Things to do in Midlands

Acton Burnell Castle is located near the village of Acton Burnell, Shropshire, England. The castle is a 13th century fortified manor house - the oldest fortified manor house in England. The building is now in ruins, and all that remains is the outer shell of the manor house and the gable ends of the barn, where parliament once sat. It is a Grade I listed building and now maintained by English Heritage. The more recent Acton Burnell Hall is now a privately owned college. The manor house was built in 1284 by Robert Burnell, Bishop of Bath and Wells. Although the building was cranellated and fortified, it was never a military castle. The building was rectangular with a forty feet tall tower at each corner. It was three storeys high with hall, bedrooms, offices, chapel and kitchen. It is believed that the first Parliament of England where Commons were fully represented was held in 1283 in the great barn next to the manor. The castle was held by the Burnell family and passed to the Lovels of Titchmarsh through marriage. The property was confiscated by Henry VII after the Battle of Stoke Field in 1487 and given to Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk. The castle passed to the Smythe family in the mid 17th century. Acton Burnell Hall was built near to the castle in 1814 by the Smythe family.

Alton Castle is located off Castle Hill Road in the village of Alton, Staffordshire - about 15 miles east of Stoke-on-Trent . The castle is also known as Alverton Castle or Aulton Castle. The castle was protected to the north by a cliff and to the south by a rock-cut ditch and curtain wall. The twin-tower gatehouse was at the west end of the south curtain and there were two large wall towers towards the centre of the curtain wall. The Eastern Wall Tower is a square open backed tower with a battered base, and tower corners are chamfered. The angle between tower and curtain wall is corbelled at parapet level. The 13th century Western Wall Tower is D-shaped and only the foundations remain. The early 13the century Gatehouse towers survive to a height of about ten feet. There was originally a portcullis in the gatehouse and the lower part of a portcullis groove of square section survives. Alton Castle was originally a medieval castle, built in about 1175 by Bertram de Verdun, the founder of Croxden Abbey. Alton Castle was founded by Bertram de Verdon and built on a hill overlooking the River Churnet in the 12th century. It was remodeled during the 15th century and subsequently was damaged during the Civil War. The Castle was rebuilt as a large Gothic-style house between 1847 and 1852 by A.W.N. Pugin as country house for the 16th Earl of Shrewsbury. The school on the site was taken over by the Sisters of Mercy in 1855 and the presbytery became their convent. The castle remained a private residence until 1919 when the Sisters of Mercy brought it to extend their boarding school. The school closed in 1989 and the castle was left empty until the Archdiocese of Birmingham purchased the building in 1995 and opened it as a Catholic Youth Retreat Centre in 1996. The remains of the castle are a Grade I listed building, and a scheduled ancient monument.

Beeston Castle is located in Beeston, Cheshire, England. The castle is positioned on a rocky crag above the Cheshire Plain with views to the Pennines in the east to the Welsh mountains in the west. Beeston was defended by its natural position on a crag, and by massive walls with towers and strong gate houses. There was a small inner courtyard with fortified wall on top of the hill with cliffs on three sides and a defensive ditch cut into the rock on the fourth side. The outer bailey was built further down the hill with a large gatehouse protected by a moat. The walls of the outer bailey contain a number of D-shaped towers which allowed defenders to fire across the walls as well as forwards. The castle is now owned by English Heritage and is open to visitors. It has a small museum and visitor centre. It is a Grade I listed building and a Scheduled Ancient Monument. Beeston Castle was built in the 1220s by Ranulph de Blondeville, 4th Earl of Chester, on his return from the Fifth Crusade. (Ranulph de Blondeville also built Bolingbroke in Lincolnshire.) Henry III enlarged Beeston Castle during his wars with Wales. In 1254 Henry gave Beeston to his son Prince Edward. By the 16th century, the castle was declining in importance to the English Crown, and in 1602 it was sold to Sir Hugh Beeston. During the English Civil War, Beeston was seized in 1643 by parliamentary forces. During 1643 Captain Thomas Sandford and eight soldiers of the royal army of Ireland crept into Beeston at night and surprised the castle governor, Captain Thomas Steele, who surrendered the castle. (Steele was later tried and shot for failing to hold the castle). The Royalists holding the castle were subsequently besieged by parliamentary forces in late 1644, and surrendered a year later. The castle was partially demolished in 1646, to prevent its further use as a stronghold. During the 18th century the castle was used as a quarry and the gatehouse in the outer bailey was demolished. In 1840, the castle was purchased by John Tollemache, 1st Baron Tollemache. Legends It is rumoured that Richard II hid treasure at Beeston in 1399, before leaving for Ireland to suppress a rebellion. On his return, Richard was deposed by Henry, Duke of Lancaster, who later became Henry IV. The treasure is said to have remained undiscovered despite many searches.

