Hartlebury Castle

The history of Hartlebury Castle begins around 850 AD, when the land on which it now stands was given to the Bishop of Worcester by Burghred, King of the West Mercians, possibly with the intention of creating a defence against the Vikings or as part of a complex land deal. The exact date of the first building is unknown, but there is evidence that an unfortified manor house existed on the site in 1237.

Further building work over the following years included the excavation of a moat in 1255, and crenellation commissioned in 1288 by Bishop Giffard - who was accused of appropriating church property to meet the cost. The Great Hall, erected in 1390, remains today, albeit somewhat altered, and features an arch-braced roof with timber from the Malvern forests: a gift from Richard II.

The castle has welcomed a succession of royal visitors, starting with Edward I who stayed there in 1282 en-route to suppress a Welsh revolt. Elizabeth I also visited Hartlebury Castle in 1575, with the then incumbent Bishop Bullingham almost bankrupting himself to build a special walkway for her to view the grounds. It exists to this day, and in 1980 was used by Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh when they visited to mark 1,300 years of the Diocese of Worcester.

During the Civil War, Hartlebury Castle was garrisoned for the King by Colonel William Sandys, and a special branch of the Royal Mint was set up at the castle. It also became a place of refuge for Worcester's enlisting officers, the Commission for Array, as they fled the city.

Despite preparations for a lengthy siege, the castle surrendered to the Parliamentarians after just two days and without a shot being fired. It was used as a prison for Royalist captives before being 'slighted' and eventually falling into disrepair, being sold in 1647 for £3,133, 6s, 8d.

In 1657 rebuilding work began, and in 1717 the moat was filled in. Subsequent remodelling included 'Gothicising' the exterior and building the library, and the castle once more received visits from royalty such as George III. It became the sole residence of the Bishops of Worcester in 1846, and remains their home even though the Worcestershire County Museum, in the north wing of the building, has been open to the public since 1966.

Exhibits in the museum include a hoard of Roman coins discovered at Chaddesley Corbett and dating back as far as 282 AD. Saxon coins, as well as examples produced during the Royalist occupation, are on display, alongside such diverse items as children's toys, a Bronze Age axe-head and artefacts produced by the Bromsgrove Guild.

The current Bishop of Worcester, the Rt Revd Dr Peter Selby, will be the last to reside at the castle - the Worcester diocese and Church Commissioners have taken the decision to house his eventual successor elsewhere due to the high running costs of the castle and its inaccessibility by public transport. However, while this represents another major change for Hartlebury, the rich history of the castle and indeed the village itself will continue to provoke interest well into the future.

Worcestershire County Museum

Hartlebury Castle, DY11 7XZ

Tel: 01299 250416

Opening times: Tuesday-Friday 10am-5pm;

weekends and Bank Holidays 11am-5pm.