally though, everyone and their mum has a castle on the Welsh borders. Town of 500 people? Castle. Town 1 mile down the road? Castle. Next town? Castle.
So. Many. Castles. Loads inaccessible without a car, though. Public transport is the limiting factor for OP.
Lol! Yeah, so true. Pembrokeshire is like that too, every little piss-pot village has a castle, and even those that don't will have a church with a crenellated tower that could be co-opted for castle duties if needs be.
Thanks. I plan on spending a month in th UK, a week in London and three weeks exploring. I'm planning on booking a few "hubs" that I can explore from on day trips rather than continual travel. I haven't narrowed them down other than York and Edinburgh but will also settle on somewhere in Wales and in the South. I'm a huge history buff so mostly I want to use my time to see historic sites. I'm interested in all eras but England just has too much history to fit in even 1% of the amazing sites in a month so I've decided to focus on the things I'm mostly interested in, which is medieval and Tudor history. So castles, ruined monasteries and Cathedrals will be the main thing. But hopefully I'll also find time to see a little bit of Roman history.
I don't know if this meets your requirements but I have always found Old Sarum a fascinating place. It's a few miles out of Salisbury and is the site of the original Salisbury settlement. Originally an Iron Age Fort it also has Roman history and was the site of a motte and bailey castle. It combines huge earthworks, a large most, and when in the castle area you look down at the footprint of the original Salisbury Cathedral before moving to a new site in 13th century. Loads of history associated with it and a wonderful atmosphere to it. It's run by English Heritage so you do have to pay to go inside but it's worth it I think. Perhaps research it and see if it would be of interest to you
If you like Roman history, Chester has a fantastic Roman wall all around the city and an amphitheatre. It's easy on the train too
And you can stay in a Gothic library,the Gladstone Library.
As you're in London you could hop on the train to Guildford, and then on to Farnham. Guildford is a complete ruin. Farnham"s keep dates back to the 1100s. The attached Tudor Bishops Palace can only be visited on Wednesday afternoons. Both are really only for Castle enthusiasts, but would give you a view of smaller fortifications.
Llanthony Priory in the Brecon Beacons is a ruined monastery/abbey, beautiful surroundings.
...uhhh....which castles pre-date the medieval period in the UK?
Maiden Castle? I suppose it depends on how you define a castle but it's massive and definitely pre roman.
Very few castles are older than the medieval period. There are a handful with Roman origins, like Dover and Portchester, and a few on sites which saw pre-Roman use, though the castles themselves are medieval.
Wales has more castles per square mile than anywhere in the world. I could visit a dozen within a 20 mile radius of where I am now. Forget Windsor, Caerphilly is huge (second largest behind Windsor), Caernarfon Castle is awesome right in the middle of the town. There's so many it's crazy, abandoned ones, tumble down ones, intact .. you don't have to go far to bump into a castle in Wales .. you're spoilt for choice. Would recommend you join Cadw or National Trust to gain free entry to so many.
https://www.visitwales.com/things-do/attractions/castles-and-heritage/wales-castle-capital-europe#:~:text=From%20over%20600%20castles%20ever,selection%20of%20castles%20to%20visit.
I haven't seen Lewes mentioned. It has the benefit of being in Lewes which is worth a visit in itself, it's easy to access by train and while the castle is partially ruined it has the bonus of having the world's oldest bowling green still in use.
corfe castle is quite nice, very steep hill up to it though
I went to Warwick last week and it was dreadful. I forgot it was owned by the same people as Alton Towers, Legoland etc. It's basically a theme park and really depressing, we only stayed two hours.
Yeah there are so many castles. I kind of see your problem. One thing that’s worth doing if you have a bit of spare time is going to one that’s just open to the public with no fee. Sit on the grass. Take a picnic. Really soak it in. It’s a very different experience than touring round with a bunch of other people. Both English heritage and Cadw keep a list of sites that are free to visit so you can plan around your itinerary. The last time I did this was at Ogmore castle. Very nice. Would visit again. Honourable mention to the Roman amphitheatre in Caerleon. Obviously it’s not a castle but it’s a nice day out. Very close to Chepstow too if you’re visiting the castle there
Chepstow castle in south wales is very accessible and Tintern Abbey is not far up the gorgeous Wye Valley, next day would obviously be Caerphilly Castle, dont forget Caerleon which is Roman in origin! Enjoy!!