Belvoir Castle in Leicestershire, pronounced Beaver locally, is one of the grandest and most strikingly romantic country houses in England, a Gothic Revival castle of the early nineteenth century crowning a ridge above the Vale of Belvoir in the East Midlands and serving as the ancestral seat of the Dukes of Rutland, whose family has occupied this site continuously since the eleventh century. The present building, completed in the 1830s, replaces several predecessors on the same ridge, the earlier buildings having been demolished, burned or allowed to decay over the centuries, but the continuity of aristocratic occupation gives the site a depth of family history unusual even among England's great country houses. The castle was designed principally by James Wyatt and later Matthew Wyatt in an elaborate Gothic Revival style that captures the romantic imagination of what a medieval castle should look like rather than reproducing the defensive practicality of genuine medieval military architecture. Towers, turrets, battlements and pinnacles create a picturesque composition on the skyline that is visible for considerable distances across the flat Vale of Belvoir below, and the effect in certain lights, particularly at dusk or in winter, approaches the theatrical quality of a stage set for a Gothic novel. The interior of the castle contains one of the finest private collections of furniture, paintings and works of art in England. The paintings include works by Poussin, Holbein, Reynolds and Gainsborough among others, displayed in a series of state rooms of considerable splendour. The Elizabethan Room, the Regent's Gallery, the Ballroom and the King's Bedroom are among the most impressive spaces, and the overall quality of the interior reflects the resources and collecting ambitions of a family that has been among the wealthiest in England for several centuries. The grounds of the castle include formal gardens, parkland and the estate village of Knipton, and a programme of events throughout the year including jousting tournaments and outdoor theatre adds to the visitor offer.

Berkeley Castle is located in the town of Berkeley, Gloucestershire, England. The Keep is the oldest part of the Castle (completed in 1153), During the Civil War in the 17th century a breach was made in the wall which can still be seen. There is a dungeon and holding cell in the Keep. The King's Gallery contains the cell and dungeon where King Edward II was imprisoned and murdered. The Picture Gallery has a collection of mainly Dutch paintings, and also sporting and hunting paintings. The Dining Room used to be the servants hall, but now displays Georgian silverware and family portraits. The Mediaeval Larders, Buttery and Kitchen have been changed little since 14th century. The arches on the walls show the positions of the early bread ovens. There is an underground passage from the Buttery to the castle well. The Great Hall and Armoury Screens dates from the fourteenth century, and displays fine series of tapestries and stained glass windows. The Grand Staircase displays portraits and Tudor embroidery. The castle has many historic items that have been collected by members of the Berkeley family throughout the centuries, including Francis Drake's cabin chest, Queen Elizabeth I's bedspread, and the banner that the 4th Earl of Berkeley took to the Battle of Culloden. There are also many tapestries, paintings, ceramics and silverware. The castle is managed by the Berkeley Castle Charitable Trust, and most areas of the castle are now open to the public. The castle is surrounded by Elizabethan terraced gardens. The castle was built by Robert Fitzharding in the 12th century. King Henry II ordered the construction to defend the Severn estuary and the Welsh border. The castle belongs to the Berkeley family, descendants of Robert Fitzharding, and has been in the same family for about 900 years. It is the oldest continuously-occupied castle in England after The Tower of London and Windsor Castle. King Edward II of England was held in the castle for 18 months, before being murdered in 1327. The cell where he is supposed to have been imprisoned can still be seen. During the English Civil War, the castle was captured in 1645 by Colonel Thomas Rainsborough, for the Parliamentarians. The walls were damaged by cannon fire, but the Berkeley family were allowed to retain ownership on condition that they never repaired the damage to the keep and outer bailey. The Arts Berkeley Castle was used for many scenes in the BBC television series The Ghost Hunter; and also in the first televised version of The Other Boleyn Girl.

