Key facts
- Operator
- English Heritage
- Condition
- Ruin
- Access
- Free, open access
Pinpoint
Castle St, Ludgershall, Andover SP11 9QT
Telephone 0370 333 1181
Website www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/ludgershall-castle-and-cross
Possible Opening hours
Opening times change. Always check the official website before you travel.
| Monday | Open 24 hours |
| Tuesday | Open 24 hours |
| Wednesday | Open 24 hours |
| Thursday | Open 24 hours |
| Friday | Open 24 hours |
| Saturday | Open 24 hours |
| Sunday | Open 24 hours |
Ludgershall's ruins are traced by reviewers to an 11th-century castle built for the Sheriff of Wiltshire, later extended by King John as a hunting lodge on the edge of Salisbury Plain. It's unstaffed and quiet - visitors regularly find themselves nearly alone among the earthworks.
Worth the trip
The Norman earthworks and the walk around them, easy going at under a mile and well signed with information boards telling the royal history.
Before you go
Parking is limited at the site itself, but there's a layby off the main road and space in the village centre for a short walk in.
Reviewers consistently describe this as a small, quiet, easy-to-reach ruin - only a few sections of wall survive alongside earthworks - free to visit with helpful information boards covering its royal history. Several note it's a relatively little-visited site, which adds to its appeal for those seeking a peaceful stop, and parking is limited but adequate.
“Fascinating history, some reuse of Roman tiles set into the walls. A less visited gem.”— Karl Waltho, visitor review
