Berkeley Castle

For the castle of the same name in West Virginia in the United States, see Samuel Taylor Suit Cottage.

Berkeley Castle
Berkeley, Gloucestershire
Berkeley Castle viewed from the southwest
Berkeley Castle is located in Gloucestershire
Berkeley Castle
Berkeley Castle
Coordinates51°41′19″N 02°27′25″W / 51.68861°N 2.45694°W / 51.68861; -2.45694
grid reference ST685989
Listed Building – Grade I
Official nameBerkeley Castle
Designated21 October 1952
Reference no.1340692

Berkeley Castle (/ˈbɑːrkli/ BARK-lee; historically sometimes spelled as Berkley Castle or Barkley Castle) is a castle in the town of Berkeley, Gloucestershire, England. The castle's origins date back to the 11th century, being designated by English Heritage as a Grade I-listed building.[1]

The castle, traditionally believed to have been the scene of the murder of King Edward II in 1327,[2][3] has remained in the possession of the Berkeley family since they reconstructed it in the 12th century, except for a period of royal ownership under the Tudors.[4]

The Berkeley barony having separated from the earldom in 1882, the 8th and last Earl of Berkeley (1865–1942) bequeathed the ancestral seat[5] to his 13th cousin, Captain Robert Berkeley, of Spetchley Park, Worcestershire (1898–1969), whose grandson, Charles Berkeley (born 1968),[6] High Sheriff of Gloucestershire for 2019/20,[7] inherited the castle and estate from his father, Major John Berkeley (1931–2017).[8][9]

Since 1956, Berkeley Castle has been open to visitors (for a fee) and remains open from April to November (in 2023) on certain days of the week. The property has also been available for rent for private events.[10]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference IECastle was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Kingsley51_54 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference GuardianSumption was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ According to an article by James Lees-Milne in the 18th edition of Burke's Landed Gentry, Volume 1 (1965).
  5. ^ www.berkeley-castle.com
  6. ^ www.burkespeerage.com
  7. ^ www.highsheriffofgloucestershire.org.uk
  8. ^ www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk
  9. ^ "Head of historic Gloucestershire family and owner of Berkeley Castle John Berkeley dies". Gloucestershire Live. 17 November 2017. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
  10. ^ "Berkeley Castle is open from Sunday to Wednesday every week from 2nd April to 5th November". Retrieved 7 October 2023.