Bolingbroke Castle is located at Bolingbroke in Lincolnshire. The castle is now in ruins, although much of the lower walls and the ground floors of the towers are still standing. Most of the castle is built of Spilsby greenstone. The castle was built as a polygonal enclosure with seven horseshoe-shaped towers. Two of the towers form the entrance to the enclosure. The castle is does not have a keep. The curtain wall was 12 feet thick and there used to be a surrounding moat. Bolingbroke Castle is open to visitors all year round, and hosts occasional events throughout the year including historical events and music concerts.. Bolingbroke Castle was built by Randulph de Blundeville, Earl of Chester around 1220. Randulph de Blundeville also built Beeston Castle at around the same time (like Bolingbroke, Beeston Castle had no keep). The castle passed to the House of Lancaster in 1311. King Henry IV was born at Bolingbroke Castle in 1366. Bolingbroke was partially destroyed in 1643 during the English Civil War and abandoned shortly afterwards. The castle is now in ruins. The Duchy of Lancaster handed the site to the Ministry of works in 1949 and they undertook major excavation of the ruins. Management of the castle was handed over from English Heritage to the Heritage Trust of Lincolnshire in 1995

Bolsover Castle is located in Bolsover, Derbyshire, England. There are three main buildings standing today. The "Little Castle" is a mock medieval keep built in a romantic style. The Terrace Range is a separate block near the Little Castle, and has a suite of state rooms and living quarters, with kitchen area. The Riding School is at right angles to the Terrace Range, running from the car park to the end of the Terrace Range furthest from the Little Castle. There is a Discovery Centre in the Riding School. Parts of the original curtain wall are incorporated in the "Wall Walk" in the castle gardens. The castle regularly hosts historic and cultural events throughout the year and is popular for family picnics. Bolsover Castle was built by the Peverel family in the 12th century. It was taken over by the Crown in 1155 when the third William Peverel went into exile. The castle was strengthened later in the 12th century with the addition of a stone keep and curtain wall around 1173. The castle was attacked in 1216 and fell into disrepair. Sir Charles Cavendish bought the castle in 1608, and rebuilt the castle into an elegant home. The tower, known as the "Little Castle", was completed around 1621. The Cavendish family subsequently added the Terrace Range and Riding School Range. During the Civil War Bolsover Castle was taken by the Parliamentarians who damaged it, and Bolsover again fell into ruin in the 1650s. William Cavendish restored it again by 1676, also adding a new hall and staterooms to the Terrace Range. The castle was later owned by the Dukes of Portland. In 1883 the castle was no longer in use as a residence, and eventually given to the nation by the 7th Duke of Portland in 1945. The castle is now in the care of English Heritage. Bolsover Castle Bolsover Castle Looking NW towards the main keep with the ruined facade on the left.

Chartley Castle is located north of the village of Stowe-by-Chartley in Staffordshire (between Stafford and Uttoxeter). The motte and bailey castle is in ruins, but substantial remains stand including an unusual cylindrical keep, a curtain wall flanked by two D-shaped towers, a twin-towered gatehouse and an angled tower. The motte and bailey castle was built by one of the early Earls of Chester around 1100. It was rebuilt in 1220 by Ranulph de Blondeville, 4th Earl of Chester, and a curtain wall was added. It passed by marriage to William de Ferrers, Earl of Derby and remained in the Ferrers family until 1453, when it passed to Walter Devereux through his wife, Elizabeth Ferrers. Walter was killed at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485. The castle was then abandoned as a residence and Chartley Manor was built nearby. Chartley Manor was one of the last stops for Mary Queen of Scots before her execution. She was moved from Tutbury Castle a few miles to the east to Chartley in December 1585, and was imprisoned at Chartley for almost a year. She was then taken from Chartley to Fotheringay Castle in September 1586 where she was beheaded on 8 February 1587.

Clun Castle is located in the town of Clun, Shropshire. The remains of the four storey rectangular great keep are still standing on the north side of the motte. The keep was built into the side of the motte with one wall rising from the ditch below the motte. Two baileys can be seen to the east. Other remains that can be seen are part of one wall of what may have been a small square keep on top of the motte. To the south is the site of the gatehouse, and the foundations of a great round tower can be seen to the south-west. Along the west front are the remains of two turrets. The castle is owned by the Duke of Norfolk and is managed by English Heritage. The castle was originally built by Robert Picot de Say between 1090 and 1110 as a Norman motte and bailey castle. It passed through marriage to the Fitz Alan family in 1199. During the second half of the 13th century the castle was rebuilt in stone with a four storey keep and curtain walls. In the 14th century the castle was transformed into a hunting lodge by the Fitz Alan family, who had taken up residence in Arundel Castle. Once Clun was no longer the primary residence of the family it started to fall into disrepair. The castle was in ruins by the time of the English Civil War of 1642. In 1894, the castle was purchased by the Duke of Norfolk, a descendant of the original FitzAlan family.