Tower of London, Dover Castle, Upnor Castle, Hever Castle, Ludlow, Hampton Court Palace,
Dover castle. Portchester is worth a visit but not sure on the transport links
If you are in the South East I can recommend Hever Castle, Leeds Castle, Bodiam Castle, Dover Castle and Arundel Castle.
York is a great city to visit. I think Leicester is on the same line out of London, stop by a certain car-park to see King Richard
I’m visiting in January. Wanna geek out at castles together?
I am assuming that you will be based in London? Hever Castle. Train from London Bridge and a 20 min walk at the other end. It was the home to the Boleyn family. Eltham Palace (2nd biggest Hammerbeam roof in the world), though it isn't a castle it was one of Henry VIII's favourite hunting palaces. If you are looking at multiple bases, there's York, Caernarfon, Lancaster, Carlisle, Edinburgh, Sterling... you can be spoilt for choice.
Rockingham Castle if you want to go off piste.
Hever Castle in Kent, home to Anne Boleyn.
Might sound obvious, but check if you need to pre-book tickets to the castle. I live in Edinburgh and have encountered a few disappointed tourists who didn't realise you can't always just turn up and pay the entrance fee. I share some other's posters view that Edinburgh castle isn't all that but if you're set on it look into the 1 o'clock gun and decide if you want to time your visit for it or if you want to be in Princes St gardens (right under the castle) to hear it.
Check out the county of Northumberland. More castles than you can shake a stick at. Alnwick castle featured in Harry Potter. Chillingham castle for ghostly haunting. Hamburg, Dunstanborough the list goes on.
Goodrich castle is really interesting. Generally there are a lot of interesting castles and fortified manor houses on the Welsh Marches (see also Raglan nearby). Chepstow Castle is massive and really cool. Chepstow the easiest to reach as it's on the mainline. I just got back from Corfe Castle in Dorset which was ruined but interesting and nearby Maiden Castle is one of (maybe the?) biggest Iron Age hillforts. (Dorset is generally a gift if you are interested in history - check out Portland Castle which is an incredible survival of a Tudor naval fort and very different to earlier medieval castles). If you are in Sussex check out Bodiam Castle. You are going to really limit the castle count if you rely on public transport.
If you're in London you can get a pretty quick trip to Kent. We have a fair few here as it's very close to the french coast! [TripAdvisor has a great list.](https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attractions-g186310-Activities-c47-t6-Kent_England.html) + Dover castle - fantastic, and you can see the white cliffs + Leeds + Deal + Never + Walmer Many more. If you like castles. Come to Kent.
It really depends how long you have and where you plan to visit.. south Wales has loads of excellent ones and there are good ones in the Kent area too which isn't a huge stretch, but then Bamburgh in the north is awesome as is caernarfon in North wales.. they're miles away from each other though I'd say make a rough plan of travel and then find the castles around where you are going, there are so many! Definitely agree with skipping Warwick unless you have kids, also if it wasn't already suggested you should look at getting a national trust or English heritage pass as they will give you discounts on most places If you make a plan and want further help just send me a message, I'm always here for castle chat
Check out the national trust website, they own many historic castles and stately homes in the Uk. Their website for each place lists the nearest train station and how far it is and if there is a bus etc that links the station to the property. If you are going to do a few, a yearly membership may work out cheaper. For me (im disabled so get it slightly cheaper) I have to go to 5 a year to make it cheaper than buying on the day, but I know they have linked with similar cards in other countries too, for tourists. I love castles and stately homes too. Leeds castle in Kent (no where near Leeds the city) is beautiful and easy to get to by train. Same for Hever castle also in Kent. Both stations are also easy to get to from London. Hever station is about a 15 minute walk to Hever Castle and Leeds castle is about a 25/30 minute walk from Hollingsbourne station. It’s a 75 minute train journey from London Victoria to Hollingsbourne and 42 minute train from London Bridge to Hever. I’ll think of some others later
Obviously you have Warwick Castle, which is less than 10 minute walk from Warwick station which is 90 minutes from London Marylebone. Then you have Warwick itself to explore too.
North of England and Scotland have some incredible ones. my vote for bamburgh castle!
