Near a city · The Castle Rolls
Castles near Birmingham
19 castles are within 40 miles of Birmingham, from Dudley's ruined hilltop keep in the city's own backyard to Warwick's much-visited towers 20 miles south.
Map
Every castle on this list - 25 in total, 6 free to enter, 6 you can stay overnight in
Dudley Castle
West Midlands · 8 mi away
Ruin within zoo grounds, zoo ticket
Photo: Dudley Council, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Maxstoke Castle
Warwickshire · 9 mi away
Privately lived in; opens to the public one confirmed day a year for the National Garden Scheme, a tradition now 50 years running.
Photo: Steve Wilson from Marchwood, The New Forest, UK, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Tamworth Castle
Staffordshire · 13 mi away
Norman motte with intact shell keep
Photo: Tanya Dedyukhina, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Astley Castle
Warwickshire · 15 mi away
Award-winning holiday let; occasional open days
Photo: Greg Storrar, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Kenilworth Castle and Elizabethan Garden
Warwickshire · 16 mi away
Photo: Wikimedia Commons contributor, CC BY 1.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Hartlebury Castle
Worcestershire · 18 mi away
Former bishops' castle; county museum
Photo: Geni, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Bagot's Castle
Warwickshire · 18 mi away
Photo: Snowmanradio at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Warwick Castle
Warwickshire · 19 mi away
Tower Suites and Knight's Village stays
Photo: DeFacto, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Bridgnorth Castle
Shropshire · 22 mi away 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
Tixall Gatehouse
Staffordshire · 23 mi away
Public access is by overnight booking only; the gatehouse stands alone in open countryside and is visible from the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal towpath (Tixall Wide).
Photo: Zorin14, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Stafford Castle
Staffordshire · 24 mi away Free entry
Free grounds; visitor centre limited hours
Ashby de la Zouch Castle
Leicestershire · 25 mi away
Photo: Pahazzard, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Tutbury Castle
Staffordshire · 27 mi away
Reopening summer 2026 after major repairs
Photo: Dave Harris, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Kirby Muxloe Castle
Leicestershire · 30 mi away
Guided tours on selected days
Photo: Pahazzard, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Acton Burnell Castle
Shropshire · 35 mi away Free entry
Shell of fortified 13th-century manor
Photo: DeFacto, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Elvaston Castle
Derbyshire · 35 mi away
The castle building itself is closed to the public (Heritage at Risk); the 321-acre grounds are free and open all year.
Photo: John Bennett from Derbyshire, UK, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Ludlow Castle
Shropshire · 36 mi away
Castle House holiday apartments within walls
Photo: Gary Bembridge from London, UK, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Broughton Castle
Oxfordshire · 37 mi away
Fortified moated manor; limited summer opening
Photo: Dave_S., CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Sudeley Castle
Gloucestershire · 37 mi away
Katherine Parr's tomb; estate cottages nearby
Photo: Wdejager, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Eastnor Castle
Herefordshire · 38 mi away
Selected open days; exclusive-hire castle bedrooms
Photo: Philip Pankhurst, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Richard's Castle
Herefordshire · 38 mi away Free entry
Earthwork motte and bailey of one of the earliest Marcher castles, beside St Bartholomew's Church.
Moreton Corbet Castle
Shropshire · 39 mi away Free entry
Medieval castle and Elizabethan mansion ruins
Photo: Sjwells53, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Duffield Castle
Derbyshire · 39 mi away Free entry
Foundations only of huge Norman keep; free entry
Photo: Beep boop beep, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Shrewsbury Castle
Shropshire · 39 mi away
Regimental museum in castle hall
Photo: Julian Nyča, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Stokesay Castle
Shropshire · 40 mi away
Finest surviving fortified manor house
Distances are straight-line ("as the crow flies"), not driving or train time - check the operator's own site for real travel options before you go.
Common questions
How many castles are there within 40 miles of Birmingham?
This roll lists 25 visitable castles, fortresses and tower houses within 40 miles of Birmingham. Of those, 6 are free to enter and 12 charge admission. The other 7 have restricted access.
Which castles within 40 miles of Birmingham are free to visit?
6 of the 25 castles within 40 miles of Birmingham are open-access sites with no admission charge, namely Bridgnorth Castle, Stafford Castle, Acton Burnell Castle, Richard's Castle, Moreton Corbet Castle and Duffield Castle.
What is the best-rated castle within 40 miles of Birmingham?
Tixall Gatehouse is among the highest-rated castles within 40 miles of Birmingham on this roll - 5/5 from 2 Google reviews.
Can you stay overnight in a castle within 40 miles of Birmingham?
Yes - 6 of the castles listed here offer overnight stays, including Astley Castle, Warwick Castle, Tixall Gatehouse and Ludlow Castle.
Can you reach any castle within 40 miles of Birmingham by train?
11 of the 25 sit within 1.5 miles of a railway station, the closest being Shrewsbury Castle (Shrewsbury, 0.1 miles), Duffield Castle (Duffield, 0.3 miles), Ludlow Castle (Ludlow, 0.4 miles) and Tutbury Castle (Tutbury & Hatton, 0.5 miles). Those are straight-line distances from the station to the castle, so the walk on the ground is longer than the figure.
Can you go inside every castle within 40 miles of Birmingham?
Not all of them on the same terms. 7 of the 25 restrict what a visitor can see. Astley Castle and Tixall Gatehouse are hotels, so there is no way in without booking a room or a table. At Elvaston Castle the building itself isn't open to visitors, so you see it from the grounds or from outside. At Maxstoke Castle, Tutbury Castle, Kirby Muxloe Castle and Broughton Castle you get the grounds or a booked tour rather than free run of the building.