England Castles & Forts Guide

the world's oldest and largest continuously occupied fortress, one of the Queen's main residences, with impressive state rooms and chapels

packed with over 1000 years of history and set in splendid grounds, there is plenty to see and do including State Rooms, dungeons and falconry

spectacular setting atop the White Cliffs of Dover, this large fortress includes a Roman lighthouse and secret wartime tunnels

finely preserved interior and rare collection of paintings by renowned artists including Canaletto and Gainsborough, surrounded by extensive gardens

a wealth of architectural history, with buildings dating from the 14C and a superb 30-acre garden famed for its rhododendrons and unique quarry garden

high above a meander in the River Irthing, in one of the most picturesque settings on Hadrian's Wall. A Roman fort, turret and milecastle can all be seen on this excellent stretch of the Wall.

a formidable fortress spanning some 900 years of conflicts and sieges. Mary, Queen of Scots, was imprisoned here for some 19 years

the most remarkable Roman remains in the country, a real insight into Roman military life and discover the past behind the archaeological remains

fairytale fortress ruins are all that remain after the castle was destroyed by Parliamentarians in the 17th Century with stunning views of the coast

lived in by the same family since the fourteenth century with armour and portraits of the family down the centuries and extensive gardens and parklands. Picnics permitted

immerse yourself in history, myths and stunning scenery at Tintagel Castle set high on Cornwall's rugged north coast. Inextricably linked with the legend of King Arthur

continually inhabited for over 1,000 years and perched on a basalt outcrop of the very edge of the North Sea, commanding stunning views of the Farne and Holy Islands with a unique collection of artefacts, objets d'art and ceramics

a romantic fairy tale castle with an intriguing past with a rare, original port culls in the gatehouse

the quintessential romantic castle, Carisbrooke has been an Elizabethan artillery fortress, a king's prison and a royal summer residence

overlooking the market town of Helmsley for over one thousand years with an audio tour and tactile model showing how the castle once looked

impressive castle built by William the Conqueror in 1068 and housing an original copy of Magna Carta. A cinema with a wraparound screen tells the story

one of Henry VIII's finest coastal fortresses, defending Falmouth from Tudor times to the Second World War, with displays of big guns

tucked away in a quiet part of Shropshire built between 1284 and 1293 by Bishop Burnell, Edward I's Lord Chancellor. The first parliaments were held here

with excavated remains and stunning reconstructions of original buildings and roman artefacts combine to give a unique insight the Romans in Britain during the second to fifth Century

Ruins of 15C castle, formerly a Norman manor house. Fields nearby were the setting for the tournament in Sir Walter Scott's 'Ivanhoe'