Tamworth Castle

About the museum

Tamworth was a chief seat of the kings of Mercia, and the town's defences were rebuilt by Æthelflæd in 913. After the Norman Conquest the king's steward Robert Despenser built a wooden motte-and-bailey castle here in the 1080s. The Marmion family held it for about six generations and began rebuilding it in stone, and later it passed to the Ferrers family, who left their mark on the interior, and then to the Townshends.

Parliamentary forces captured the castle in 1643 after a two-day siege. The Marquess Townshend put it up for auction in 1891, and Tamworth Corporation, the predecessor of Tamworth Borough Council, bought it for £3,000 in 1897 to mark Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee. It opened as a museum in 1899 and is still owned and run by the council.

Visitors pass through nearly a thousand years of history in rooms from the Saxon, medieval, Tudor, Stuart, Georgian and Victorian periods, and can explore the Great Hall, a dungeon, an armoury and a reputedly haunted bedroom. The castle looks after about 40,000 objects, including furniture, weapons, coins and documents, and shows Anglo-Saxon pieces from the Staffordshire Hoard in its Battle and Tribute exhibition.

Highlights

• Rooms from the Saxon, medieval, Tudor, Stuart, Georgian and Victorian periods
• Battle and Tribute exhibition with pieces from the Staffordshire Hoard
• Great Hall, dungeon and armoury
• Hands-on activities such as trying on armour and holding a sword
• Augmented reality trail through the castle
• Castle Pleasure Grounds beside the castle

Permanent exhibitions

• Battle and Tribute – An exhibition on Anglo-Saxon Tamworth that displays pieces from the Staffordshire Hoard.
• Period rooms from the Saxon to the Victorian age – Rooms and corridors showing almost a thousand years of the castle's history, with stories of royal visits and a reputedly haunted bedroom.
• Great Hall, dungeon and armoury – Ground-floor spaces where visitors can try on armour, handle a sword and sit on a throne.

Founded

1899

Operated by

Tamworth Borough Council

Admission & discounts

Children aged 5 to 15 with a Blue Peter badge enter free with an adult on general admission, but not at ticketed events. Admission prices for special events can differ. General admission is currently sold only on the door.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The castle has many steep stairs and narrow corridors, so wheelchair users can reach only the ground floor, which includes the courtyard, dungeon, armoury, Great Hall, Discovery Hub, shop, café and an accessible toilet. The entrance is up a steep slope with a smooth tarmac surface; reception is reached by a ramp from the courtyard or by two wooden steps without a handrail. A manual wheelchair can be borrowed inside on a first-come basis and cannot be reserved. Pushchairs cannot go beyond reception or the courtyard. Induction loops are installed in the café and at reception, and a large-print guidebook is available on request. Assistance dogs are welcome throughout. Blue Badge holders park free in Tamworth Borough Council car parks, the nearby Silver Street is reserved for Blue Badge holders with limited spaces, and a drop-off point is at the top of the castle drive. Seating is available in most period rooms, in the grounds and outside the café.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Hands-on stations
• Stroller-friendly: not available
• Baby changing facilities

The castle promotes itself as suitable for children, with hands-on activities such as an augmented reality trail, trying on armour, holding a sword, sitting on a throne in the mead hall and dressing up, and with events and workshops. Pushchairs cannot be taken beyond reception and the courtyard because of the steep stairs. Baby changing is in the easy-access toilet. The Castle Pleasure Grounds next to the castle have an adventure playground.

Getting there & parking

Sat-nav postcode B79 7NA. From the M1 and M6 northbound take the M42 to junction 10; from the M6 southbound leave at junction 12 and approach via the A5.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop
• Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi is available in the castle for the augmented reality trail, for which visitors download the castle app. The ground-floor café and shop sell local merchandise.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent

Rooms can be hired; enquiries go to the room hire address listed on the contact page.

Plan your visit