Herstmonceux Castle
Herstmonceux Castle
4.5
About
The 300-acre Herstmonceux Castle Estate is set within the beautiful East Sussex countryside. It features a stunning 15th century moated castle that leads to themed and formal gardens, woodland trails, lakes, and meadows - a great destination for a family day out! Younger children can be inspired by an imaginative outdoor play area while the Marlow Rope Maze provides a challenge for all ages. The Estate is lovingly cared for by a dedicated team who have helped transform it into a haven for a rich variety of flora and fauna. Visitors can pick up a family quiz and activity sheet as a fun way to learn about some of the plants, trees, and wildlife they may encounter. Although tours of the castle interior are not available at present, please check the website for further updates.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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- Sarah T-SLondon, United Kingdom136 contributionsLovely day....We drove from Brighton to visit this beautiful castle and grounds. Mum and I really enjoyed our visit, we knew that the house was shut due to renovation works, but our visit was to view the gardens and have lunch. Welcomed by a lovely friendly lady taking payment at the gate, easy to park and then straight in for a pleasant lunch, all very friendly and spotlessly clean cafe. The gardens are beautiful with great vista's of the castle...A great few hours spent taking in the gardens, ....beautiful.Visited May 2024Travelled with familyWritten 24 May 2024
- Simon8 contributionsLovely castle gardensThe castle and gardens are beautiful with a nice cafe. We visited with our 2 year old child and we were lucky the weather was nice. The gardens are nicely done and our kid enjoyed exploring them. The castle is being renovated which is not ideal but there are still nice views of it from the rear gardens. The cafe is good and the staff were friendly. There is a nice terrace to sit next to the castle and enjoy your food. There is no access inside the castle so it’s fairly limited. We combined this with a visit to the science centre next door which worked well. There is a playground advertised but it’s more of a small obstacle course which is probably better for older children. It would be a nice place to go and walk through more of the grounds and finish at the cafe. Having a young child with us we didn’t spend more than a couple hours here but enjoyed it whilst we were thereVisited June 2024Travelled with familyWritten 8 June 2024
- tor2424Crowborough, United Kingdom314 contributionsLovely placeFantastic gardens and an entrance fee of £8 was amazing. Absolutely loved all the different gardens and all the woodland trails. Cafe on site was great with a good selection of food and drinks all reasonably priced. Highly recommend this as a day out and we will definitely be back soon.Visited July 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 30 July 2024
- Alansart14 contributionsAn interesting place. Well worth a visit.An interesting place. We didn't expect much but came away feeling good. They are having some structural repairs to the front of the building so it was a bit disappointing to have it covered in scaffolding but the rest of it was great. The gardens are excellent and all the people we met working there were pleasant, helpful and informative. We did a guided tour, restricted by the building work, and it was brilliant. The lady explaining the building and history was wonderful with a good sense of humour. Nice place, good atmosphere and excellent value for money. We'd go again.Visited September 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 15 September 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
523 reviews
Excellent
282
Very good
155
Average
46
Poor
22
Terrible
18
Grindlehop
UK49 contributions
May 2022 • Couples
Walking the 1066 route that goes around the castle grounds. We decided it would be a nice place to stop and have a coffee and cake but walkers beware as we were accosted by the campus security stating we needed a ticket to enter the grounds! £8 per person to allow us to walk over to cafe and have a coffee and cake before continuing our walk you have to be joking, I can understand if you had arrived by car and wanted to visit grounds and castle but we were obviously walkers with backpacks and just wanted refreshment. Very disappointed and a great way to lose business considering the number of walkers that do that route. Avoid unless you have money to waste
Written 11 May 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for taking time to post this review.
Unfortunately like many other attractions including the The Observatory Science Centre also on the site, access to the facilities ,including the tea room is for our season ticket and paying visitors.
It would be unfair to those who have paid or have subscribed if we allowed everyone else onto the estate. There is no way of knowing that those we allow in free then don't take a walk around the gardens and grounds.
We totally understand how frustrating this must be and hopefully one day we can build a visitor centre with a tea room which is on the boundary of the estate and near the 1066 route which can be used by all.
