What’s your favourite UK castle to visit?

[Littledidsheknow]

I love a castle (and a cathedral, but that’s another thread 😀) and since I’ll be holidaying more in the UK now I’d like to hear about your favourite castles.

Mine is Conwy! It’s big, has ramparts, walkways and towers and gorgeous views. 🏰

OTOH, Despite its dramatic presence, Edinburgh castle doesn’t do much for me.

What a great topic!

Gosh there are just so many it would be hard to choose. For me, Scotland has the ones with the best scenery. You can't beat Dunnoter, Eilean Donan or Urqhart Castles for dramatic locations (blimey, my autocorrect is not like these names!)

Already mentioned, but Bodiam is just that classic, what a child would say a castle is example.

I base holidays on what castles, stately homes and walks are around the area. Got to have a cream tea too of course

Caernarfon

Stirling...only because I live a spit away from it 🤭. Oh and wallace monument too..damn those bloody stairs 🤣.

was going to say Urquhart castle, but @Awrite beat me to it! but such a fabulous setting
honorable mention for Bothewell Castle cos I got married there

York (the history is great for kids) Lancaster (interesting to know the prison only shut about a decade ago, and last time we went you could go in that bit), Conwy (you've said) Skipton (when there's events on for the kids) and pretty much any of the Scottish ones.
OK, maybe you only wanted one favourite!

I love a Castle too!

My vote goes to Conwy Castle!

I visited this place on a heritage open day last year - it’s really just a pile of stones in a field, probably wasn’t used for very long, and isn’t open to the general public but it’s still a (bit of a) castle with its own history and local folk trying to preserve it as long as possible.

https://www.homefarmhursley.com/index.php/portfolio-item/merdon-castle/

This one's my favourite! It's just a crenellated manor really but it's so gorgeous and atmospheric. I've visited many times.

Skipton is my childhood local castle so I love that one; Goodrich is cool.

Corfe
Carisbrooke

Tattershall in Lincolnshire is fascinating and the views from the roof are breath taking.

Hermitage Castle in the Scottish Borders. Not much there ,but I've never seen anywhere like it. It looks like a film set for a fantasy film.

Chillingham .

Alnwick is my favourite, it's so homely and lived in, as well as being beautiful, but Carrickfergus and Falkland get honourable mentions, particularly the latter - the history is fascinating!

The gardens which were beautiful were non existent apart from some lovely wisteria trees. Loads of rooms closed off. Didn't seem to be a boat anymore or certainly wasn't running that day. Looked very run down and would've been furious had we paid full price , fortunately we had a half price voucher.

I love Hever.

Gosh there are so many. I think I may need to make a castle map. Thanks for all the recommendations.
I love a PPs fondness for their “local childhood castle” Everyone should have one!
Mine was an unremarkable ruin on wasteland. We were quite spoilt for castles in Scotland.

There are quite a few small castles where I live now in Wales. All ruined, scenic and overlooking the sea, great for dog walks, but I like something a little bigger when I go castle bagging.

I have visited a few that have been mentioned, though many - Arundel, Stirling, Falkland amongst others - were a VERY long time ago!

Come to Cumbria!
Carlisle castle, lowther Castle and the spectacular Muncaster castle

What a great thread! Thanks OP

I prefer a castle that hasn't been disneyfied and doesn't have people telling you where to walk. In our family we always mark it down if it has a one way system for pedestrianns.

Favourites are Dunstaffnage, Middleham, and Bodiam.

Manorbier. I even got married there.

Culzean castle - amazing grounds, cliffs, beach, gardens
Powys castle - beautiful castle and gardens but busy when we went
Any little scottish castle - the ones still used as a family home but with an incredible history of people who lived there and visited. Really makes history come to life.

I really like Leeds castle it’s really pretty as are the grounds. Hever castle is also really lovely.

Dunottar & Tantallon - amazing ruins & great defensive positions - also love Crathes castle, lovely grounds & gardens

A couple of people have mentioned Carisbrooke Castle on the Isle of Wight, and the donkeys here are a big attraction.

They give regular demonstrations on a wooden treadmill of raising water from a well.

They do receive very good treatment and have a two to six minute working day!

If you're on the Isle of Wight it's worth visiting Yarmouth Castle too.

Arundel because you can really see the evolvement from medieval castle to a stately home.
Bodiam is brilliant, if you have a chance to do one of their tours after hours, I think we did one on graffiti, it was really good.
Conwy is great and I also like Powis

I have good memories of Stirling castle but that's over 20 years ago so it may be a rose tinted glass-memory.

I don't rate Warwich high nowadays. I went there 25 years ago before Merlin got their hands on them and it was really good, now, just too much theme park to feel authentic. It has an amazing history and it's in great shape but I don't like how they set it up.

Thanks for all your suggestions. Some lovely places I’d forgotten about; others I’m learning of for the first time.

@potas its astonishing how many castles and ruins there are in Scotland. DH and I used to see loads of ruins and part ruins for sale in the papers back in 90s for very cheap prices. We always said we’d like to buy one and do it up!
It’s the done up ones you see now, costing £££

@Myoldbear I love donkeys so I’ll have to add that one to my list 🫏