You won’t find any of these on the average “day out from London” type tours. They’ll appear on an occasional itinerary here or there but often these incredible and underrated castles are overlooked by the average traveler.
Living in the UK for almost a decade has afforded me a chance to both visit a good selection of castles in that time, but also identify those that are worth the hype. Would I recommend visiting some of the most famous ones? I, too, love Alnwick, Windsor, Eilean Donan, Tintagel, or Warwick, and would still encourage you to visit those as well. But there are a lot of castles in the UK that are well worth the visit as well!
So, as you put together your itinerary (or bucket list) I implore you to consider these!
10 Underrated Castles to Visit in the United Kingdom
Table of Contents
10. Caerlaverock Castle
- Castle Classification: Ruined
- Location: Dumfries, Scotland
- Website: https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/caerlaverock-castle/
- Price: ยฃ6 / Free to Historic Environment Scotland
This uniquely triangle-shaped castle in the lowlands of Scotland is set back in the countryside. What makes it special is the unique shape and structure of the remaining ruined castle. It also has a full moat as well and is open for good exploration through a few levels of the remaining castle. It’s also not a castle with a heavy amount of traffic so when we visited we had the place almost exclusively to ourselves, with the exception of a small wedding party exchanging vows within the castle walls. The architecture is unusual and makes for a really interesting exploration through the ruins of the remaining castle.
9. Scotney Castle
- Castle Classification: Ruined, Folly
- Location: Kent, England
- Website: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/scotney-castle
- Price: ยฃ8 / Free to National Trust
Scotney Castle is a National Trust property located in Kent (southeast England). This National Trust property has two Castles on the property – the “New” Castle, which was built in 1843, and the original Castle which was later partially ruined to create a folly for the expansive gardens. This makes it a unique Castle in many ways as it fell victim to the popular trend in the mid-1800s to ruin buildings to create unique garden follies. There’s still a wing standing in the Castle that can be explored and the surrounding gardens are ethereal in nature. The “New” Castle is also open for guests as well – so this National Trust property comes fully equipped with 2 Castles for the price of 1!
8. Warkworth Castle
- Castle Classification: Ruined
- Location: Northumberland, England
- Website: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/warkworth-castle-and-hermitage/
- Price: ยฃ8 / Free to English Heritage
Warkworth Castle and the grounds within date all the way back to the 1100s. It was a fortress in the north to help protect the English lands there and stood undefeated by in several Scottish sieges: 1173, 1319, and 1327. Over the years the shape of the castle changed and was updated, with the Keep being added at a later date. This is a rare Castle that has documented history of standing as a fortress in a variety of sieges and having played host to a variety of Kings and nobility. The sprawling grounds of the Castle are great fun to explore, and the restored Keep has some fantastic exhibitions. Make sure you climb to the top of the main tower to catch a glimpse of the surrounding town. I visited on a misty weekday morning and had the place nearly to myself to explore and enjoy at whim. It’s the type of Castle to inspire one’s imagination.
7. Bodiam Castle
- Castle Classification: Ruined
- Location: East Sussex, England
- Website: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/bodiam-castle
- Price: ยฃ5 / Free to National Trust
Bodiam Castle is a really beautiful ruined Castle located in East Sussex, and within day-trip range of London. The full moat surrounding the castle make it a really charming ruined castle to visit. The walls are mostly all still standing so this is a fairly complete ruined castle, with plenty of areas to explore, and a roof to climb up to and get a view of the area. The castle was built in the 1300s as a fortress to defend the country during the Hundred Years’ War. In 1641 the castle was dismantled by Parliament due to the owner supporting the Royalist cause, and it was later purchased again in 1829 when it was partially restored. Eventually, it came into the hands of the National Trust and has been open to the public since.
6. Dunluce Castle
- Castle Classification: Ruined
- Location: County Antrim, Northern Ireland
- Website: https://discovernorthernireland.com/Dunluce-Castle-Medieval-Irish-Castle-on-the-Antrim-Coast-Bushmills-P2819/
- Price: ยฃ6
Dunluce Castle is a ruined medieval castle was built in the 1500s on a dramatically beautiful coastal perch on the northern coast of County Antrim. It’s an expansive and large castle with lots of areas to explore, and a small bridge connecting over a valley to cross easily to the castle. It’s located on the Causeway Coastal Route, which connects with the Giant’s Causeway and provides a gorgeous drive along the Northern Irish coast.
