Bagot's Castle
Warwickshire, England
Photo: Snowmanradio at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Gallery: Harold9595959, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Harold9595959, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Key facts
- Operator
- Baginton Castle Trust (volunteer-run)
- Condition
- Ruin
- Access
- Staffed, ticketed
- Nearest station
- Coventry, 2.3 miles (straight-line)
Pinpoint
Church Rd, Baginton, Coventry CV8 3AR
Opening Hours
Opening times change. Always check the official website before you travel.
The times last taken from Baginton Castle Trust (volunteer-run) have not been rechecked since the season changed, so they are not shown. Baginton Castle Trust (volunteer-run) publishes the current ones.
Visitor essentials
- Facilities
- Free car park, nature trail, picnic area and information panels; visitor/education centre on site.
Geoffrey Savage built the first motte-and-bailey castle here under Henry I, and around 1397 Sir William Bagot rebuilt it as a stone keep - the ruins visible today. Henry Percy, 1st Earl of Northumberland, was held prisoner here after his son Hotspur's defeat at Shrewsbury in 1403, before the castle fell into disrepair and was even used as a pigsty by the 18th century. Volunteers excavated and reopened the site to the public in 2009.
At a glance
Who to know
Sir William Bagot · rebuilt the castle in stone around 1397
Worth the trip
A riverside walk, fish ponds and a wartime tank-testing track share the grounds alongside the stone keep ruins, a mix reviewers say catches most first-time visitors by surprise.
Before you go
It's seasonal - open April to October on weekends and bank holidays, 10:30am-4pm, £5 for adults - and volunteer-run, with a nature trail and picnic area alongside the ruins.
What visitors say
Bagot's Castle reviews · 4.3 / 5 across 173 Google reviews
Visitors describe a well-cared-for site with helpful information panels covering its medieval-to-modern history, and are often surprised to find a riverside walk, fish ponds and even wartime tank-testing remains alongside the keep ruins.
Several call it an under-the-radar find that's better than expected for the modest admission price.
“First had a look at the ruins back in the early 80s. Totally overgrown but very interesting. An old Tramp lived within the site at the time. Still got some photos.”- Rob Hill, visitor review
Within reach of Birmingham (18 miles) - see what else is nearby.
Getting in - what Baginton Castle Trust (volunteer-run) says
Seasonal opening April-October, weekends and Bank Holidays 10:30am-4pm, admission charged (adults £5, children/over-60s £2.50); other dates by appointment via admin@bagotscastle.org.uk.
Taken from Baginton Castle Trust (volunteer-run)’s own website and read 14 September 2026 - check the current version. Access can change with building work, weather and staffing - if the visit depends on it, ring ahead.
Walks at Bagot's Castle
Bagot's Castle is on our walks roll because a visitor described a walk here in their own review:
“Great nature trail, walk and lots of seating places with picnic tables with view of river”- Santa Klusa, visitor review
Comparing options? See every UK castle with a walk visitors describe.
One visitor's account, not a route guide. We hold no distances, waymarks or start points. For the actual route, check the operator's own site and an Ordnance Survey map before you set out, and treat coastal and clifftop paths as weather- and tide-dependent.
History
Geoffrey Savage (12th-century motte); Sir William Bagot (stone keep, c. 1397) · 12th century; rebuilt c. 1397
Geoffrey Savage built a motte-and-bailey castle at Baginton during the reign of Henry I, on the site of an earlier 7th-century house. Around 1397, Sir William Bagot demolished the deteriorated original and rebuilt it as a stone keep, the structure whose ruins survive today. Henry Percy, 1st Earl of Northumberland, was imprisoned here after his son Harry Hotspur was defeated at the Battle of Shrewsbury in 1403. The castle changed hands to Sir William Bromley in 1618 and had fallen into disrepair by the 16th century; by the 18th century the site was used as a pigsty. It was excavated in 1933-1948 and again fully in 2009, when it reopened to the public.
Adapted from this castle's Wikipedia article, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Practical notes from visitors
Quoted from individual Google reviews, not verified with the operator - treat as a steer, not gospel, and check before you travel.
- Parking
- “Free parking and amenities.” - Phill Sheepy
- Facilities
- “The Teddy bears picnic and wooden rabbits and owls were great to see, and found a ribbon that one of the rabbits were missing and tied it back on.” - Michelle Burkinshaw
Common questions about Bagot's Castle
Where is Bagot's Castle?
Bagot's Castle is in Warwickshire, England, at Church Rd, Baginton, Coventry CV8 3AR.
Do you need a ticket to visit Bagot's Castle?
Yes - Bagot's Castle is a staffed, ticketed attraction run by Baginton Castle Trust (volunteer-run). Ticket prices and opening hours change through the year, so check the official site before travelling.
Are there walks at Bagot's Castle?
Visitor reviews describe walking here - one reviewer wrote: “Great nature trail, walk and lots of seating places with picnic tables with view of river”. That is one visitor's account rather than a route guide, so check the operator's own site and an Ordnance Survey map for distances, paths and start points before setting out.
What is the highlight of visiting Bagot's Castle?
A riverside walk, fish ponds and a wartime tank-testing track share the grounds alongside the stone keep ruins, a mix reviewers say catches most first-time visitors by surprise.
Is Bagot's Castle a ruin or still intact?
Bagot's Castle is a ruin.
