Visited September 2009

Location	Thornbury, South Gloucestershire
Entrance Fee	No, but open to Hotel & Restaurant guests only- occasional tours of the grounds
Railway Station	No
Parking	Yes
Facilities	Restaurant
Map

Review

Thornbury is a small town approximately 5 miles north of Bristol. Most people have probably never heard of it, but it was here in 1508 that the 3rd Duke of Buckingham began to re-build a large an extravagant castle on his existing estate. The Duke was initially in favour with Henry VIII but due to his wealth & power the King began to doubt his loyalty and had him beheaded for treason. King Henry and Anne Boleyn actually stayed at the castle in 1533 but from about 1550 onward it was uninhabited and fell into disrepair.

It was returned to use as a family home in the 1850s and now belongs to an expensive hotel chain. The hotel  restaurant is open to non-residents (if you can afford it!) but we managed to get a tour of the grounds during a heritage open day- the hotel hosts a few of these throughout the year. Despite it being a guided tour, our 4 year old coped well and enjoyed the buildings and grounds. It is well worth doing a tour if you can, it is a fine example of Tudor architecture with some beautiful and rare windows of that era.

There are some finds from the castle at the Thornbury Museum in the town. These include a history of the castle, with displays of tiles and red brick chimneys. There is also the Thornbury Hoard, which although has nothing to do with the castle, is interesting in itself. The museum is free to visit, but check the website for opening times as they are very limited.

More info: Thornbury Castle