Key facts
- Operator
- English Heritage
- Condition
- Ruin
- Access
- Free, open access
Pinpoint
Sherborne Castle, New Rd, Sherborne DT9 5NR
The original medieval castle at Sherborne, built in the 12th century by Roger of Salisbury and later owned by Sir Walter Raleigh, who found it too impractical to live in and built the 'new' castle nearby instead. It was slighted after a Civil War siege and is now a free, unstaffed English Heritage ruin with seasonal opening hours.
Worth the trip
Standing in the ruin that Sir Walter Raleigh himself gave up on — a historical figure's verdict on a building, surviving alongside the building itself.
Before you go
Check the seasonal opening hours before travelling, since access isn't year-round, and it's a separate site and ticket from Sherborne Castle down the road.
Free entry; seasonal opening hours