Written 14 May 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Daydream567353
Ahoghill, UK10 contributions
Jun 2021 • Couples
Castle wasn’t open to the public which was disappointing; reason given - Covid. Only the gardens were available. Although they are very pretty overall we felt it was overpriced. There is a cafe on site. One way in and one way out due to COVID. However I witnessed people with disabilities struggling with accessing the cafe facilities and not much sympathy from the staff. I recommend you train your staff to recognise the needs of those in wheelchairs or with walking sticks.
Written 18 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for taking the time to make this review.
We have passed on your comments regarding the accessibility and issues you witnessed with the catering team. Thank you for bringing it to our notice.
As well as the gardens there are extensive grounds to enjoy including woodlands and lakes which many enjoy as part of their visit.
Written 21 July 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Liz
Birmingham, UK34 contributions
Aug 2021
Tried to visit today as part of our Staycation Summer. After a two-hour drive we were greeted by a jobsworth who told us the IT system was down so she couldn’t sell us tickets - and we couldn’t therefore visit unless the system could be fixed. Seriously? Could we not have paid on the way out? Was the potential loss of £14 sufficiently important to lose so much goodwill? We declined to wait ‘in case’ so the income was lost anyway.
Should you encounter a similar ‘welcome’ we can recommend a brisk walk along the front at Bexhill and refreshments at the de la Warr pavilion.
Should you encounter a similar ‘welcome’ we can recommend a brisk walk along the front at Bexhill and refreshments at the de la Warr pavilion.
Written 8 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for taking the time to make this review.
I have spoken to the member of staff on duty on Sunday. She recalls your arrival and the problem with the WiFi which had gone down suddenly probably due to the bad weather.
The situation could have been handled differently as you point out and the ticket office team have now been briefed as to what to do if this or anything similar occurs again.
We are very sorry that you didn't get to make your visit to Herstmonceux Castle Estate on this occasion.
Written 12 August 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Diana W
7 contributions
Aug 2021
We visited on a Sunday with a 2 for1 gardeners world magazine offer.
We have been once before and at least this time by stepping out of the car to the kiosk, I was able to get a signal to pay by card.
The chap who greeted us at garden entrance said the castle was still closed and the meadow had been cut so it was a good job we still wanted to go in!
The garden was not looking it’s best in late summer but never mind as it only cost £8.
We decided to get tea and cake in the cafe and sit out in the courtyard area where there were newish table and chairs.
I was disappointed it came in paper cups and boxes with single use plastic cutlery.
It was windy and hard to hold everything down and the recycle bins were virtually full.
When we got up to leave, we saw and spoke to another party who had china because they had insisted upon it.
I’m really not impressed by that and wonder if the staff are being lazy.
We have been once before and at least this time by stepping out of the car to the kiosk, I was able to get a signal to pay by card.
The chap who greeted us at garden entrance said the castle was still closed and the meadow had been cut so it was a good job we still wanted to go in!
The garden was not looking it’s best in late summer but never mind as it only cost £8.
We decided to get tea and cake in the cafe and sit out in the courtyard area where there were newish table and chairs.
I was disappointed it came in paper cups and boxes with single use plastic cutlery.
It was windy and hard to hold everything down and the recycle bins were virtually full.
When we got up to leave, we saw and spoke to another party who had china because they had insisted upon it.
I’m really not impressed by that and wonder if the staff are being lazy.
Written 16 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your review and helpful feedback which we are using to improve our facilities and service.
We hope you enjoy visiting us next time with your 2 for1 voucher which allows entry all year round when we are open to the public.
Written 2 September 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Curfuffle
Wellingborough, UK381 contributions
Sept 2020
This is an astoundingly charming building and merits a visit to enjoy its iconic style. We spend a long afternoon investigating the grounds enjoying the ambiance. You could gripe at the standard of the grounds I suppose, by some NT standards although I found them to be historically engaging. The visit just wins on the basis of the wow factor this building offers in its setting, the old Sweet Chestnut trees, the park areas (on a nice day) and the memory that I think will endure for a lifetime.
Written 15 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for this fantastic review and hope you will visit us again and enjoy the wonderful views !
Written 27 September 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Stuart F
7 contributions
Sept 2020
Visited the gardens here, the house was closed due to Covid restrictions. The visit was helped by glorious late summer sunshine but the information guide provided and the gardens were a delight to wander through. We had pre-booked as required so although other visitors were there at the time there was never a concern about social distancing. The vegan chocolate cake and coffees available from the mobile catering outlet were delicious and staffed by a friendly young lady who was very polite and helpful. Would definitely return another time.
