With 1000 years of history, Sudeley Castle on the edge of Winchcombe is one of the Cotswolds’ must-sees. It’s the only private castle in England with a queen buried in its grounds – Katherine Parr, the last of Henry VIII’s six wives, was laid to rest in St Mary’s Chapel.
Today Sudeley is part ruined medieval castle and part opulent stately home, which is lived in by the Dent-Brocklehurst family. Discover the castle’s history and highlights as well as how to get there, where to eat, drink and stay nearby with our complete guide to visiting Sudeley Castle .
The history of Sudeley Castle
Sudeley Castle was built in 1443 for Ralph Boteler, the High Treasurer of England, on the site of a 12th-century manor house. But he backed the wrong side in the Wars of the Roses, and in 1489 he had to sell the castle to the crown after Edward IV from the House of York came to power.
Sudeley stayed a royal property, with Richard III building the grand banqueting hall which you can still see the ruins of. Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn visited the castle in 1535, with Henry meeting Thomas Cromwell at nearby Winchcombe Abbey to discuss the Dissolution of the Monasteries.
After Henry VIII’s death, Edward VI gave Sudeley Castle to his uncle Thomas Seymour. Seymour married Henry’s widow Katherine Parr and in 1548 she moved into the newly refurbished castle, along with over 120 staff. But she wasn’t there for long, as she died the same year aged 36, five days after having her daughter Mary Seymour, and was buried in St Mary’s Chapel at Sudeley.
Thomas Seymour was executed for treason in 1549, and what happened to baby Mary is a mystery. So in 1554 Sudeley was give to Sir John Brydges, Baron Chandos of Sudeley. His family held the castle for the next 100 years, remodelling it and hosting three visits from Elizabeth I.
Sudeley passed between the Royalists and Parliamentarians during the English Civil War, being bombarded by cannons and eventually slighted – part destroying it so it couldn’t be used as a garrison. It lay in ruins for the next 200 years, with what was left rented out to tenants.
When George III visited Sudeley in 1788, housekeeper Mrs Cox saved his life by catching him after he tripped and fell down the Octagon Tower
Wealthy glovemakers William and John Dent bought the castle in 1837 and extensively restored it, making it livable and furnishing it with Tudor treasures. And their descendants the Dent-Brocklehurts still live there today. It was used as a prisoner of war camp for captured soldiers and for storing artworks from the Tate Gallery during WWII, before opening to the public in 1970.
How to get to Sudeley Castle
If you’re travelling by car, Sudeley Castle is seven miles northwest of Cheltenham via the B4632, or a 15-minute drive from Junction 9 (Tewkesbury) of the M5. The castle’s address is Winchcombe GL54 5JD. And there’s plenty of free car parking available by the entrance.
If you’re travelling by public transport, the nearest train station is in Cheltenham. The Stagecoach W and Pulhams 606 buses (both Monday–Saturday) run from Pittville Street in Cheltenham to Winchcombe. The W is more frequent and takes 25 minutes, and the 606 takes 50 minutes.
Buses stop near the war memorial in Winchcombe. It’s around 15 minutes’ walk from there to the castle entrance – head down Vineyard Street which leads on to the castle’s driveway.
You could also use the Gloucestershire–Warwickshire Steam Railway to travel to Winchcombe from Cheltenham Racecourse or Broadway in style (though it only runs on certain dates). The GWSR station is on the edge of the village of Greet, a 25-minute walk into Winchcombe.
Sudeley Castle opening hours and prices
Sudeley Castle is open daily from 10am–5pm (last admission at 3pm) from 17 March until 3 November 2025. Tickets cost £23 for adults and £10 for children aged 3–15 years. Or there’s a family ticket available for £58 which covers two adults and up to three children.
Entry is free for Historic Houses members. Or you can save 10% if you book online in advance. Tickets are valid for 30 days so you can come back more than once for no extra cost. There’s also a new Annual Pass from 22 July which gives you unlimited access (£80 adults/35 children).
Dogs are allowed in the Visitor Centre and Pavilion Café, but not in the castle or gardens.
Things to do at Sudeley Castle
Visit the exhibitions
The original 15th-century west wing of the castle has been turned into an exhibition space where you can find out more about Sudeley’s history and the lives of the people who lived there.
It starts with the Tudors, with models of Henry VIII and his six wives in costume. And you can see Katherine Parr’s letters to Thomas Seymour, a lock of her hair and a christening canopy sewn by Anne Boleyn. The exhibition also includes artefacts from the Civil War, gloves from the Dent glove museum, a collection or rare autographs and a section highlighting the Women of Sudeley.
Look around the castle rooms
The east wing of Sudeley Castle is still the residence of the Dent-Brocklehurst family, so a lot of it is private. But there are a series of castle rooms which are open to the public (photos aren’t permitted though). Each is decorated with the family’s antiques, artworks and tapestries.
Among the highlights are the Library, which has over 1000 books lining its walls, some of them up to 400 years old. The Chandos Bedroom has an elaborately carved four-poster bed said to have been slept in by Charles I. And Katherine Parr’s Anterooms are some of the oldest rooms in the castle, with Tudor-style blue ceilings and a replica of her crimson velvet, canopied toilet!
