Sherborne Castle

Om museet

Sherborne Castle, often called the New Castle, was built in 1594 by Sir Walter Raleigh, who had acquired the medieval Old Castle nearby two years earlier. He first tried to modernise the old fortress, but then chose to put up a new four-storey house in the deer park, on the site of a Tudor hunting lodge. In 1600 he added hexagonal corner turrets topped with heraldic beasts.

In 1617 the diplomat Sir John Digby bought the house and added four wings, giving it its present H-shape in the same style as Raleigh's building. The Digby family, who were Royalists, saw the Old Castle besieged twice during the Civil War, and it was pulled down by Parliamentary forces in 1645. From then on the name Sherborne Castle passed to the house in the park. In 1688 William of Orange issued a proclamation here during the Glorious Revolution, and in the 18th century the family modernised the interiors in Georgian style.

The lake and landscape were laid out by Capability Brown from 1753, and George III visited in 1789. The house was updated again in the 1850s, served as a Red Cross hospital in 1914 and housed Commandos in 1942–43. It has been open to the public since 1969 and is still the home of the Wingfield Digby family. Visitors see state rooms with important collections of furniture, paintings and porcelain, a Tudor kitchen, Civil War relics and archaeological finds in the cellars.

Højdepunkter

• State rooms with nationally important furniture, paintings and porcelain
• Tudor kitchen and Civil War relics
• Archaeological finds displayed in the cellars
• Link to Sir Walter Raleigh, who built the house
• Grade I listed 42-acre garden and lake by Capability Brown
• Fossil house built in 2017

Permanente udstillinger

• State rooms and collections – Guided tours show rooms furnished in several periods, with nationally important furniture, paintings and porcelain, a Tudor kitchen and Civil War relics.
• Cellars and archaeology – Archaeological finds from the site are displayed in the castle cellars.

Grundlagt

1969

Ejer

Sherborne Castle Estates

Entrépriser & rabatter

Gardens-only entry costs £15 for adults; adding the castle tour costs £20. Tickets bought online at least 48 hours in advance are 10% cheaper. Historic Houses members enter free, including the castle tour. English Heritage members pay a reduced adult price (gardens £13.50, castle and gardens £18.50). The Royal Horticultural Society offers members free garden entry on certain dates.

Tilgængelighed

• Delvis kørestolsvenlig
• Elevator: ingen oplysninger
• Handicaptoilet
• Handicapparkering: ingen oplysninger
• Servicehunde tilladt
• Taktile tilbud: ingen oplysninger
• Rundvisninger på tegnsprog: ingen oplysninger
• Letlæste tilbud: ingen oplysninger
• Synstolkning: ingen oplysninger

The castle tour covers three floors linked by four sets of stairs, and only the ground floor is accessible to wheelchair and scooter users; a photo slideshow on the ground floor shows the rooms that cannot be reached. The 42-acre garden has smooth gravel paths and is open to wheelchair and scooter users, although the area they can reach depends on individual circumstances. Benches are placed throughout the gardens and resting chairs are provided in most castle rooms. Accessible toilets are in the castle courtyard, where cobbles have been relaid to give a smooth route. From the disabled parking it is a 10-minute walk to the toilets and 15 minutes to the front of the castle. Assistance dogs are welcome in the castle.

Børn og familie

Velegnet til børn og familier

• Opgavehæfte, skattejagt eller audioguide for børn
• Puslerum

A children's quiz pack and a garden trail are included with each child's entry. Seasonal family events such as a pumpkin trail are held. Baby backpack carriers are not admitted to the castle; front slings are allowed, and pushchairs are admitted at the discretion of the castle staff. Baby changing is available in the wheelchair-accessible toilets outside the castle courtyard.

Transport & parkering

The castle is on the B3145, about ¾ mile from the town centre. There is only one entrance gate, on New Road next to the Castle Gardens garden centre; other routes shown by sat nav are not possible.

Service & spisesteder

• Café: findes ikke
• Restaurant
• Museumsbutik

The Walled Garden Restaurant, run separately by the neighbouring garden centre, is a short walk from the visitor car park. The visitor entrance sells cold drinks, ice cream, souvenirs and Sherborne Castle wines and spirits. Dogs on a short lead are welcome in the gardens but not in the castle except assistance dogs. Picnics are welcome in the gardens.

Arrangementer & udlejning

Museet har ikke offentliggjort oplysninger om dette.

Planlæg dit besøg