A six-sided keep
A hexagonal design borrowed from French castles and unmatched anywhere else in Britain.
Simon Burchell — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Chris Heaton — CC BY-SA 2.0 · BrianAnalogue — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Derek Harper — CC BY-SA 2.0
There is nothing else like it in Britain: six sides rising out of a Wiltshire meadow, as though a French chateau took a wrong turn and settled here. It went up in the 1390s for Baron John Lovell, probably to the design of the royal mason William Wynford, and at heart it was a house for feasting rather than a fortress for war — walls thick enough for dignity, windows far too generous for a castle expecting a siege. When the siege finally came, it cost dearly. In the spring of 1643 Blanche Arundell held the place for the better part of a week with about 25 men before surrendering, and the following year the Arundells came back to prise it from the parliamentary garrison by mining it, blowing an entire face off the tower. It was never rebuilt. The family chose instead to keep it as a handsome ruin in the grounds of their new house — a decision of taste rather than neglect, and you feel it in every corner today. The visit itself is short and genuinely enjoyable. A narrow spiral stair climbs to the top of the east tower, where the lake and parkland open out; the great hall still holds its carved stonework; and the grounds hold an 18th-century banqueting house and a Gothic grotto built from reused prehistoric standing stones. For film fans, this was Locksley Castle in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991). It sits about 24 km west of Salisbury, roughly half an hour by car down narrow country lanes, with free parking. By train you reach Tisbury and then need a taxi or a walk of about 5.5 km. Adult admission is £10 at the gate on a standard day, about 15% less booked online the day before; no advance booking is required. There is no cafe, only a small shop with snacks and hot drinks, so bring a picnic — the grass above the lake is the best place to eat it. From early November to mid-March the site opens at weekends only with a 16:00 close, so check the date before driving out.
A hexagonal design borrowed from French castles and unmatched anywhere else in Britain.
A tight spiral stair ends on an open view over the lake and the parkland around it.
An 18th-century banqueting house and a Gothic grotto of reused prehistoric stones, with grass above the lake for a picnic.
Nr Tisbury, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP3 6RP
Honestly, no. With a single day, Salisbury Cathedral and Stonehenge come first without argument. Wardour is a second-day or quiet-afternoon choice: a small, handsome ruin that is rarely busy even in high summer, and it pairs well with the Wiltshire villages on the way back.
The grounds, meadow and lake are excellent for children and picnics, and the short path from the car park to the castle is manageable with a pushchair despite the slope and grass. Inside the tower the stair is a tight spiral with no lift, so leave the pushchair at the bottom. There is no cafe, only a small shop with snacks and drinks, so bring your own food.