Grimsthorpe Castle

Over het museum

In 1516 Henry VIII gave Grimsthorpe and its lands as a wedding present to William, 11th Lord Willoughby de Eresby, and his Spanish bride Maria de Salinas, a lady-in-waiting to Queen Katherine of Aragon. Since then the estate has stayed within one family, whose members have held many titles over five hundred years, including Duchess of Suffolk, Earl and Marquess of Lindsey, Duke of Ancaster and Earl of Ancaster, all linked by the ancient Barony of Willoughby de Eresby.

The castle combines two very different building periods. The south front is Tudor and irregular in character, while the north front, built of local golden limestone, is a Baroque design by Sir John Vanbrugh, the architect of Blenheim Palace and Castle Howard, and was among his last works. Visitors see the Vanbrugh Hall, the State Dining Room, the King James Room, the State Drawing Room, the tapestry rooms, the Gothic Bedroom, the Chinese Drawing Room and the chapel.

The family holds the hereditary office of Lord Great Chamberlain, the monarch's representative at the Palace of Westminster, and for this reason Grimsthorpe holds one of the largest collections of royal thrones and furnishings outside the royal palaces. The park covers about 3,000 acres and includes the site of Vaudey Abbey, a Cistercian monastery founded in the 12th century and closed in 1536, as well as formal gardens, a lake and a woodland playground. The castle has also served as a filming location for television productions.

Hoogtepunten

• Baroque north front by Sir John Vanbrugh and Tudor south front
• Vanbrugh Hall and the State Rooms
• Large collection of royal thrones and furnishings
• Art collection with portraits, tapestries and French furniture
• Formal gardens and a 3,000-acre park with lake and deer
• Woodland adventure playground

Vaste collectie

• The State Rooms – Rooms furnished over five centuries, including the Vanbrugh Hall, the State Dining Room, the King James Room and the Chinese Drawing Room.
• The collection – Portraits, tapestries, French furniture, ceramics and royal thrones belonging to the family of the Lord Great Chamberlain.

Beheerder

Grimsthorpe and Drummond Castle Trust

Toegangsprijzen & kortingen

No admission prices are published while the estate is closed for the season. Season tickets are sold for each season, and the farm shop can be visited without a ticket.

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

A car park for blue badge holders is near the ticket hut. The walk from the ticket hut to the castle takes about 3 minutes on a smooth, level concrete road, and an electric buggy service and one wheelchair (not bookable) are available. Only the ground floor of the castle, with four rooms, is accessible to wheelchair users; the first floor needs two flights of stairs, but a 37-minute video tour of the upper rooms can be watched downstairs. Folding stools can be borrowed. Most garden paths are level, but gravel around the castle and the woodland walk can be difficult. Accessible toilets are in the car park, the entrance courtyard, beside the castle and in the walled garden. A written tour in Braille can be borrowed, there is no induction loop, and guide dogs are welcome in the castle. Private tours for visitors with learning disabilities can be arranged with a few days' notice.

Kinderen & gezin

Erg geschikt voor kinderen & gezinnen

• Speeltuin / speelhoek

A woodland adventure playground has swings, a zip wire, climbing trails, slides, a chain bridge and an area for small children, with a shelter and picnic benches for parents. It is closed for the 2026 season.

Bereikbaarheid & parkeren

The castle is about 8 miles, or a 10 to 15 minute drive, from the A1 and 4 miles from the town of Bourne. Leave the A1 at Colsterworth and take the A151 towards Bourne through Corby Glen; the entrance is halfway down the hill in Grimsthorpe village. Sat nav postcode PE10 0LY.

Service & horeca

• Café
• Museumwinkel
• Wifi

Public wifi is available at the ticket hut, mainly for downloading the audio tour. The March Hare tea trailer in the entrance courtyard serves takeaway hot and cold drinks, sandwiches, jacket potatoes, soups and cakes, with indoor and outdoor seating. A farm shop run by a separate business sells local produce and estate gifts.

Evenementen & zaalverhuur

• Ruimtes te huur

The castle and park are offered for filming and commercial photography; events enquiries go to the events team.

Je bezoek plannen