Pictures of Sudeley Castle

a Castle in the town of Winchcombe, in the county of Gloucestershire

Sudeley Castle Picture Tour Hotels near Sudeley Castle Sudeley Castle Facts Sudeley Castle Forum Submit pictures Nearby Towns Nearby Attractions Sudeley Castle Map Add attraction to favourites

About Sudeley Castle

The pretty village of Winchcome has been blessed with the stunning buildings and gardens of Sudeley Castle since the time of the Doomsday Book when the manor was held by Harold de Sudeley. It lies serenely in a glorious corner of the undulating Cotswolds, where for centuries, sheep belonging to wealthy Medieval merchants roamed the green wooded hills and gentle valley's.

Since the first castle was built in the 12th-century, Sudeley has played an important role in English history, and nearly always the way was led by women. It is a romantic, fabled place of great beauty and enchantment, which has been nurtured by the great female characters who proudly step from the pages of history.

The castle we see today is the second castle to be built here, it was built by Ralph Boteler in the mid 14th-century, and around the grounds there remains relics from the earlier castle.

Henry VIII brought his sixth wife Katherine Parr to Sudeley, she was to return here after Henry's death in 1547 as the wife of Thomas Seymour who had courted her before her marriage to Henry. Katherine was happy at Sudeley, life was more relaxed, she led the life of an English country lady, caring for her step-daughter the Princess Elizabeth, daughter of ill-fated Anne Boleyn, and tending to her garden - now known as the Queens Garden. Sadly, Katherine was to die a few days after giving birth to her only daughter Mary. In spite of the King's wish for Katherine to be buried beside him in the Royal vault, she chose to be buried in the chapel at Sudeley.

In later years Queen Elizabeth I returned to Sudeley to be lavishly entertained in 1592. It must have been a poignant visit, tinged with memories of the happy childhood she had spent with the Queen who was to prove the last of her four step-mothers. Elizabeth Tudor stayed at the castle for several days and made her daily devotions in the chapel where Katherine Parr lies buried.

Another of King Henry VIII's Queens to visit Sudeley was Lady Jane Grey, who reigned for only nine days. In her short life she was to say she had spent her happiest days at Sudeley Castle.

The castle was Crown property for centuries, at the time of the Civil War, Prince Rupert of the Rhine, nephew of Charles I, made the castle his garrison headquarters. It was at the hands of Cromwell's troops that Sudeley began to feel the hand of destruction. The castle lay neglected for almost two hundred years during which time it was visited by several Royal personages including George III, but none was prepared to take the castle on. It was eventually sold in 1837 to John and William Dent of the Worcestershire glove making empire.

In 1855 the castle passed to John Croucher Dent and his wife Emma, and a huge debt of gratitude is owed to Emma Dent for her forthright determination to resurrect Sudeley, and make it once more the glittering castle of former days. Emma Dent worked tirelessly in her role as "Lady of the Manor" she cared for the poor and the sick of the estate, helped with Sunday School and Night School, started the foundations of the castle gardens and planted avenues of trees. An elegant, well educated lady, wealthy in her own right, well-travelled. possessed of a warm and generous spirit, her one great sadness was that she had no children of her own. Thus, she ploughed all her energies into Sudeley. Emma Dent kept everything relating to her life at Sudeley, and over a hundred years after her death, Lady Ashcombe, the present chatelaine of Sudeley, uncovered a hoard of treasures belonging to Emma; these include letters, diaries and scrapbooks into which she had poured her every thought on the happenings at Sudeley and her ambitions for the castle.

Today, owing to the keen continuation of Emma Dent's work by Lord and Lady Ashcombe, we are able for a short while to step back into the past and experience a world far removed from the society of the modern day. We can wander sweet scented gardens, stroll through Yews planted by Emma Dent, walk in the footsteps of Katherine Parr, view the elegant 'Long Room' where there is a 'Six wives of Henry VIII' costume exhibition, Tudor paintings and many other artefacts. You can visit the chapel where Katherine Parr rests in peace and where a great Tudor Queen worshipped. You can admire the romantic ruins of the earlier castle, take tea in a pleasant restaurant, and the children can have a fine time in a carefully thought out play area.

Sudeley is an evocative place, it is both romantic and mysterious, within its walls you quickly become enslaved by the women who have made this treasured castle the beautiful place it is today.

The village of Winchcome has a wealth of exciting stone properties, some lovely antique shops, ancient pubs and restaurants, and if you visit Sudeley Castle you should allow time to experience its picturesque streets and squares.