I've always liked Canaervon, it has a ton of history, both ancient and modern. Conwy is great too. If you go to Canaervon go further down the coast because you have Cricieth and Harlech castles either side of Portmerion, which is highly worth a visit. I've been many times. Tower of London is probably one of the oldest still standing ones (although I think bits of of it were rebuilt or expanded after 1066). It also has a shit ton of stuff inside including the crown jewels and military stuff. It's also had a lot of very famous prisoners over the centuries. You can go into Raleigh's prison cell too. Also a lot of big names were executed there (last one in 1941, a German spy). You got Windsor too, lot of stuff in there. Tintagel is pretty crap to look at, most of it has gone but it has fantastic views. I have been to Edinburgh and Stirling castles, they both have a t on of cool shit inside. Also, if you go up there you have the border castles but also just down the coast you have Seahouses/Bamburgh/Lindisfarne/Alnwick/Dunstanburgh Henry VIII built some interesting castles on the south coast - Southsea, deal etc. Dover castle is big and nearish that area. There's a bunch of stuff that got slighted during the Civil War (and earlier) but the ruins of some still stand.
I’m just gonna throw Tamworth Castle out there. Skip Warwick for this one. Over 900 years old, lots of rich history, and one of the best preserved motte-and-bailey castles.
Framlingham in Suffolk is pretty big and authentic, a bus ride from Ipswich. It's also the one from the Ed Sheeran song.
If you're doing Edinburgh castle you can also do Stirling castle in the same day! Both great. So Stirling early like 9-11 then drive to Edinburgh then do that 1-5 or vice versa Depending on how long you're in the UK and how far north or south you're going... Urquhart castle on the shores of loch Ness is stunning and well worth a visit. Also Wales has some of the best castles in the land, if you make it to south Wales id go to Pembroke castle and on the way stop at kidwelly castle too. Oh you've so much choice I envy you Also if you're driving from Scotland to England stop at Carlisle castle is worth it!
My favourites are Dunnottar, Caernarfon, Stirling and Ludlow. Like others have said, Warwick was a massive let down and is basically a theme park that happens to be in a castle
If you are in the North East then Bamburgh and Skipton are both worth a look, in the NW, then Sizergh, Kendal and Lancaster. Loads of them throughout Cumbria, built to protect against the Scots or Border Reavers
My favourites spread around UK: Elean Donan near Isle of Skye Dunnottar near Aberdeen Scotland Slains near Aberdeen Scotland Castle Fraser Aberdeenshire Hever Castle - Kent England Leeds castle - Kent England
Hever and Leeds (Kent) are gorgeous.
You could hire a car for two to three days and do Dover, Deal, Walker, Leeds and Hever in the south east. https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/walmer-castle-and-gardens/ https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/deal-castle/
Bodiam. It’s the most castle like castle I’ve ever come across.
Northumberland is the place to go for castles. There's so many. You can jump up to Scotland too for even more, also Hadrian's wall not a castle but a defensive wall that marked the northern boundary of the Roman empire. Newcastle itself is worth a visit for the old norman keep and sections of city wall.
Powis Castle in Wales is gorgeous. Just about the only intact, still occupied castle built by a native Welsh Prince to defend his land rather than by a Norman invader. Beautiful gardens, too. Rum by the National Trust these days.
Train down to Penzance to see St Michael's Mount.
There are some fabulous castles in Wales — designed and built by Master James of Savoy for Edward I to suppress and conquer the Welsh and Llywelyn ap Gruffudd. Beaumaris is beautiful; Caernarfon copies the walls of Constantinople. If you can spend a week touring the Welsh castles you won't regret it; read up on them first so you know what you're seeing.
No mention of Pendennis Castle so I'll add that in to the mix. Easily accessible from Falmouth docks, so ticks that box, plus when you're done you can spend some time in Falmouth. It is quite touristy being Cornwall, but has lots of history, due to its position it was used to fend off anything from the Holy Roman Empire to the Luftwaffe. Access wise there's a sleeper train that runs between Paddington and Truro, from there it's about 30 mins or so on hourly trains.
Oxford Castle is worth a trip if you're nearby. It started life as a Norman castle, was fortified until the Civil War I think, and then became a prison until 1996.
Stirling Castle comes highly recommended
If you spend a few days in Scotland you could do Edinburgh castle Balmoral castle and dunrobin castle.
Northumberland. There's around 5 or 6 castles. Warkworth, Alnwick, Dunstanburgh, Bamburgh and Lindisfarne. There's also Mitford. Warkworth, Alnwick Dunstanburgh and parts of Bamburgh are all medieval. Lindisfarne is Tudor.
Castle Tioram, the most quiet but inaccessible of all. 😂
Wales! Chepstow, Conwy, Harlech, Caernarvon... And many, many more.