Written 23 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This is a wonderful review! We are so pleased that you enjoyed the refreshments too ..
We look forward to seeing you again at the castle and hopefully the castle will be available for tours again.
Written 27 September 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
HolidaymakerfromHove
Brighton and Hove, UK2 787 contributions
Aug 2022
We visited as a party of two on a a Tuesday morning in August. We were able to use our 2-4-1 Gardeners World discount card. Adult entrance is £8 to the grounds. The castle in now privately owned and not accessible internally to the public.
We spent approximately 90 minutes exploring the gardens. We did not visit the cafe. It was easy to park (for free) and there were clean toilets and a gift shop/ gallery/ visitor centre too. Recommended for a quick visit.
We spent approximately 90 minutes exploring the gardens. We did not visit the cafe. It was easy to park (for free) and there were clean toilets and a gift shop/ gallery/ visitor centre too. Recommended for a quick visit.
Written 30 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
chocolocomama
Oxford, UK471 contributions
May 2021 • Couples
Beautiful grounds and interesting building but give the coffee shop a miss. We bought lunch here, which was very tasty but one of the ladies in the coffee shop was very unpleasant to every customer. She spoke in a very surly tone and gave the impression that she really didn’t like working there. It’s a shame as everything else about our visit was great.
Written 26 May 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your 5 star review.
We are extremely sorry that you experienced poor customer service in the tea room
This is being addressed with our catering team.
Written 9 June 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Bluebellplasnewydd
Cardiff, UK2 040 contributions
Mar 2022
This is not a good time of the year to visit gardens and the castle was closed for inside visits. The location is quite spectacular with a moat and very well tended ground supported by informative staff. The site is actually a campus of a Canadian University although students were not much in evidence. It is a relaxing walk through beautiful surroundings with interesting plants and a good selection of sundials including a spectacular large steel instrument. There is also a room describing the history of the castle. You also get glimpses inside the castle and there is a small shop/tearoom. The entrance price, around £6, is reasonable for a visit to an unusual castle and garden.
Written 6 April 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for this very helpful review.
We hope you decide to visit us again and enjoy the gardens and grounds in a different season.
Written 14 May 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
fergiebournemouth2
24 contributions
Jul 2022 • Couples
What a lovely place. We visited recently and really enjoyed wandering around the gardens which were full of colour and a few nice statues. All very picturesque. Shame you can’t go inside the castle as that looks quite impressive too.
Written 20 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Does this place have a car park? And how much would it be if we did go?
Thanks
Written 14 August 2019
Yes we have a large car park and there are no parking fees.
Written 3 September 2019
Hi! Can I buy the tickets when I arrive at the castle or they have to be purchased before?
Written 6 July 2018
Hello,
You buy the tickets at the castle ticket office and for value for money you can buy joint tickets for the castle and The Observatory Science Centre. Please note before you visit i would check for availability on the day you arrive if you want to do a castle tour as they can sell out.
Written 6 July 2018
Is there a working website for this castle? The link from this page doesn't seem to work.
I'm trying to find out tour times for the second week of July. Do I need to keep ringing the castle, or will I be able to find them online somewhere?
Written 28 June 2018
Hi Heather here is tour times from the website which I am not allowed to add to this message
Monday 2nd July 1pm
Tuesday 3rd July 1pm
Wednesday 4th July 1pm
Thursday 5th July 12.30pm
Friday 6th July No Public Tour
- due to a wedding
Saturday 7th July 11.30
Sunday 8th July
11.30am, 1pm & 2.30pm
Hopefully this helps.. if not let me know on j_ryan@bisc.queensu.ac.uk and I will get back to you. Julie, Enterprise Director, Herstmonceux Castle.
Written 29 June 2018
Are dogs allowed in the gardens?
Written 10 April 2018
How accessible are the gardens for someone who needs level pathways to walk and plods along quite slowly?
Written 9 March 2018
Main gardens would be fine so long as you can park down by the castle, if has a long slopes down and not sure where they put cars
Written 10 March 2018
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*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.
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