Old Wardour Castle

Old Wardour Castle stands in Wiltshire as the roofless remains of a 14th-century castle built by John, the fifth Baron Lovell. It occupies a low ridge near the villages of Tisbury and Donhead St Andrew, about 24 kilometres west of Salisbury. The hexagonal design was unusual in England, inspired by castles on the Continent and executed by master mason William Wynford using local greensand. Unique guest suites were included, making it unlike other British castles of the time. After the Lovells lost their lands, the Arundells bought the castle in 1544 and later enlarged its windows and added classical doorways. The castle’s story is marked by sieges during the Civil War. In 1643, Lady Blanche Arundell defended it with just 25 men against 1,300 Parliamentarians led by Sir Edward Hungerford. After a five-day siege, she surrendered to save the building. Her son, Henry, the third Lord Arundell, later reclaimed the castle by blowing up part of its walls with mines in 1644. The family eventually built New Wardour Castle nearby, leaving the old one as a picturesque ruin within landscaped parkland. Visitors today walk among the hexagonal courtyard, once dark and enclosed but now open to the sky. The great hall, refurbished by Matthew Arundell in the 1570s, still shows its tall windows and wooden roof, with traces of the screen and musicians’ gallery. The lobby, with its fireplaces and private stair, hints at how guests were entertained. Nearby, a 1792 grotto built from castle stones and a small stone circle add to the ruins’ romantic atmosphere. The Banqueting House, added in the 18th century, now hosts exhibitions.