Farnham Castle

Over het museum

Farnham Castle stands on a hill above the Surrey town of Farnham. It was founded in 1138 by Henry of Blois, Bishop of Winchester and brother of King Stephen, and for almost 900 years it was a residence of the Bishops of Winchester, whose diocese was the richest in England. Kings and queens from the Middle Ages onwards stayed here and hunted in the park next door.

The first stone keep was pulled down in 1154 on the orders of Henry II, who wanted to curb the power of the bishops. Less than fifty years later the shell keep that survives today was built as a stone wall around the whole mound, strengthened with round towers. The Bishop's Palace in the bailey grew up from the late 11th or early 12th century to the 17th. It includes a Norman chapel, the central Great Hall, the Stone Hall and a medieval kitchen.

The keep belongs to English Heritage and has been closed temporarily for safety reasons because of falling masonry. The rest of the site is managed by the Farnham Castle Charity on behalf of the Church Commissioners for England. Volunteers lead guided tours of the Bishop's Palace on Wednesday afternoons, and an exhibition room tells the story of the castle and its bishops.

Hoogtepunten

• Bishop's Palace with Norman chapel, Great Hall and medieval kitchen, seen on a volunteer-led tour
• Norman shell keep on its mound with views over Farnham and the Surrey Hills (currently closed)
• Free exhibition on the castle and the Bishops of Winchester
• Georgian Castle Street leading up to the castle

Vaste collectie

• Exhibition Room – Displays on the bishops who lived at the castle and on the key events it witnessed, covering both the keep and the Bishop's Palace.
• Bishop's Palace – Linked medieval and later buildings including a Norman chapel, the Great Hall, the Stone Hall and a medieval kitchen, seen on a guided tour.

Beheerder

Farnham Castle Charity (for the Church Commissioners for England); keep owned by English Heritage

Toegangsprijzen & kortingen

The guided tour of the Bishop's Palace costs £5 for adults (aged 18 and over). It is free for under-18s, students and members of Historic Houses. The exhibition room is free for everyone.

Toegankelijkheid

• Deels rolstoeltoegankelijk
• Lift: geen informatie
• Aangepast toilet
• Gehandicaptenparkeerplaats
• Hulphonden welkom
• Tastmodellen / voelbare objecten: geen informatie
• Rondleidingen in gebarentaal: geen informatie
• Informatie in eenvoudige taal: geen informatie
• Audiodescriptie: geen informatie

The Bishop's Palace has many steep, narrow and uneven stairs, so it is very difficult for visitors with mobility issues, but the exhibition room can be reached easily. There are toilets at the castle, including some accessible ones. Parking for Blue Badge holders is available at the castle subject to availability. Dogs are not allowed in the Bishop's Palace; assistance dogs only are accepted at the keep.

Kinderen & gezin

Children under 18 join the tour free, and school visits with a storyteller can be arranged.

Bereikbaarheid & parkeren

The castle is at the top of Castle Street, next to Farnham Park.

Service & horeca

• Café: niet aanwezig
• Restaurant: niet aanwezig

There are no refreshments at the castle, but Farnham town centre, about a half-mile walk downhill, has many cafés, pubs, restaurants and shops.

Evenementen & zaalverhuur

• Ruimtes te huur
• Privéfeesten
• Zakelijke evenementen
• Bruiloften / trouwceremonies

The castle site is advertised by Farnham Castle Events for weddings, private hire, meetings and events.

Je bezoek plannen