5. Carisbrooke Castle
- Castle Classification: Complete
- Location: Isle of Wight, England
- Website: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/carisbrooke-castle/
- Price: ยฃ12.50 / Free to English Heritage
Carisbrooke Castle is classified as a “complete” castle, but it still has the charm of a partially ruined one as well. The Castle has a lovely museum, a ruined wing, and well-cultivated gardens. It provides quite a lot to explore for guests and visitors. Part of the castle’s exhibitions includes a donkey demonstration – showcasing how a donkey was used to turn the wheel in the well house. The castle was initially an artillery fortress that dates all the way back to 1100; and its location provided a strong fortress against the French and Spanish in the 1500s and a royal prison in the 1600s. There’s a tremendous amount of history within the Castle and they have done a tremendous job showing it through their exhibitions.
4. Doune Castle
- Castle Classification: Ruined
- Location: Stirling, Scotland
- Website: https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/doune-castle/
- Price: ยฃ9 / Free to Historic Environment Scotland
Are you a fan of Monty Python’s Holy Grail (I mean, who isn’t?)? This castle is featured in the movie several times – from the dancing Knights at Camelot, to the French controlled castle, and finally the swamp Castle. Doune Castle was extraordinarily versatile for film making in the 1970s. And if that wasn’t enough cinematic screentime it’s also appeared in Game of Thrones and Outlander. The audio tour for Doune Castle is a must, and it’s narrated by Terry Jones of Monty Python. Though it’s classified as “ruined” this castle has many levels that can be explored, and great exhibitions within, with many demonstrations.
3. Hever Castle
- Castle Classification: Complete
- Location: Kent, England
- Website: https://www.hevercastle.co.uk/
- Price: ยฃ18.80
Hever Castle was the childhood home of Anne Boelyn, wife to Henry VIII, and later home to his 4th wife Anne of Cleaves.ย It’s a fully intact castle with fantastic period exhibitions inside the castle, an incredibly intricate and detailed garden, a small lake that boats can be rented on, and the occasional jousting tournament. It’s the perfect type of castle for a day out with all of the activities and sites to see. The history surrounding this castle is also tremendous, especially in relation to notorious King Henry VIII. Parts of the castle date back to 1270 but the country house was built in the 1400s.
I previoously wrote about Hever Castle in an Article when I visited several years ago:
Visiting Hever Castle, Day Trip from London2. Caerphilly Castle
- Castle Classification: Ruined
- Location: Caerphilly, Wales
- Website: https://cadw.gov.wales/visit/places-to-visit/caerphilly-castle
- Price: ยฃ9.40
Caerphilly Castle was originally built in 1270 and is the second-largest castle in the United Kingdom, occupying 30 acres of land. I had the pleasure of visiting Caerphilly Castle for a friend’s wedding, and it was an absolutely stunning affair. We were given leave to explore the castle between ceremony and dinner, and I took the opportunity to wander through this expansive and glorious building. Perhaps the most fascinating feature within the castle is the leaning tower, which sits at a larger angle than the leaning Tower of Pisa. This ruined castle has a lot of places to explore and visit and is an utterly charming example of a Welsh castle.
I previously wrote about my visit to this Welsh castle in an earlier blog article covering a lengthier trip across Scotland and Wales:
A Week in Scotland and Wales1. Bamburgh Castle
- Castle Classification: Complete
- Location: Northumberland, England
- Website: https://www.bamburghcastle.com/
- Price: ยฃ11.16
I’ve had the pleasure of visiting this exquisite castle on two separate occasions, and it really cemented its place at the #1 spot on this list with ease. This is a fully intact castle located in the northeast of England, and it has incredible exhibits as well as gorgeous architectural details. It’s located directly on the coast and overlooks the North Sea. A fort existed before the castle and dated back to 590 before being destroyed by Vikings. A castle was later built in the 1000s. The castle deteriorated over the years until it came into the ownership of a Victorian industrialist named William Armstrong. Exhibits featuring the work of Armstrong are located in the outbuildings of the castle and are also worth a visit, which gives this castle a uniquely rich history that spans almost a thousand years.
A visit to Bamburgh Castle is incomplete without traveling a few miles further up the c oast and also visiting Lindisfarne Castle. And if you want to make a weekend of it the #8 ranked castle, Warkworth Castle, and Alnwick Castle (as seen in the early Harry Potter films) are only an hours drive away.
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Comments (52)
I can’t believe that I’ve not been to any of these castles! This post is great for planning some UK trips, as I never know where to start… thanks for sharing ๐
It’s amazing to see all those castles! I love to visit this kind of historical places! The ones that are really tempting me in your list are Scotney Castle and Hever castle!
