Near a city · The Castle Rolls
Castles near Southend-on-Sea
23 castles sit within 40 miles of Southend-on-Sea - Hadleigh's clifftop ruin is practically on the doorstep, with most of the rest, from Rochester's great Norman keep to Leeds Castle, across the estuary in Kent.
Map
Every castle on this list - 25 in total, 6 free to enter, 8 you can stay overnight in
Hadleigh Castle
Essex · 4 mi away Free entry
Photo: Chris Beach from London, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Rayleigh Mount
Essex · 5 mi away Free entry
Norman motte-and-bailey earthworks of Rayleigh Castle
Photo: Luke Cops, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Upnor Castle
Kent · 12 mi away
Elizabethan artillery fort; managed by Medway Council
Photo: Phil Pead, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Rochester Castle
Kent · 14 mi away
EH property managed day-to-day by council; also listed under English Heritage
Photo: Stephencdickson, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Whitstable Castle & Gardens
Kent · 19 mi away Free entry
Leeds Castle
Kent · 21 mi away
Maiden's Tower and B&B stays on site
Photo: Adusha, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
St Leonard's Tower
Kent · 22 mi away
Early Norman tower keep; exterior viewing
Sutton Valence Castle
Kent · 24 mi away Free entry
Photo: Ukiws, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Eynsford Castle
Kent · 24 mi away Free entry
Photo: Richard Nevell from London, United Kingdom, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Colchester Castle
Essex · 25 mi away
Largest Norman keep in Europe
Photo: George Gastin, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Lullingstone Castle
Kent · 26 mi away
World Garden; seasonal opening
Photo: Marathon, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Sissinghurst Castle Garden
Kent · 30 mi away
Elizabethan tower survives; famed Vita Sackville-West garden
Photo: HARTLEPOOLMARINA2014, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Tonbridge Castle
Kent · 31 mi away
Free grounds; ticketed gatehouse experience
Photo: Clem Rutter, Rochester Kent, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Hedingham Castle
Essex · 31 mi away
Intact Norman keep; seasonal events
Photo: Derek Voller, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Mountfitchet Castle
Essex · 33 mi away
Reconstructed Norman village on original earthworks
Photo: Acabashi, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Tower of London
Greater London · 34 mi away
Crown Jewels; Yeoman Warder tours
Photo: [Duncan] from Nottingham, UK, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Scotney Castle
Kent · 34 mi away
Moated medieval Old Castle ruin below Victorian mansion
Chiddingstone Castle
Kent · 35 mi away
Houses Denys Eyre Bower collections
Lympne Castle
Kent · 35 mi away
Built in the 1080s for the Archdeacons of Canterbury and restored 1905-12 by Sir Robert Lorimer; now a private wedding and events venue.
Photo: N Chadwick, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Hever Castle
Kent · 36 mi away
B&B in Astor Wing
Photo: Christoph Matthias Siebenborn, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Clare Castle
Suffolk · 37 mi away Free entry
Norman motte and shell-keep remains in a country park open all year
Deal Castle
Kent · 38 mi away
Henry VIII Device Fort
Photo: Lieven Smits, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Bodiam Castle
East Sussex · 38 mi away
Moated 14th-century castle; exterior intact, interior ruined
Photo: Antony McCallum, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Walmer Castle and Gardens
Kent · 38 mi away
Lord Warden's residence; two holiday lets
Photo: DeFacto, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Dover Castle
Kent · 39 mi away
Two EH holiday lets within the walls
Photo: Chensiyuan, CC BY-SA 4.0, 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 Southend-on-Sea?
This roll lists 25 visitable castles, fortresses and tower houses within 40 miles of Southend-on-Sea. Of those, 6 are free to enter and 17 charge admission. The other 2 have restricted access.
Which castles within 40 miles of Southend-on-Sea are free to visit?
6 of the 25 castles within 40 miles of Southend-on-Sea are open-access sites with no admission charge, namely Hadleigh Castle, Rayleigh Mount, Whitstable Castle & Gardens, Sutton Valence Castle, Eynsford Castle and Clare Castle.
What is the best-rated castle within 40 miles of Southend-on-Sea?
Hever Castle is among the highest-rated castles within 40 miles of Southend-on-Sea on this roll - 4.8/5 from 13,800 Google reviews.
Can you stay overnight in a castle within 40 miles of Southend-on-Sea?
Yes - 8 of the castles listed here offer overnight stays, including Leeds Castle, Sissinghurst Castle Garden, Hedingham Castle and Scotney Castle.
Can you reach any castle within 40 miles of Southend-on-Sea by train?
17 of the 25 sit within 1.5 miles of a railway station, the closest being Mountfitchet Castle (Stansted Mountfitchet, 0.1 miles), Rayleigh Mount (Rayleigh, 0.2 miles), Rochester Castle (Rochester, 0.2 miles) and Tower of London (London Fenchurch Street, 0.3 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 Southend-on-Sea?
Not all of them on the same terms. 2 of the 25 restrict what a visitor can see. Lympne Castle is a hotel, so there is no way in without booking a room or a table. At St Leonard's Tower the building itself isn't open to visitors, so you see it from the grounds or from outside.