Visit St Mary’s Chapel
Tucked away in Sudeley Castle’s grounds is pretty St Mary’s Chapel. It was built for Ralph Boteler around the same time as the castle. After being ruined in the Civil War, it was restored in 1854 by architect Sir George Gilbert Scott, who also worked on the almshouses in Winchcombe and buildings like St Pancras station in London. Today it’s still used for services and weddings.
St Mary’s Chapel is best known as the final resting place of Katherine Parr. Her original burial place was lost until 1782 when her coffin was recovered, and her remains were laid in a new canopied tomb after the chapel was restored – you can see it at the back of the chapel on the left.
Explore the gardens
One of the highlights of visiting Sudeley Castle is its gardens. There are 10 separate gardens spread across 15 acres, each with a different theme and design. The Queens’ Garden is the centrepiece, named after the four queens who visited Sudeley Castle – Anne Boleyn, Katherine Parr, Lady Jane Grey and Elizabeth I. This Victorian garden is now planted with 80 species of roses.
Our favourite is the Knot Garden, with 1200 neatly trimmed box plants forming an elaborate pattern. Other gardens include the Tithe Barn and Ruins Gardens, which incorporate ruined sections of the castle, the White Garden next to St Mary’s Chapel and the peaceful Secret Garden.
The Herb Garden focuses on different fragrant plants, and the Tudor Physic Garden showcases the types of plants which would’ve been used as medicines in the Tudor period.
Take a tour
As well as the self-guided castle tour, there are also guided tours you can add on. They’re a good way to get a deeper insight into the castle’s history, with knowledgeable guides to answer any questions. General 45-minute tours take place at 11am and 1pm every day (£5 per person).
You can also do a Behind-the-Scenes Tour, which takes you into private rooms used by the Dent-Brocklehurst family, and includes their art collection with works by Rubens and Van Dyke. These tours must be booked in advance – they’re available at 11am and 2pm on Mondays to Fridays. Behind-the-Scenes Tours cost £50 per person, which includes admission to the castle.
Have fun in the adventure playground
If you’re visiting Sudeley Castle with kids, there’s a popular adventure playground in the castle grounds where they can blow off steam. It features a big wooden castle-style fort with bridges, turrets, hidey-holes and slides. There are also climbing walls, a zip wire and assault course. And next to the playground is a shady lawn area with seating where you can enjoy a picnic.
Check out the events
Sudeley Castle also hosts events throughout the year. The Spectacle of Light illuminated trail at Christmas is one of our festive traditions. Each year there’s a different theme, with the castle and grounds decorated with thousands of twinkling lights and colourful illuminations.
Other events include the Fantasy Forest Festival in July, with fairies, knights and superheroes taking over the palace gardens. There’s also a Homes and Gardens fair in April, outdoor theatre and opera in summer, and family-friendly activities in the school holidays – see the full list here.
Where to eat and drink near Sudeley Castle
Sudeley Castle’s Pavilion Café serves food from 10am–3pm, with salads, sandwiches, jacket potatoes, pasties and lasagna, as well as a kids’ menu. There’s also an ice cream parlour in the café, plus a Shepherd’s Hut in the grounds selling hot and cold drinks, snacks and sandwiches.
It’s just a short walk into Winchcombe if you want to pick up picnic supplies – with fresh bread at North’s Bakery and cheeses, pies, quiches and Scotch eggs at William’s of Winchcombe deli.
The Tipsy Egg and The Old Bakery Coffee & Wine Bar are good spots for breakfast or lunch. And The Lion Inn pub serves traditional pub dishes like steaks, burgers and fish and chips.
What else can you do near Sudeley Castle
Winchcombe is home to the free Winchcombe Museum, where you can find out more about the town’s history, all the way back to the 4.6-billion-year-old Winchcombe meteorite. You can also spot the grotesques (which are like gargoyles but without a water spout) at St Peter’s Church.
Just outside Winchcombe is Neolithic burial chamber Belas Knap (1 mile) and the ruins of Hailes Abbey (3 miles), once one of medieval England’s most famous shrines. Also within easy reach of Sudeley are stately homes Stanway House (4 miles) and Snowshill Manor (9 miles).
It’s 10 miles to the village of Broadway and the Broadway Tower. Or eight miles to Cheltenham with its busy calendar of festivals, horse-racing and great shops and restaurants.
Where to stay near Sudeley Castle
If you want the castle right on your doorstep, Sudeley have 17 holiday cottages to rent spread around their estate. They sleep 3–14 people and are a mix of new and converted buildings, including a paper mill and an old forge. Several are dog-friendly and all give you free entry to the castle.
Our pick is the Castle Gatehouse* on the driveway, a former gatekeeper’s house which looks like a mini castle and sleeps four people in two separate wings. Or Number 14* on Winchcombe’s picturesque Vineyard Street has four bedrooms, beamed ceilings and an inglenook fireplace.
There are also several places to stay in Winchcombe, including the 15th-century Lion Inn*, which has nine individually designed rooms, all of which are dog-friendly. Or Blair House is a family-run bed and breakfast with three cosy rooms in two converted Georgian cottages.
* This site contains affiliate links, where I get a small commission from purchases at no extra cost to you.
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