Castles · West Midlands
Downton Castle
In or near Leintwardine.
Downton Castle in Wales Mid, United Kingdom.

Philip Halling — CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 1.5 h–3 h
- Nearest railway station
- Ludlow · 6.8 km
- Family-friendly
- Limited wheelchair access
About
Downton Castle is a place of interest in Wales Mid, United Kingdom — drawn from open-data sources for visitor reference. See the linked Wikipedia article for the full description.
Photo gallery
Protected designations
- Site of Special Scientific Interest: Downton Gorge SSSI
- Site of Special Scientific Interest: River Teme SSSI
- National Nature Reserve: DOWNTON GORGE
- Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty: Shropshire Hills
Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
Downton Castle is a grade I listed 18th-century country house in the parish of Downton on the Rock in Herefordshire, England, situated about 5 miles (8.0 km) west of Ludlow, Shropshire.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
The estate of Downton was acquired by Richard Knight (1659–1749) a wealthy ironmaster from Madeley, Shropshire, and proprietor of the Bringewood Ironworks. It passed to his grandson the art connoisseur and MP Richard Payne Knight (1750-1824), who rebuilt the house in the Gothic Revival style. Construction started in 1772/3 and was largely completed by 1778. In 1824 the estate was inherited by the horticulturalist Charlotte Knight (c.1801-1843), niece of Payne Knight, the daughter and heiress of his brother, the botanist Thomas Andrew Knight. She was the wife of Sir William Edward Rouse-Boughton, 2nd and 10th Baronet (1788-1856), of Downton Hall, Stanton Lacy, Shropshire, (about to the NE of…
Description
The south-facing entrance front has a central square tower, six bays to the left terminating in an octagonal tower and five bays to the right flanked by a square tower, the whole resembling a medieval castle with embattled parapets. Pevsner considered the inspiration to be the French semi-fortified houses in paintings by Claude Lorraine or Gaspard Poussin.
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 52.3678, -2.8164
- District
- Herefordshire, County of
- Parish
- Downton
- Postcode
- SY8 2LH
- Parliamentary constituency
- North Herefordshire
- Nearest railway station
- Ludlow — 6.8 km
Sources
- wikidata: Q5303322 (CC0)
- wikipedia: Downton Castle (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Other places nearby

Bridge approximately 300 metres north of Downton Castle
Historic bridges · 0.3 km

Bringewood Ironworks
Ironworks & forges · 0.9 km

Elan aqueduct
Gardens · 2.0 km

Downton Motte
Literary houses · 2.2 km

Weaver
Mountains & hills · 2.2 km

Downton
Castles · 2.2 km

The Tump
Castles · 2.2 km

Weaver
Mountains & hills · 2.3 km

Downton Camp
Vineyards · 2.3 km

Cast Iron Grave Slabs
Memorials & monuments · 2.6 km

Bringewood
Mountains & hills · 2.7 km

Bringewood Hill
Mountains & hills · 2.7 km
Nearby
Historic bridges · West Midlands
Bridge approximately 300 metres north of Downton Castle
Bridge approximately 300 metres north of Downton Castle — Grade II listed building-listed bridge in wales-mid, United Kingdom.
Ironworks & forges · West Midlands
Bringewood Ironworks
Bringewood Ironworks in Wales Mid, United Kingdom.
📷 5Where to eat & stay near Downton Castle
Places to stay
Hotels · West Midlands
The Feathers Hotel
The Feathers Hotel — a hotel in wales mid.
📷 5
📷 5Caravan parks · West Midlands
Orleton Rise Holiday Home Park
Orleton Rise Holiday Home Park — a caravan park in wales mid.
📷 5Campsites · West Midlands
Greenway Touring Park for Adults
Greenway Touring Park for Adults — a campsite in wales mid.
Places to eat & drink
Historic pubs · West Midlands
Clive Arms Public House
Clive Arms Public House in England West Midlands, United Kingdom.
Historic pubs · West Midlands
Wheatsheaf Inn and Chandlers Cottage
Wheatsheaf Inn and Chandlers Cottage in England West Midlands, United Kingdom.
Historic pubs · West Midlands
Old Bull Ring Tavern
Old Bull Ring Tavern in England West Midlands, United Kingdom.
More castles in this region
📷 3Castles · West Midlands
Hoar Cross Hall
Hoar Cross Hall — a castle in West Midlands, United Kingdom.
Castles · West Midlands
Chartley Castle, Chartley Old Hall and associated water control systems including garden remains
Chartley Castle, Chartley Old Hall and associated water control systems including garden remains — scheduled monument-listed castle in england-east-midlands, United Kingdom.
Frequently asked questions
- Where is Downton Castle?
- Downton Castle is in the West Midlands, United Kingdom (postcode SY8 2LH), in the parish of Downton.
- What is Downton Castle?
- Downton Castle in Wales Mid, United Kingdom.
- How do I get to Downton Castle?
- The nearest railway station is Ludlow, about 6.8 km away. The nearest town is Leintwardine. Drivers can use postcode SY8 2LH.
- Is Downton Castle a protected site?
- Yes — Downton Castle is part of the Downton Gorge SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest and the River Teme SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest.
- Does Downton Castle charge admission?
- Downton Castle typically charges admission. Check the official site for current ticket prices and opening hours.
- How do I get to Downton Castle?
- The nearest railway station is Ludlow, about 6.8 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode SY8 2LH.