Near a city · The Castle Rolls
Castles near Birmingham
19 castles are within 40 miles of Birmingham, from Dudley's ruined hilltop keep in the city's own backyard to Warwick's much-visited towers 20 miles south.
Map
Every castle on this list - 21 in total, 6 free to enter, 5 you can stay overnight in
Dudley Castle
West Midlands · 8 mi away
Ruin within zoo grounds, zoo ticket
Tamworth Castle
Staffordshire · 13 mi away
Norman motte with intact shell keep
Astley Castle
Warwickshire · 15 mi away
Award-winning holiday let; occasional open days
Kenilworth Castle and Elizabethan Garden
Warwickshire · 16 mi away
Hartlebury Castle
Worcestershire · 18 mi away
Former bishops' castle; county museum
Warwick Castle
Warwickshire · 19 mi away
Tower Suites and Knight's Village stays
Bridgnorth Castle
Shropshire · 22 mi away Free entry
Great Tower leans at roughly 15 degrees, steeper than Pisa, after Civil War demolition attempts.
Stafford Castle
Staffordshire · 24 mi away Free entry
Free grounds; visitor centre limited hours
Ashby de la Zouch Castle
Leicestershire · 25 mi away
Tutbury Castle
Staffordshire · 27 mi away
Reopening summer 2026 after major repairs
Kirby Muxloe Castle
Leicestershire · 30 mi away
Guided tours on selected days
Acton Burnell Castle
Shropshire · 35 mi away Free entry
Shell of fortified 13th-century manor
Ludlow Castle
Shropshire · 36 mi away
Castle House holiday apartments within walls
Broughton Castle
Oxfordshire · 37 mi away
Fortified moated manor; limited summer opening
Sudeley Castle
Gloucestershire · 37 mi away
Katherine Parr's tomb; estate cottages nearby
Eastnor Castle
Herefordshire · 38 mi away
Selected open days; exclusive-hire castle bedrooms
Richard's Castle
Herefordshire · 38 mi away Free entry
Earthwork motte and bailey of one of the earliest Marcher castles, beside St Bartholomew's Church.
Moreton Corbet Castle
Shropshire · 39 mi away Free entry
Medieval castle and Elizabethan mansion ruins
Duffield Castle
Derbyshire · 39 mi away Free entry
Foundations only of huge Norman keep; free entry
Shrewsbury Castle
Shropshire · 39 mi away
Regimental museum in castle hall
Stokesay Castle
Shropshire · 40 mi away
Finest surviving fortified manor house
Distances are straight-line ("as the crow flies"), not driving or train time - check the operator's own site for real travel options before you go.
Common questions
How many castles are there within 40 miles of Birmingham?
This roll lists 21 visitable castles, fortresses and tower houses within 40 miles of Birmingham. Of those, 6 are free to enter and 11 charge admission.
Which castles within 40 miles of Birmingham are free to visit?
6 of the 21 castles within 40 miles of Birmingham are open-access sites with no admission charge, namely Bridgnorth Castle, Stafford Castle, Acton Burnell Castle, Richard's Castle, Moreton Corbet Castle and Duffield Castle.
What is the best-rated castle within 40 miles of Birmingham?
Kenilworth Castle and Elizabethan Garden carries the strongest public rating of any castle within 40 miles of Birmingham on this roll - 4.7/5 from 7,615 Google reviews.
Can you stay overnight in a castle within 40 miles of Birmingham?
Yes - 5 of the castles listed here offer overnight stays, including Astley Castle, Warwick Castle, Ludlow Castle and Sudeley Castle.
Can you reach any castle within 40 miles of Birmingham by train?
11 of the 21 sit within 1.5 miles of a railway station, the closest being Shrewsbury Castle (Shrewsbury, 0.1 miles), Duffield Castle (Duffield, 0.3 miles), Ludlow Castle (Ludlow, 0.4 miles) and Tutbury Castle (Tutbury & Hatton, 0.5 miles). Those are straight-line distances from the station to the castle, so the walk on the ground is longer than the figure.
Can you go inside every castle within 40 miles of Birmingham?
Not all of them on the same terms. 4 of the 21 restrict what a visitor can see. Astley Castle is a hotel, so there is no way in without booking a room or a table. At Tutbury Castle, Kirby Muxloe Castle and Broughton Castle you get the grounds or a booked tour rather than free run of the building.