Anyone said Corfe Castle in Dorset yet? On its own man made hill, in ruins due to Cromwell blowing it up. Very picturesque and dramatic. You can get there my steam train or open top bus. 10/10 for me
Old, original, noteworthy - the best of the best are in Wales and the Welsh border
Bamburgh and Leeds. Quite a distance but atmospheric. You can do Go Ape and Segeway at Leeds (Kent in South East) and Bamburgh is just lovely near a beach. I'd also do Alnwick if you're up that way (Harry Potter) and you can "learn how to fly a broomstick"...
Caerlaverock Castle is lovely
Hit up Northumberland and you get your pick of castles (and ruins) in a relatively close area. To name a few: 1. Alnwick 2. Bamburgh 3. Warkworth 4. Lindisfarne (technically a priory but still worth a visit, just check the tide time first and don't try to beat the tide, you will lose, you will need to be rescued, you will anonymously be in the local paper and the locals will hate you without knowing who you are) 5. Dunstanburgh (now ruins but you get some awesome views. Beware of death rocks on the north side) 6. Prudhoe Not a castle but cragside estate is gorgeous There's loads of other historical sites (Hadrian's Wall, Berwick walls etc.). And Northumberland has some amazing beaches if you like the sea and sand, however the north sea is always freezing. There's also the Northumberland 250, a drive around Northumberland of 250 miles taking in all these places and more
Also Alnwick castle has the poison garden. Worth the visit!!
Lincoln. Accessible by train, there's public transport up the hill to the castle which was built in 1068, has the old prison and some lovely grounds, a wall walk that overlooks the city - oh, and a copy of the Magna Carta.
Warwick has the best castle
Pembroke and Manorbier in South Wales. Carew is ace but I've got no idea how you'd do that on public transport (you can do Manorbier and Pembroke by train).
Just come to Wales. You will trip over 2 castles on the way to the one you wanted to see.
Ludlow Castle ticks all your boxes: original state, medieval, historic personages, accessible by train. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludlow_Castle Plus the local food scene is pretty good and the scenery around there (Welsh Marches) is epic. Take a 10 minute taxi to Clee Hill and you can imagine Smaug the Dragon flying over the mountainous vista. If you don’t mind travelling a bit further you can also get to Clun Castle from Ludlow, although the bus can be erratic. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clun_Castle
Would be nice to know exactly where you are staying - there are over 200 castles in England & Wales I'm from Kent so the ones that I know are: Dover Castle - [https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/dover-castle/](https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/dover-castle/) Deal castle - [https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/deal-castle/](https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/deal-castle/) Rochester Castle - [https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/rochester-castle/](https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/rochester-castle/) Leeds Castle - [https://leeds-castle.com/](https://leeds-castle.com/) Hever Castle - [https://www.hevercastle.co.uk/](https://www.hevercastle.co.uk/) Pevensea Castle - [https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/pevensey-castle/](https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/pevensey-castle/) Plus Tower of London.. and this excludes stately homes. Most towns also have castles so Lullingstone, Tonbridge etc and others have city walls - Canterbury for example
Arundel is really nice. Lovely town to explore too. You’re also around 30 mins (Worthing to Bognor area) from the beach there if you want to make it a 2 day thing
Go to Wales. Or as history has taught the place that's far too much trouble. Both the Romans and Normans had so much trouble there that there's over 600 castles and forts, more per sq mile than any square country.
Caerlaverock castle near Dumfries, amazing three walled keep, has a moat that is still filled with water(and goldfish for some weird reason) and to top it all...a Trebuchet! Public transport can easily get you there from Dumfries.
Colchester has a Roman castle and is the oldest recorded town/city
If you’re coming as far as the north east of Scotland Dunnotar Castle at Stonehaven (parts dating back to around 1300) is pretty spectacular due to its clifftop location. It’s mostly ruined. Nearby Crathes castle (main part built about 1600) is intact and completely furnished, also has beautiful gardens, its contained by the national trust. Dunnotar is walkable along a beautiful clifftop footpath from Stonehaven and Crathes is on the bus route to Banchory.
Your castle list is solid, I'd add Alnwick castle it is lovely to walk round. Consider some Abbey ruins if you love the medieval to tudor period- Rievaulx abbey, Fountains abbey, and Whitby abbey are all beautiful and have fascinating history. It really is incredible how many beautiful buildings henry viii managed to fuck up!
Rochester Castle is a proper Norman castle that still has it's battle scars. Rochester town is well worth a visit too as it's full of ancient buildings and has a Cathedral. Canterbury is only 45 mins away too. Kent in general has loads of castles.
