Hedingham Castle

Over het museum

Hedingham Castle was built around 1140 by Aubrey de Vere, who had received the land after the Norman Conquest and later became the first Earl of Oxford. The stone keep, regarded as one of the finest of its kind in the country, remained the family seat of the de Vere earls of Oxford for centuries. It was besieged by King John in 1215–16 during the dispute over Magna Carta, and later rulers, including Henry VII and Elizabeth I, were guests there.

The keep has a ground-floor Tapestry Room, a Banqueting Hall and a Garrison floor, and from the roof there are wide views over Essex. A Georgian house was added next to the keep in 1719 by Sir William Ashurst, a Lord Mayor of London. The grounds include a lake, a bridge, a dovecote and a bog garden laid out in the late nineteenth century.

The castle returned to the de Vere family’s descendants in the early 1980s, when the Lindsay family took it over, and they still live there. The castle is open to the public only on selected days, because it is also a busy venue for weddings and events, and it also offers school visits with living-history sessions.

Hoogtepunten

• Norman keep of about 1140 with a Tapestry Room and Banqueting Hall
• Views over Essex from the keep roof
• Gardens with lake, bridge, dovecote and bog garden
• Georgian house of 1719
• Seasonal trails for children

Vaste collectie

• The Norman keep – The 12th-century keep with the Tapestry Room, the Banqueting Hall, the Garrison floor and the roof with views over the countryside.

Beheerder

Lindsay family (private owners)

Toegangsprijzen & kortingen

Prices apply to general admission to the gardens and the Norman castle on standard open days; event days are priced separately. Tickets can be bought online in advance or at the gate, by card only. Members of Historic Houses get free garden entry but must still book a ticket, and the Gardeners’ World 2for1 Gardens Card is accepted. Residents of the two villages can buy a season ticket.

Toegankelijkheid

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

Most of the grounds can be reached by wheelchair or pushchair, including the lawns in front of the castle; the woodland Valley Walk has an uneven woodchip surface. The castle keep has no lift and is not suitable for wheelchairs and prams: a ramp leads to the ground-floor Tapestry Room, but the upper floors need about 36 external steps and a spiral staircase. An accessible toilet is in the grounds opposite the castle. Dogs on a lead are welcome in the grounds but not inside the castle, and not on event days.

Kinderen & gezin

Erg geschikt voor kinderen & gezinnen

• Gezinsrondleidingen & workshops
• Speurtocht, doeboekje of kinderaudiotour

Junior tickets include the seasonal trails; the grounds have a lake, woodland walk and a field for play. The keep is steep and unsuitable for prams.

Bereikbaarheid & parkeren

The castle is on a hill above the village, near the Essex–Suffolk border. The Good Journey website offers a journey planner.

Service & horeca

• Café

The Tea Room is on the first floor of the castle and can only be reached by steps; it serves hot and cold drinks, light snacks and cakes. The venue is cashless.

Evenementen & zaalverhuur

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

Tot 150 personen.

Weddings, private events, corporate retreats, filming and exclusive estate hire. The Georgian house and ballroom marquee hold up to 150 guests, the castle up to 70 for smaller weddings, and on-site accommodation sleeps up to 35.

Je bezoek plannen