Castles · South West England
Old Wardour Castle
In or near Tisbury.
Old Wardour Castle — Grade I listed castle in Wardour, Wiltshire, England, UK.
Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 1.5 h–3 h
- Nearest railway station
- Tisbury · 2.8 km
- Paid entry
- Family-friendly
- Limited wheelchair access
Getting there & planning your visit
To visit Old Wardour Castle, the nearest railway station is Tisbury, located 2.8 km away. Entry is paid, and wheelchair accessibility is limited. The postcode for sat-nav is SP3 6RP.
About
Old Wardour Castle is a castle in the United Kingdom — fortified architecture from the medieval, Tudor, or Victorian-revival period. It covers approximately 384 km². Heritage designation: scheduled monument. Owned by English Heritage. Managed by English Heritage. Wikidata describes it as: "Grade I listed castle in Wardour, Wiltshire, England, UK". Coordinates: 51.0363°, -2.0889°.
Photo gallery
Heritage listing
Wardour Castle or Old Wardour Castle is a ruined 14th-century castle at Wardour, on the boundaries of the civil parishes of Tisbury and Donhead St Andrew in the English county of Wiltshire, about 15 miles (24 km) west of Salisbury. The castle was built in the 1390s, came into the ownership of the Arundells in the 16th century, and was rendered uninhabitable in 1643 and 1644 during the Civil War. A Grade I listed building, it is managed by English Heritage and open to the public.
From the Historic England List Entry under OGL v3.
From English Heritage
Showpiece house to romantic ruin, Old Wardour Castle is set in beautiful Wiltshire countryside
Read more on the official property page.
Protected designations
- Site of Special Scientific Interest: River Avon System SSSI
- Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty: Cranborne Chase & West Wiltshire Downs
Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
Wardour Castle or Old Wardour Castle is a ruined 14th-century castle at Wardour, on the boundaries of the civil parishes of Tisbury and Donhead St Andrew in the English county of Wiltshire, about 15 miles (24 km) west of Salisbury. The castle was built in the 1390s, came into the ownership of the Arundells in the 16th century, and was rendered uninhabitable in 1643 and 1644 during the Civil War. A Grade I listed building, it is managed by English Heritage and open to the public.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
Architecture
In the 1300s, the land on which the castle was built was owned by the St Martin family until Sir Lawrence de St Martin died in 1385. Later in that year the land was acquired by John, the fifth Baron Lovell. In 1392 or 1393, Baron Lovell was granted permission by King Richard II to build a castle on the site. It was constructed using locally quarried Tisbury greensand, and the master mason was William Wynford. The design was inspired by the hexagonal (six-sided) castles then in fashion in parts of the Continent, particularly in France (with similarities being noted to the château de Concressault); but its own design is unique in Britain. The inclusion of several self-contained guest suites…
Visiting
The castle, including the grotto on the north side of its grounds, appeared in the 1991 Kevin Costner feature Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. The cover of Sting's album Ten Summoner's Tales was photographed inside Wardour Castle.
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 51.0363, -2.0889
- District
- Wiltshire
- Parish
- Tisbury
- Postcode
- SP3 6RP
- Parliamentary constituency
- Salisbury
- Phone
- 01747 870487
- Nearest railway station
- Tisbury — 2.8 km
- Opening
- Daily 10am–5pm; last entry at 4.30pm
- Official site
- www.english-heritage.org.uk
Sources
- wikidata: Q7969192 (CC0)
- wikipedia: Wardour Castle (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- commons: Old Wardour Castle 56.JPG (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is Old Wardour Castle?
- Old Wardour Castle is in South-East England, United Kingdom (postcode SP3 6RP), in the parish of Tisbury.
- What is Old Wardour Castle?
- Old Wardour Castle — Grade I listed castle in Wardour, Wiltshire, England, UK.
- How do I get to Old Wardour Castle?
- The nearest railway station is Tisbury, about 2.8 km away. Drivers can use postcode SP3 6RP.
- Who runs Old Wardour Castle?
- Old Wardour Castle is operated by English Heritage.
- Is Old Wardour Castle a listed building?
- Old Wardour Castle is officially recognised as scheduled monument listed.
- Is Old Wardour Castle a protected site?
- Yes — Old Wardour Castle is part of the River Avon System SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest and the Cranborne Chase & West Wiltshire Downs National Landscape (AONB).
- Does Old Wardour Castle charge admission?
- Old Wardour Castle typically charges admission. Check the official site for current ticket prices and opening hours.
- How do I get to Old Wardour Castle?
- The nearest railway station is Tisbury, about 2.8 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode SP3 6RP.