Sudeley Castle
Sudeley Castle
Winchcombe
Gloucestershire GL54 5JD
Tel: 01242 602308
About Sudeley Castle
Sudeley Castle, near Winchcombe, Cheltenham, Gloc., and is not only a family attraction described as ‘the most romantic Castle in England’, but has a host of enticing features and entertainments making it the ideal family day out. The home of Lord Ashcombe and the Dent Brocklehursts, Sudeley Castle nestles in the Cotswolds and boasts over 1200 acres of landscaped gardens. A day ticket gets entry to all the ruins and gardens, which are as relaxing as a family day out could be.
Sudeley Castle originated as an 11th century Saxon manor house. It became a Norman garrison, fortified in 1139 and, by 1170, was held by William de Tracy, one of four knights who murdered Thomas A Becket in Canterbury. In 1442, the squire, Ralph Boteler, rebuilt it with a double courtyard and moat. Sudeley Castle’s first courtyard contains quarters for servants and men at arms, the second, state and family apartments, while the Chapel and Tithe Barn were also added.
Richard III became owner of Sudeley Castle in 1483 and developed the Banqueting Hall with its fine oriel windows and State rooms. In 1535, Sudeley Castle was visited by Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, and his son, Edward VI, granted Sudeley Castle to his uncle, Thomas Seymour, who married Henry’s widow, Katherine Parr. In 1548, Seymour refurbished Sudeley Castle, and Katherine was accompanied by maid-of-honour Lady Jane Grey. In 1572, Edmund Chandos oversaw alterations to Sudeley Castle and, in 1592, Elizabeth I partied there for three days! A fine family day out even then!
Sudeley Castle saw action in the British Civil Wars of 1642-51 and King Charles I and his nephew, Prince Rupert, stayed overnight. Parliamentarians converted the Chapel into stabling and chancel into a slaughter-house. By 1649, it was rendered militarily untenable and fell into neglect. In 1782, Katherine Parr’s coffin opened, while, in 1788 ‘Mad’ King George III visited, tripped down the Octagon Tower staircase and was saved by landing on Mrs. Cox the housekeeper!
Just the ticket! And not something that any other family attraction can claim.
Sudeley Castle was bought in 1837 by the Dent glove-makers of Worcester and, in 1840, they restored the courtyard. In 1854-55, George Gilbert Scott overhauled Sudeley Castle Chapel and, during World War 2, a PoW camp was created in the grounds. Mary Dent-Brocklehurst introduced the Walter Morrison collection of Dutch and English Old Masters – worth the price of the ticket alone – and Sudeley Castle opened to the public in 1969. Major refurbishments in the 80s followed, creating the family attraction of today.
Connoisseur Tours of the splendid private apartments are available three days a week (see Sudeley Castle’s website for details), taking in the Stone Drawing Room, Library and Billiard Room, and masterworks by Rubens, Van Dyck and Lorraine. Redesigned in the 19th century by Emma Dent and later by Lady Ashcombe, there’s an elaborate Tudor knot garden, Victorian topiary yew hedges and wildflowers, anemones and snakes head fritillaries in long grass, carpets of blue squill under silver pear trees, magnolias and cherry trees. The centrepiece Queen’s Garden is in the original parterre, where cleomes, echinacea and agapanthus flowerbeds thrive. Ancient roses include Damascus, Provence, Ispahan, Othello, Falstaff, William Shakespeare, Celeste, and Great Maiden's Blush. The gardening team hold 'Rose Week' each year, with the opportunity to talk to the gardeners about the principles used at Sudeley.
A grand family day out should also take in the Banqueting Hall, flanked by sycamores and cascades of thyme, and including the original fireplace and an old stone chair. The Mulberry Garden at the Dungeon Tower has banks of cowslip and primroses. The White Garden is where Katherine Parr would have walked with Lady Jane Grey and two topiary figures draped in ivy and roses represent them. Around the Chapel are white Passion Flower, white roses and tulips, tobacco and petunias.
The Secret Garden has 1000 tulips, along with heliotropes, penstemons and sage, while the Victorian Kitchen Garden by the arched gatehouse is a vegetable patch of rare plants. A family attraction and a conservation centre, it produces Onions, Asparagus, purple Beans, Peas and tayberries. By a canal stocked with koi carp, the Tithe Barn has wild hollyhocks, cardoons, hydrangeas and wisteria, and in its rear, beech, oak, ferns, hostas, foxgloves, primroses and cyclamen. Finally, the Wildflower Walk And Meadow offer groves of crab-apples, almonds and apricots, as well as oxeye daisies, camassias, sweet rocket and cranesbill, butterflies, caterpillars and birds.
It leads on to the Pheasantry – another must-see accessible to ticket holders, and an organic part of this captivating family attraction. It hosts 15 rare species from around the globe, notably Indian peafowl and red junglefowl, as well as Blue Eared, Cheer, Golden, Lady Amherst’s, Mikado, Reeves’, Swinhoe’s, True Silver and Yellow Golden pheasants, not to mention Himalayan Monals, Javanese Green Peafowl, Satyr and Temminck Tragopans, and Siamese Firebacks. Twitchers will tell you it’s worth the ticket alone. But there’s still a vast amount to see and do on this variegated family day out.
The Happily Ever After Garden, adjacent to the medieval Tithe Barn ruins, has giant iron letters clad in climbing honeysuckle. A children’s play area is nestled in the trees and features a huge wooden fort, slide and fabulous zip wire. The family picnic area and lawn makes the perfect place to stop whilst the kids have fun. ‘Numerous exhibitions include Katherine Parr’s Keepsakes and a new exhibition for 2009 focusing on Henry VIII and his visit to Sudeley in 1535.
Six Wives At Sudeley focuses on Sudeley Castle’s royal connections, with an exhibition of Tudor costumes from “The Six Wives of Henry VIII” TV series. The Emma Dent Collection ranges from diaries, needlework and jewellery, to autographs of Victorian authors, artists and statesmen. Threads Of Time looks at the Dents’ and Brocklehursts’ textile firms and features a 17th century Stumpwork casket with seven secret drawers, Whitework, costumes, furnishings, silk wall hangings and woven tapestries.
A ticket to Sudeley Castle also includes the Gift Shop and Plant Centre, while weddings can be booked in the Banqueting Hall, holding up to 80 with music from the Minstrels’ Gallery. The Long Room can house the same, while the panelled private library and its fine art and antiques, including leather-bound books and the Sheldon Tapestry, can accommodate 30 for gourmet meals. In the Country Cottage complex (available for breaks), the Chandos Hall houses 40 and is the base for corporate events and other special occasions, such as Country Pursuits, Shooting Days, 4x4 Off Road Safaris, Jousting Events, Family Fun Days, Teambuilding, Adventure Treasure Trails, Medieval Banquets, Casino & Games Evenings, Themed Parties, Summer Balls, Murder Mysteries and Barbecues (detailed on the Sudeley Castle website). Hence, the family attraction that is Sudeley Castle offers a whole array of opportunities for a fun and fascinating family day, and night.