County guide · The Castle Rolls
Best castles in Essex
5 castles in Essex, including Colchester Castle - built on the podium of a Roman temple, and the largest Norman keep in Europe by ground area.
Map
Every castle on this list - 5 in total, 2 free to enter, 1 you can stay overnight in
Colchester Castle
Essex
Largest Norman keep in Europe
Mountfitchet Castle
Essex
Reconstructed Norman village on original earthworks
Hadleigh Castle
Essex Free entry
Hedingham Castle
Essex
Intact Norman keep; seasonal events
Rayleigh Mount
Essex Free entry
Norman motte-and-bailey earthworks of Rayleigh Castle
Common questions
How many castles are there in Essex?
This roll lists 5 visitable castles, fortresses and tower houses in Essex. Of those, 2 are free to enter and 3 charge admission.
Which castles in Essex are free to visit?
2 of the 5 castles in Essex are open-access sites with no admission charge, namely Hadleigh Castle and Rayleigh Mount.
What is the best-rated castle in Essex?
Mountfitchet Castle carries the strongest public rating of any castle in Essex on this roll - 4.6/5 from 1,761 Google reviews.
Can you stay overnight in a castle in Essex?
Yes - Hedingham Castle offers overnight stays.
Can you reach any castle in Essex by train?
4 of the 5 sit within 1.5 miles of a railway station, namely Mountfitchet Castle (Stansted Mountfitchet, 0.1 miles), Rayleigh Mount (Rayleigh, 0.2 miles), Colchester Castle (Colchester Town, 0.3 miles) and Hadleigh Castle (Leigh-on-Sea, 1.4 miles). Those are straight-line distances from the station to the castle, so the walk on the ground is longer than the figure.