I absolutely love all the British castles. Bodiam and Hever Castle are two of my favourites. I need to visit some of the castles further north too! There’s so many to see ๐
The North East have an incredible amount of impressive castles – Bamburgh is just the tip of the iceberg up there. And it’s well worth the visit!
I love visiting castles. Thank you for creating this guide!
I really loved visiting castles when I was living in the UK. Of course, most people with limited time in the country would often head to the most popular castles, but I also found the underrated castles in your list really worth a visit. When I come back to the UK next time, Bamburgh Castle, Scotney Castle, and Carisbrooke Castle will certainly be on my list!
It’s so easy to get blinded by the light of what’s deemed popular – but I do promise those are absolutely worth it. I’m so fond of those 3, you won’t be disappointed!
Conisborough castle is also quite nice!
I’m going to have to check it out! Looks incredible.
Wow I loved this!! Seeing castles in the UK was a highlight on my last trip so I’ll be sure to put these on my next visit itinerary – Thanks
Iโd love to visit all of these castles. Especially Bramburgh!
Bamburgh is incredible – and there are so many within 30 minutes of it that are worth seeing. That entire coastline is just a castle lovers’ paradise!
I learned about quite a lot of these during my medieval history degree, but have yet to visit them! Great list you’ve put together.
I can imagine the ones you would have covered – hope you get a chance to visit them!
I love visiting castles in Europe, I’ve actually seen some of these but will definitely have to check out the others! Scotney castle looks beautiful!
I’m from the US, where castles don’t exist. ๐ That makes me want to see alllll of these underrated castles in the UK! My kids would be beyond excited.
You’d be surprised! I grew up near Boston in the US – we have a castle that an eccentric gentleman bought from Europe, dismantled and rebuilt north of Boston. Not quite the same history, but there are some unusual places to visit!
Such a great list. I love castles, my hometown has one and it was always really cool seeing it from my house each day growing up. I’ve been to Hever castle but not any of the others. Guess I’ve got some work to do
Hever is fantastic though! Which castle is in your hometown?
Wow so many beautiful castles! Scotney Castle is totally my type of castle, would love to live there hehe
These are all such lovely castles and makes me realize how many I missed! The only one Iโve seen is Doune which I loved. Hoping to get back to the UK next summer and do a long road trip. Iโll make sure to stop at these beauties!
Doune is a great one to visit though! Hope you get to visit a few more on your next trip.
This is such a good list! Iโll be honest that Iโve never heard of any of
These and now I want to plan a UK castle your! Definitely using these in the future!
I feel so lucky to live in the UK. We have some incredible castles. Will hopefully be visiting Caerphilly Castle soon with a friend and def need to plan a trip to Hever Castle and Scotney Castle
Caerphilly is such an unusual one – hope you get a chance to visit! I do love having access to so many castles.
These castles all look like they’d be worth a visit! I’m bummed I didn’t know about them before spending a month in the UK ๐ Now I know for next time!
This makes me so wistful for the UK. I’ve been to Bodiam at LEAST 10 times during my life as my family lives in Rye, not far from here! I have so many cherished memories visiting here.
It’s such a fantastic castle! You must know so much about it having seen it so often.
These castles looks amazing! The Scotney Castle seems so peaceful and beautiful. I would like to visit someday soon.
Can’t wait to finally visit the UK once Corona is over! I can already see which dress would suit which castle! ๐
I loved visiting castles in the UK and thought I saw so many of them. But I have only been to one of these, Dunlace. Now a reason to go back.
Those castles are beautiful! The U.K. has many beautiful and history, itโs always a pleasure to explore them!
This post helped me narrow down which UK country to visit. I think it’s England for me!
We stopped for a quick visit to Bodiam Castle on our way to Hastings. Such a beautiful place.
OMG, I have never heard of any of these castles. Few of them look magnificent, they are humongous. Thanks for listing them out, as they will make nice offbeat day trips for me when I am in UK.
We do love to visit castles when we travel. It is tempting to seek out the famous ones. But your post shows so many great ones that are far less crowded and as interesting. I love the variety of the sizes and looks in the castles you chose.. We actually saw Dunluce Castle from the outside on a visit to Northern Ireland. I didnโt know you could actually visit it.
What beautiful castles! Did know that united kingdom has many adorable castles but there were some on your list I had heard of before. Both Scotney Castle and Bodiam Castle feel like reasons to visit the UK in the future, they seem to be absolutely fantastic. Also like that you have some facts about each castle as many of these often have an interesting history.
