English Castle Hotels

If you love the romance of English history, lore and legends, you'll be pleased to know that you can experience the romance for yourself by staying in an English castle! I blogged before about how to take a castle vacation at Château de Bagnols in the Beaujolais valley and in other French castle hotels. But today we're hopping across the Channel to sneak a peek at the English castles that could tempt us to put on our wimples and go for a visit.

Hever Castle, Kent

Hever Castle is famous for being the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, the second of King Henry VIII's six wives. Henry was never going to win "Husband of the Year" and poor Anne came to a very unfortunate end. But first she made her mark on history by giving birth to a little girl destined to be the future Queen Elizabeth I.
This impressive double-moated medieval castle was built in 1270. It's thanks though to the American William Waldorf Astor that the castle is so well restored today. He gave the castle a facelift and to keep it authentic his workmen use the same materials and tools that the Tudors used!

You can stay at Hever Castle or just visit to enjoy spaces like this amazing Inner Hall with walnut panels and columns. During the Tudor years it was the Great Kitchen, cooking up feasts for the household after their hunting parties, no doubt.

Augill Castle, Cumbria

If you're visiting the Lake District or the Yorkshire Dales in the north of England, you'll find Augill Castle a convenient and mighty impressive place to stay! It's been named English B&B of the year and it offers Gothic towers and turrets, antique furnishings and 20 acres of grounds with a tree house!

Built in 1841 as a country residence for a Victorian gentleman, Augill Castle has a library, its own cinema, and 15 guest rooms for travelers to stay in.

This is the Pendragon room and it is said that Queen Victoria stayed in this room on her way to her Scottish country castle of Balmoral.

In addition to that stunning four poster bed, the room has a carved oak fireplace and arched leaded windows. The bathroom boasts stained glass windows and a Victorian cast iron claw footed bath.

Amberley Castle, West Sussex

Visitors should be safe in this 900-year-old castle... it's surrounded by a 60-foot-high castle wall and a twin-tower gatehouse with a portcullis that is closed each night! During the 14th century the castle was the Bishop of Chichester’s Summer Palace. Now it's a hotel including a restaurant with suits of armor and a 12th century barrel-vaulted ceiling.

Bedroom decor includes antique furnishings, original fireplaces, and four poster beds - one room even has access to a tower! Peacocks roam the 12 acres of grounds with 1920’s topiary and statues, and you can play tennis, old-fashioned English croquet, or golf on the 18-hole putting green.  It's easy to stay at Amberley Castle if you are traveling though London as it's less than 60 miles from the city. It's also near the seaside town of Brighton which is well known for its antique shops!

If you've ever stayed in an English castle - or a castle in France or anywhere at all - we'd love to hear from you!