English Heritage

What you need to know

We've made some changes to help keep you safe, and things might be a little different when you visit. Here's everything you need to know.

• Do we need to Book?

  Advance booking is now essential. We have introduced limits on visitor numbers to help keep everyone safe, and you won’t be able to visit without your booking confirmation. If you’re a Member, your ticket will be free, but you still need to book in advance. Make sure you've read our ticketing FAQ before you book.

  Book Tickets

  Booking FAQs

• What parts of the site are Closed?

  Castle – Due to the need to maintain social distancing, the historic interior of the castle remains closed.

• What changes have you made to your facilities?
  • Café - The Glasshouse cafe will be open, offering snacks, treats and refreshments via a takeaway service. The cafe will close 15 minutes before our closing time.
  • Shop – The castle shop will be open, with a one way system in place to help guide you.
  • Playgrounds - The play trail is now open for visitors to enjoy. The majority of equipment is available, with a small number of items remaining closed. Items closed are the 'look out tower' installation, climber nets and one tree trunk installation.
  • Toilets - The castle's new toilet facilities will be open. Additional hand sanitising stations will be available in various locations.
  • Site entrance - The normal visitor entrance is closed. An alternative visitor entrance is in use, accessed via the grass overflow car park.

  Plan your Visit

• Keeping you Safe

  We've made a number of changes to help keep you safe. Although things might be a little different when you visit, you’ll still be able to enjoy exploring the places where history really happened. And you’ll still be given a warm and safe welcome by our friendly – if socially distant – staff and volunteers.

  To aid social distancing, we have introduced one way systems throughout the site.

  You can visit our reopening page for information on general safety measures we've taken to help keep you safe.

  General Safety Information

• Do I need to wear a face covering?

  Face coverings must be worn in all indoor areas. We won't be able to provide you with a face covering, so please come prepared so you don't miss out.

• I still have questions.

  The answers to all frequently asked questions can be found on our FAQ page.

  Read our FAQs