Near a city · The Castle Rolls
Castles near Liverpool
16 castles are within 40 miles of Liverpool, though most of the notable ones - Conwy, Flint, Chester - sit across the Welsh border rather than in Merseyside itself.
Map
Every castle on this list - 17 in total, 6 free to enter, 6 you can stay overnight in
Flint Castle
Flintshire · 12 mi away Free entry
First of Edward I's Welsh castles; detached great tower; free
Photo: Gary Bealr, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Halton Castle
Cheshire · 13 mi away
Open days; grounds access via pub
Photo: Rept0n1x, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Ewloe Castle
Flintshire · 15 mi away Free entry
Hidden Welsh castle in woodland; 500m walk across farmland; free
Photo: Rept0n1x, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Chester Castle: Agricola Tower and Castle Walls
Cheshire · 16 mi away Free entry
Free; volunteer-run weekend openings April to October
Photo: Richard Nevell from London, United Kingdom, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Caergwrle Castle
Flintshire · 21 mi away Free entry
Hilltop castle of Dafydd ap Gruffudd; recent Cadw guardianship; free
Photo: Rept0n1x, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Rhuddlan Castle
Denbighshire · 21 mi away
Edward I diamond-plan castle beside canalised River Clwyd; seasonal opening
Photo: Julie Anne Workman, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Beeston Castle
Cheshire · 23 mi away
Crag-top ruin with woodland park
Photo: TCExplorer, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Bodelwyddan Castle
Denbighshire · 23 mi away
Museum closed 2019; Warner bought castle 2021, adults-only hotel
Peckforton Castle
Cheshire · 23 mi away
Full-scale Victorian castle hotel
Photo: Bs0u10e01, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Denbigh Castle
Denbighshire · 24 mi away
Hilltop castle with triple-towered gatehouse and town walls
Photo: Errol Edwards, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Ruthin Castle
Denbighshire · 24 mi away
Hotel and spa amid genuine medieval ruins
Photo: Rosser1954, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Gwrych Castle
Conwy · 27 mi away
19th-century Gothic Revival mansion under active restoration since 2018; filming location for I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!
Photo: Gwrychcastle, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Castell Dinas Bran
Denbighshire · 30 mi away Free entry
Hilltop ruin above Llangollen; free, steep walk
Photo: Simon Harrod, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Chirk Castle
Wrexham · 33 mi away
Edwardian-era marcher fortress, inhabited 700 years
Conwy Castle
Conwy · 36 mi away
World Heritage Site; eight-towered Edwardian castle with town walls
Photo: Andrew Woodvine, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Whittington Castle
Shropshire · 37 mi away Free entry
Community-managed moated gatehouse ruin
Photo: Jeffpmcdonald, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Gwydir Castle
Conwy · 38 mi away
Self-guided visits Wed/Fri/Sun in season; two B&B rooms
Photo: Hogyn Lleol, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
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 Liverpool?
This roll lists 17 visitable castles, fortresses and tower houses within 40 miles of Liverpool. Of those, 6 are free to enter and 7 charge admission. The other 4 have restricted access.
Which castles within 40 miles of Liverpool are free to visit?
6 of the 17 castles within 40 miles of Liverpool are open-access sites with no admission charge, namely Flint Castle, Ewloe Castle, Chester Castle: Agricola Tower and Castle Walls, Caergwrle Castle, Castell Dinas Bran and Whittington Castle.
What is the best-rated castle within 40 miles of Liverpool?
Castell Dinas Bran is among the highest-rated castles within 40 miles of Liverpool on this roll - 4.8/5 from 1,349 Google reviews.
Can you stay overnight in a castle within 40 miles of Liverpool?
Yes - 6 of the castles listed here offer overnight stays, including Bodelwyddan Castle, Peckforton Castle, Ruthin Castle and Gwrych Castle.
Can you reach any castle within 40 miles of Liverpool by train?
9 of the 17 sit within 1.5 miles of a railway station, the closest being Caergwrle Castle (Caergwrle, 0.2 miles), Flint Castle (Flint, 0.2 miles), Conwy Castle (Conwy, 0.2 miles) and Gwydir Castle (Llanrwst, 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 Liverpool?
Not all of them on the same terms. 4 of the 17 restrict what a visitor can see. Bodelwyddan Castle, Peckforton Castle and Ruthin Castle are hotels, so there is no way in without booking a room or a table. At Halton Castle you get the grounds or a booked tour rather than free run of the building.