Come and enjoy Rochwell Castle
HISTORY
There has been a castle at Rochwell since the 11th century, when the first castle was constructed on the orders of King William. This small wooden structure was totally destroyed by fire early in the 12th century, and a new castle was quickly built - this time of stone. Later additions, mainly from the 16th century, have since gone, so what we see now is the castle as it looked nearly 900 years ago.
For many years Rochwell belonged to the king or queen, but in the 18th century King George III sold it to Sir Edward Watson. The Watson family still lives here, though now as tenants - they sold the house to the National Trust in the 1980s. The castle's connection with the royal family has not been completely broken, however, as the current queen, Elizabeth II, visited it in 2005.
OPENING TIMES
Castle
Open 1 pm to 5 pm
March to June: Saturdays and Sundays
July to September: Friday to Sunday
October: Sundays only
Park
The castle park is open throughout the year from 10.00 am to 6.00 pm.
GUIDED TOURS
Guided tours for groups (minimum 10 visitors) are available on most days, by appointment. Please book at least one week in advance. We offer a special tour for school parties. We are sorry that tours are limited to pre-booked groups. However, a free audio tour is available to all visitors.
SPECIAL EVENTS
Frequent special events are held both inside the castle and outdoors in the park. Our regular attraction is a Family Fun Day in the park every Sunday. But we also arrange a second event each week, such as a Living History spectacle in the castle, a live music performance, or an antiques fair. And you mustn't miss our famous International Food Fair, held on the first Saturday of each month, where you can taste and buy top quality food from every continent!