Situated in the middle of England, Kenilworth Castle is 8 miles north of Stratford on Avon. The red sandstone ruins are surrounded by a curtain wall. The castle has recently undergone a restoration project which includes the Elizabethan gardens, stables and the gatehouse, with the rest of the site including the three storey Norman tower being left unrestored. Facilities Open daily throughout the year between 10am and 5pm, and until 4pm November to March, visitors can stroll around the castle's ruins and to now also visit the newly restored 'Leicester's Gatehouse'. One of the gatehouse's exhibitions brings to life the love story between the Earl of Leicester, Sir Thomas Dudley and Queen Elizabeth I. It has major items on loan from private collectors and museums which include a copy of the letter that the Earl of Leicester sent to the Queen; a letter she kept by her bedside until her death. The gatehouse also has another exhibition, authentic room displays, an audio tour detailing the history of the castle and its occupants as well as a shop, visitor centre and tea room. As well as the audio tour the castle also offers two other tours the first entitled 'From Fortress to Palace' is a description of the castle's history and development; two weeks advance booking is required. The second tour is a tour of the gardens. A member of the gardening team takes visitors through the inspiration behind the garden design by the Earl, the tour also tells the tale of the love story between the Earl and his Queen. The first building on the site was a Saxon fortification, around 1125 Geoffrey de Clinton was responsible for building a square stone tower on the site. King Henry II took possession of the castle and during his reign it was extensively enlarged, strengthened and transformed into a great palace. In the 1560's the castle was again improved and modernized by Robert, Earl of Leicester, he added a gatehouse on the northern boundary wall and a suite of luxurious Tudor apartments; known as Leicester's Building, and formal gardens. Leicester and Queen Elizabeth I were close friends and she was entertained at the castle on many occasions including one occasion in 1575 where she stayed for nearly three weeks during which time she was entertained with music, dancing, feasts and pageants, it was the most lavish extravaganza that England had ever seen. After Leicester's death the castle once again came into the hands of the monarchy and throughout the Civil War was taken by both the parliamentarians and the royalists. After the end of the English Civil War in 1649, Oliver Cromwell's parliamentarian partially demolished the castle, with one wall of the keep being blown up and the battlements destroyed. During the 1650's the gatehouse was converted to living accommodation and the lake drained and in 1984 the castle and grounds were handed over to English Heritage. The Arts The festivities held for Queen Elizabeth were said to have been the inspiration for William Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer nights Dream'.

Situated four miles west of the city of Leicester, Kirby Muxloe castle is found within the village of the same name. Kirby Muxloe Castle was originally built of over 100,000 red fired bricks it was one of the earliest and last quadrangular brickwork castles to be built in England. Today the remains of the unfinished 15th century fortified mansion are surrounded by a moat lined with brick and comprise of just a rectangular gatehouse and the south west tower which have recently been conserved. The gatehouse is now only one storey high, however the black and red diamond brickwork patterning and carvings are still visible. The tower stands at almost its full height and also displays the same black and red diamond patterned brickwork and is complete with battlements. Facilities The castle remains are open to the public between May and August 10am until 5pm at weekends and bank holidays. There was a settlement on the site from the 9th century which continued to grow until the 14th century when a fortified manor house was built on the site by the Pakeman family. William, 1st Baron of Hastings; second cousin of Edward I, acquired the castle in 1480 after many years of leasing it and founded a brick castle on the site. He was given a license to crenellate the castle which he never realised as he was beheaded in the Tower of London in 1483 for treason. The family kept the castle and from time to time added roofs and floors to the towers; however in 1484 the castle was abandoned. Later the new owner Sir Robert Banaster removed much of the building material to build a farmhouse nearby. In 1911 the castle was placed under the guardianship of the Ministry of Works and now managed by English Heritage who have carried out extensive restoration work. Kirby Muxloe Castle Kirby Muxloe Castle Kirby Muxloe Castle