Articles like this remind me that the UK is such a magical, historically rich place filled with some of the most beautiful castles in the world. Definitely putting Caerphilly Castle on my bucket list because I had no idea there was a leaning tower more intense than the Tower of Pisa!
Wow such beautiful castles and some of them just majestic. I am yet to visit a castle in UK although have seen quite a bit in other parts of Europe. If I had to pick, Caerphilly would be right up there. Love the lit look. Scotney, Dunluce & Hever too look very inviting.
I am quite fond of castles and love them for their fairy tale stories. They are old, charming and full of history. This was good to learn about so many of them at one place. Caerphilly Castle looks stunning in the evening lights. I couldn’t resist notice the incredibly detailed garden of the Hever Castle. Dunluce Castle looks ruined but does has a dramatic location. Scotney seems to be my favorite, maybe for its setting.
It is extremely sad that through my 1 year stay in UK, I didn’t manage to visit any of the 10 castles you’ve mentioned! But that is a very good reason to plan a UK trip again. Judging by your map, it looks like I can do 5 of those as daytrips from London. Good to know most of these are under National Trust and English Heritage, making it free to visit for members. Hever Castle sounds the most interesting, esp with its association with Anne Boleyn.
I am from Asia and we never really have structures like these. The UK seems like a fairytale to me! Believe it or not, I have not visited any on this list but I also haven’t been around the country (just London). I’m happy to know that these castles are still well-preserved and I hope I’d get to see one one day!
Visiting castles and different landmarks is one of the reasons why UK has been on our bucket list. Though I know a few places to visit, I agree with you that these are underrated since this is the first I have heard some castles on the list.
So far, Scotney Castle is my favorite. It looks really cute and charming.
I adore historical places and even more, when they’re underrated! It’s also nice to see these castles have been well-taken care of and preserved through the years. I haven’t heard of any of these castles but it will definitely be something I’ll look into when we get to travel to the UK. Thanks a lot!
I love exploring castles here on my home island and Europe and have been to plenty. Mainly because of the castle’s history but as a photographer, I love visiting stunning castles with beautiful archiecture. On this list I have to admit I still need to do quite a few. Carisbrooke Castle I did as a child and Caerphilly Castle recently but the others I haven’t done. Top of my list would be Scotney Castle, i can’t believe I haven’t been to this one as I grew up in a village about thirty minutes drive away.
I have been fascinated by castles since childhood. They stand for the mysterious and lavish lives of powerful people. I would love to see a wedding in the castle. It sounds so romantic. I have put Caerlaverock Castle on my bucket list.
I like visiting places like these and learn about the local history. Bamburgh Castle is massive and looks majestic. No wonder you put it as #1. I also like Hever Castle and it will be great to visit when they have jousts. But I think Scotney Castle looks more like a house than a castle.
I have been to the UK only once in 2019. It was for a few weeks and I really did not get a chance to explore much other than the touristy stuff. I would have loved to have known about these castles, they look stunning especially Scotney Castle. I will add these for my next visit for sure.
I am really happy you wrote this article! I love seeing the places that most people don t know about or see when they are visiting. It makes it special. I will most definitely be putting a couple of these are my list for traveling! I really want to go to Scotland soon, so I will be putting the Caerlaverock Castle on that list! My other two favorites are the Scotney Castle and Dunluce Castle. I love the Scotney Castle is 2 for 1 and how beautiful it looks. However, the Dunluce Castle is from Medieval times which I have a soft spot for! So, maybe I will just put them all on my list.
It looks like I need to take a day trip from London to Kent. I would love to visit Scotney Castle and explore the gardens with the ruin castle. The moat at Hever Castle also caught my attention. Bamburgh Castle looks amazing and I love the extra castle to explore in the area, great weekend getaway idea
I love medieval castles. They hide so many stories and secrets. Your list is impressive. I’d love to see all the castles you describe, especially Warkworth Castle, Scotney Castle, Hever Castle, and Bamburgh Castle. It’s great that you give so much exciting information and tickets prices.
I must admit, I’ve only heard of a few of these castles before, like Doune Castle, thanks to its appearance in Monty Python’s Holy Grail. It’s fascinating to learn about their unique features and histories. Caerlaverock Castle’s triangle shape and full moat, Scotney Castle’s combination of old and new, and Warkworth Castle’s rich history of sieges all sound incredibly intriguing.