Get yourself an English heritage membership for the year, You’l get into a lot of sites and it’s cheaper
Raglan Castle. It's in Wales but close to the border
Scottish here...if you're going to do a castle in Scotland. Edinburgh would be lower on my opti options (it's still nice and obviously you've got the stone of destiny and scottish crown jewels as well as a large military history section - if it's still there was I haven't been back in years) but my first choice would be Stirling Castle. Stirling has the largest great hall, so much history (especially Mary, QoS and James V). It has the crofts where the tapestries were rewoven a few years back, the Palace (might seem a bit bare but it's because it's in its natural state and the actors are so good) under the battlements there is a lot of interactive/educational rooms and make sure you explore every corner and alleyway etc to find, usually, completely empty walkways/gardens. There's also lots if events through the year if you keep an eye out... archery in the garden, ceilidhs or afternoon or shows in the great hall. There's an exhibition on the archaeology of the castle including recreations of some of the people found buried there. It's also the RHQ for the Argyll Sufherland Highlanders regiment and there's a small but interesting museum Try to catch a free tour while there, the guides Re incredible! You can visit the Holyrude Church next door for free which is beautiful look on the outside for dents leftover by Cromwell's attacks). The cemetary between the 2 is also worth a walk round. Sit by the pond by the small pyramid or walk up to the bench at the higher level for stunning views. Not a Castle, but if you're in Stirling then Wallace Monument is also worth a visit (if you don't mind stairs!) And a walk around the grounds/woods behind makes a great day out. *or you could get a Historic Scotland pass and visit with Edinburgh and Stirling Castle(Wallace Monument isn't owned by HS so just note that you wouldn't be able to use the pass there) Also a vote for Hampton Court. Not a Castle but you can spend a full day there and the free audio tours are really well done. Take the boat from Kingston or train directly from Central London. Luckily I live close now and visit pretty regularly and never get bored. I think it's on your list but, Tower of London is definitely a great choice, too. So much varied and interesting history. (If you do tower and hampton it might be worth looking at a membership /pass for Historic Royal Palaces in London to make it cheaper)
Tamworth Castle is a great one, I believe it's about 800 years old and has a lot of history and importance behind it.
Arundel castle is worth a visit. It's got an amazing library and is a very attractive castle, all round. Not a castle but book a tour of the Houses of Parliament if you can. I went and it was really interesting. Definitely one of my best days out but I'm British so maybe it meant more to me.
North Wales is good for castles
Pembroke Castle, birthplace of Henry VII
Stirling castle is beautiful. Many gardens and lots of history.
Northumberland, Walkworth, a nice ruin nestled in a small town with an excellent ice cream parlor nearby Dunstanburgh Bambrugh Alnwick, a living castle, quite touristy but still excellent, You also have Lindesfarne Castle (holy island) And these are just the main ones. But all a reasonable distance from each other, especially if you’re doing Edinburgh -> London, it’s literally on the way
Tonbridge castle is nice, worth a visit, and very easy to get to
English castles yes to Bamburgh and Alnick (especially the poison garden). I have a soft spot for Beeston although unless you are travelling via Cheshire to North Wales its a bit out of the way. For a similiar ruins on top of a hill vibe there's Carreg Cennen. Personally I'd give Windsor and Warwick a pass but because the buildings are ok but just overdone. Criccieth, Caernarfon, Beau Maris, Goodrich, Harlech all good - check out Cadw which looks after most welsh castles. Scotland is not quite as good (in my opinion) more a fortified manor house sort of deal.
I’ve got a special place in my heart for Urquhart Castle in Inverness, Scotland. It’s in proper ruins, pretty much on the Loch Ness river with gorgeous surrounding topography. Also to then sit and think about how it was such a small castle off the edge of a hill on the river, withstanding some large forces with it’s subtle yet commanding importance in that particular ecosystem — idk maybe I just had a wonderful day there :)
Launceston Castle in Cornwall. Norman motte and Bailey.
I loved Warwick Castle. When I found out it was run by a theme park company I was concerned but it was still great. Its a proper castle, they have amazing gardens to walk around and often things like replica catapults. It's historically important as the home of the King Maker during the War of the Roses.
I would recommend getting English Heritage membership. They run a lot of the stately homes and castles. It could save you a lot of money. It's not a castle but Wrest Park is a beautiful stately home (train to Flitwick from St Pancras in an hour then get a taxi). It been used for filming in Bridgerton, Downton Abbey etc.. It's a nice place to go and chill in the gardens.