Key facts
- Operator
- Private (Naper family)
- Condition
- Partial ruin
- Access
- Staffed, ticketed
- Stays
- Overnight accommodation available
Pinpoint
Possible Opening hours
Opening times change. Always check the official website before you travel.
| Monday | 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM |
| Tuesday | 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM |
| Wednesday | 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM |
| Thursday | 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM |
| Friday | 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM |
| Saturday | Closed |
| Sunday | 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM |
A privately owned castle, still in the hands of the Naper family, with a homely feel reviewers say is unusual for a site this old — the central bailey has been planted as a garden rather than left bare. It's open daily March to September (it closes for weddings, which it also hosts), and part of the castle can be booked as a place to actually stay the night.
Worth the trip
The planted-up bailey at the centre — reviewers consistently mention how it softens what could be a stark ruin into somewhere that feels lived-in.
Before you go
Steps are steep, slippery and the passages tight in places, so budget two to three hours and take care in wet weather; dogs are welcome but have to stay on the ground floor.
Reviewers consistently rate Manorbier Castle as an attractive, well-preserved ruin that's good value despite the paid entry, and several mention the walled garden as an added bonus alongside the castle itself. A couple note the steps up the towers are steep and can be slippery, and dogs must stay on the ground floor, but the on-site coffee shop also gets specific praise from more than one visitor. Several reviewers mention coming across it unexpectedly and being glad they stopped.
Open daily Mar-Sep; closes for weddings; castle house sleeps guests
“Well preserved castle ruins. Not NT or EH so you will have to pay entrance fee but definitely worth visiting. If you go with your dog they will have to stay downstairs. Steps up the towers are very steep and slippery…”— Gr3at White, visitor review
