County guide · The Castle Rolls
Best castles in Shropshire
9 castles in Shropshire, a Welsh Marches county studded with Norman border strongholds - Ludlow's among the most complete.
Map
Every castle on this list - 9 in total, 6 free to enter, 1 you can stay overnight in
Ludlow Castle
Shropshire
Castle House holiday apartments within walls
Photo: Gary Bembridge from London, UK, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Stokesay Castle
Shropshire
Finest surviving fortified manor house
Shrewsbury Castle
Shropshire
Regimental museum in castle hall
Photo: Julian Nyča, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Bridgnorth Castle
Shropshire Free entry
Great Tower leans at roughly 15 degrees, steeper than Pisa, after Civil War demolition attempts.
Photo: Dr Phillip McCavity at English Wikipedia, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Clun Castle
Shropshire Free entry
Photo: Ian Griffiths, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Moreton Corbet Castle
Shropshire Free entry
Medieval castle and Elizabethan mansion ruins
Photo: Sjwells53, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Whittington Castle
Shropshire Free entry
Community-managed moated gatehouse ruin
Photo: Jeffpmcdonald, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Acton Burnell Castle
Shropshire Free entry
Shell of fortified 13th-century manor
Photo: DeFacto, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Hopton Castle
Shropshire Free entry
Conserved Civil War siege ruin, free
Photo: Ostrich, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Common questions
How many castles are there in Shropshire?
This roll lists 9 visitable castles, fortresses and tower houses in Shropshire. Of those, 6 are free to enter and 3 charge admission.
Which castles in Shropshire are free to visit?
6 of the 9 castles in Shropshire are open-access sites with no admission charge, namely Bridgnorth Castle, Clun Castle, Moreton Corbet Castle, Whittington Castle, Acton Burnell Castle and Hopton Castle.
What is the best-rated castle in Shropshire?
Stokesay Castle is among the highest-rated castles in Shropshire on this roll - 4.7/5 from 2,486 Google reviews.
Can you stay overnight in a castle in Shropshire?
Yes - Ludlow Castle offers overnight stays.
Can you reach any castle in Shropshire by train?
4 of the 9 sit within 1.5 miles of a railway station, namely Shrewsbury Castle (Shrewsbury, 0.1 miles), Ludlow Castle (Ludlow, 0.4 miles), Hopton Castle (Hopton Heath, 0.9 miles) and Stokesay Castle (Craven Arms, 0.9 miles). Those are straight-line distances from the station to the castle, so the walk on the ground is longer than the figure.