Key facts
- Operator
- English Heritage
- Condition
- Ruin
- Access
- Free, open access
Pinpoint
Wigmore, Leominster HR6 9UB
Telephone 0370 333 1181
Founded in 1067 by William FitzOsbern and later the stronghold of the powerful Mortimer family, who used it to help control the Welsh Marches — it was partly dismantled during the English Civil War and has since been left to nature more than most English Heritage sites. Reviewers note it feels genuinely wild rather than manicured, with a large footprint now heavily overgrown.
Worth the trip
The thickness of the walls still visible where paths cut through the overgrowth — a tangible sense of how substantial the fortress once was.
Before you go
The keep itself is currently closed off due to faulty steps and wildlife concerns, so don't expect to get to the top; park at the village hall car park, which reviewers say is happy to have visitors use its toilets.
Recent reviewers consistently describe Wigmore as free to visit but significantly overgrown, with access to the keep currently closed off due to damaged steps and safety and wildlife concerns — several feel English Heritage could do more to maintain the site. Despite this, most still find the ruins impressive for their scale and enjoy exploring what is accessible, particularly the thick surviving walls.
“Lovely castle, very overgrown but lower parts accessible through cut paths. Its a shame the keep is not accessible due to faulty steeps and concerns for wildlife.”— nigel crocker, visitor review