Lincoln Castle is situated 37 miles north of Nottingham, in Lincoln city centre near the cathedral. Today's castle comprises of two mottes; one with an observation tower, the other a 12th century shell keep and curtain wall, a Georgian building within the bailey, an eastern gatehouse with two round 13th century turrets protected by a barbican and a large western gatehouse with barbican. Facilities The castle is open daily all year from 10am. Visitors may explore alone or take one of the guided tours of the castle site when one of the castle's volunteers will talk about the history of both the castle and its occupants. Other possibilities include a walk along the length of the curtain wall; offering fantastic views of the cathedral, city and surrounding countryside, a visit to the prison including the women's wing and the chapel along with an exhibition which includes the rare opportunity to see one of the four original copies of the Magna Carta sealed by king John in 1215. There is also a cafe and shop on site. The first castle was built on the site for William the Conqueror in 1068 on the site of a Roman fortress with the original wooden structure being later replaced by a stone castle. Lincoln Castle is unusual in that it is only one of two surviving castles to have two mottes; the other being Lewes Castle in East Sussex. It saw combat in both the 1st and 2nd Battles of Lincoln, following the first battle the 'Lucy Tower' was built and after the second battle, and the signing of the Magna Carta, new barbicans were added to the east and west gates. In 1787 a prison was built on the site and until 1868 inmates were publicly hanged in the north east tower. In 1878 the prison was relocated to another site when the castle was left unoccupied. Lincolnshire County Council now own the castle.

Ludlow Castle is situated in the centre of the market town of Ludlow, 28 miles south of Shrewsbury overlooking the Corve and Teme rivers. The well maintained rectangular castle ruins consist of an inner and outer bailey surrounded by a moat and curtain wall, a tower and keep. Built of grey stone the tower of the castle's keep is built over 4 floors and from the top visitors have long reaching views over the town and the surrounding countryside. Entry to the castle is via a bridge over the dry moat. The inner bailey contains the remains of residential buildings built in Tudor, Medieval and Norman styles, a chapel and a circular chancel. Facilities The castle has a shop and tearoom within the castle walls, there is also the recently converted Castle House; rooms built into the castles outer curtain wall, where holiday accommodation and civil marriages take place. There are three luxury self catering holiday accommodations within Castle House and the Beacon Room or the Library are where civil wedding ceremonies take place which are licensed for up to 60 guests. The original castle on the site was a much smaller building from the beginning of the 11th century. It was constructed as a border stronghold against the Welsh for Roger de Lacy. In the 14th century it was enlarged into a palace for 'the most powerful man in England' Roger Mortimer and in the 15th century was under the ownership of Richard, Duke of York when it played an important role in the Wars of the Roses. Although in England, the town of Ludlow effectively became the capital of Wales and its seat of Government when Edward IV sent his son Edward, Prince of Wales and his brother the Richard, Duke of York to live in the castle in 1472 The next royal occupants were Prince Arthur and his bride, Catherine of Aragon who lived there for a short time before Arthur's death in 1502. Catherine left Ludlow and became the first wife of Henry VIII; Arthur's brother, and their child, Mary Tudor, heir to the throne, spent the winters in the castle between 1525 and 1528. During the Civil War the castle escaped being slighted and in 1689 was where Lord Herbert of Chirbury founded the Royal Welch Fusiliers. In the following years the castle fell into disrepair until it was purchased in 1811 by the 2nd Earl of Powis whose family still own the castle today. The Arts Every year at the end of June the castle is the main venue for Ludlow Festival, a tradition which started in 1634 with the first performance of Comus by John Milton. The castle's inner bailey is the stage for a outdoor Shakespearean play along with music concerts in the outer bailey which in the past have included Jools Holland and Michael Ball.

Newark Castle is a substantial medieval castle ruin in the market town of Newark-on-Trent in Nottinghamshire, standing dramatically above the River Trent and representing one of the finest examples of late Norman castle architecture in the East Midlands. The castle was built by the Bishops of Lincoln in the twelfth century and achieved historical significance during the Civil War when it was one of the last Royalist strongholds in England to hold out against Parliamentary forces, surrendering in May 1646 only on direct orders from the captured King Charles I. The striking remains include the Norman gatehouse, sections of curtain wall and towers, and the riverside position provides an attractive setting. The castle is managed by Newark and Sherwood District Council and the adjacent museum provides interpretation of the castle's history.

Nottingham Castle is a landmark heritage and museum site on the Castle Rock above the city centre of Nottingham, occupying a spectacular natural position on a sandstone promontory that has been the most strategically dominant point in the city since the Norman period. The original Norman castle was replaced by a ducal palace built for the Duke of Newcastle in the seventeenth century, which was subsequently burned by Chartist rioters in 1831 and restored as a museum in 1878, making it the first provincial municipal art gallery and museum in England. The castle complex includes the medieval underground caves and passages carved into the sandstone beneath the rock, the museum and art gallery displaying Nottingham's industrial and cultural history, and the statue of Robin Hood outside the gate. The museum underwent major redevelopment and reopened in 2021 with an enhanced visitor experience.