Please upload your photos of Sudeley Castle or see below for towns & villages near Sudeley Castle and a list of other nearby attractions to visit.

Planning a visit? We have thousands of Hotels, Bed & Breakfast and Holiday Cottages to choose from at highly competetive rates when booked through the Pictures of England website. Click here for accommodation near Sudeley Castle

Add attraction to favourites

Submit a history of Sudeley Castle

Recommended towns & villages near Sudeley Castle

	Winchcombe (0.8 miles, 1.2 km) To experience the quintessentially English town of Winchcome, is to part-take of a miscellany of pure delights... Information | Pictures (50) | Hotels | Holiday Cottages
	Snowshill (5.5 miles, 8.9 km, direction NE) For anyone looking for a peaceful retreat in which to spend a few idyllic days in glorious countryside, could do no better that visit the picturesque village of Snowshill, high on the Cotswold escarpment above Broadway and the old town of Evesham... Information | Pictures (70) | Hotels | Holiday Cottages
	Cheltenham (6.1 miles, 9.9 km, direction SW) Cheltenham, the very mention of this grand old town conjurs up not only images of gracious georgian houses but also of superb thoroughbred horses thundering round the town's..... Information | Pictures (125) | Hotels | Holiday Cottages
	Broadway (7.4 miles, 12.0 km, direction NE) The village of Broadway in the Cotswolds richly deserves the prestige of being the "show village of England".. Information | Pictures (131) | Hotels | Holiday Cottages
	Upper Slaughter (8.4 miles, 13.5 km, direction E) Tranquillity is the keynote for this enchanting hamlet which is best explored on foot... Information | Pictures (27) | Hotels | Holiday Cottages

Recommended attractions near Sudeley Castle

	Hailes Abbey (1.9 miles, 3.0 km, direction NE) Hailes Abbey occupies a lovely site and as you look at the remains of the dramatic cloister arches you get some idea of just how..... Information | Pictures (18) | Hotels
	Pittville Pump Room (5.3 miles, 8.5 km, direction SW) Pittville Pump Room is just one of the many rare gems left over from Cheltenham's hey-day - its Regency period. It was built for..... Information | Pictures (4) | Hotels
	Snowshill Manor (5.3 miles, 8.6 km, direction NE) The romantic atmosphere of Snowshill Manor is made more vibrant by stories of ghostly happenings deep in the past. Given that a..... Information | Pictures (46) | Hotels
	Holst Birthplace Museum (5.8 miles, 9.3 km, direction SW) .. Information | Pictures (5) | Hotels
	Broadway Tower and Animal Park (7.3 miles, 11.8 km, direction NE) .. Information | Pictures (35) | Hotels

Hotels near Sudeley Castle

Hotels near Sudeley Castle  Cottages near Sudeley Castle  Bed & Breakfast near Sudeley Castle

	Cleeve Hill House Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England (2.9 miles, 4.6 km, direction W) Set upon the highest point in the Cotswolds, this elegant 5-star guest house features spacious, individually decorated rooms with plasma TVs. Guests can enjoy excellent views over the Malvern Hills.... More info and book online..  Price from £50.00
	Malvern View Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England (3.0 miles, 4.7 km, direction W) Overlooking the Malvern Valley and Cleeve Common, this hotel has modern bedrooms with free Wi-Fi, Egyptian cotton linen, and rain showers. Malvern View is on the Cotswold Way, between Cheltenham Race... More info and book online..  Price from £50.00
	Rising Sun Hotel Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England (3.1 miles, 4.9 km, direction W) The Rising Sun is a delightful country hotel, restaurant and public house, close to the top of Cleeve Hill, the highest point in the Cotswolds. Cleeve Hill has superb views across Cheltenham to the M... More info and book online..  Price from £35.00
	Ellenborough Park Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England (3.9 miles, 6.2 km, direction SW) Set in Cotswold countryside, Ellenborough Park is a magnificent English country estate with a luxury spa, fine dining and beautiful grounds. The hotel is situated just outside Cheltenham.... More info and book online..  Price from £198.00
	Dumbleton Hall Hotel Dumbleton, Gloucestershire, England (4.8 miles, 7.8 km, direction N) Nestled amid 19 acres of gardens and woodland, this 19th century country house provides the ideal base from which to explore the rolling hills and hidden valleys of the Cotswolds.... More info and book online..  Price from £55.00