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Highcliffe Castle

Rothesay Drive
Lymington Road
Highcliffe
CHRISTCHURCH
Dorset
BH23 4LE

Telephone: +44 01425 278807

About

Highcliffe Castle is not only a beautiful and historical building, but the surrounding grounds are perfect for a relaxing stroll or a family picnic on the lawns. There is direct access to both a wonderful sandy beach and the unspoilt nature reserve of nearby Steamer Point.

The Castle has been described as arguably the most important surviving house of the Romantic and Picturesque style of architecture. It is a grade 1 listed building built mainly between 1831 and 1836 by Lord Stuart de Rothesay.

The magnificent building, once lavishly furnished in the 18th century French style, remained a family home until the 1950’s. Whilst two fires destroyed the rich interiors in the 1960’s, the Castle’s renovated exterior is testimony to the remarkable skills of craftsmen and women who carried out a huge repair and conservation programme in the 1990’s.

The team of knowledgeable room hosts will bring to life the detailed history of the building and its residents, amongst whom was Harry Gordon Selfridge, who founded the London based department store Selfridges. Mr Selfridge lived in the Castle between 1916 and 1922, and is buried with his wife and mother at St Mark’s churchyard just across the road from the Castle.

Upgrade your admission ticket for just £3 and you will be able to join a tour with one of our knowledgeable volunteer guides. The tour takes you behind the scenes in areas of the Castle you will not get to see on the public route, including unrestored parts of the Castle, as well as the heritage rooms. Tours last approximately one hour.

If you have children with you, there are indoor and outdoor trails to follow, you can play dress-up in period costumes and take part in craft activities during school holidays.

You will find the The Castle Kitchen Tearooms within the grounds, which provides hot and cold drinks along with delicious snacks and homemade cakes. In summer you can sit outside and admire the castle and grounds while enjoying your meal.

Events are held throughout the year, including family-friendly shows, live music, classic car shows and more.

Located just 10 miles from Bournemouth and 3 miles from Christchurch, there is easy access by car, public transport, on foot or by bike.

Opening Times

Closed Long Term

Season (19 March 2020 - 31 May 2020)
Monday - Sunday	Closed
Bank Holiday	Closed

* Due to the Coronavirus outbreak the Castle and the Castle Kitchen tea rooms are currently closed to the public.

The Castle grounds are open daily at 7am and close at: 6.30pm – November to March, 7.30pm – April and October, 9pm – May and September and 10pm – June, July and August. Entry to the grounds is free, parking charges apply.

Guide Prices

Ticket Type	Ticket Tariff
Family	£15.00 per ticket
5 - 16 years old	£3.00 per ticket
Adult admission charge	£7.00 per ticket
Children under 5 years old	Free
Highcliffe Castle Season Ticket holders	Free
Historic Houses Association Members	Free

Entry to the grounds only is free.
Accompanied children under 5 are free.
Family tickets are for 2 adults and 2 children or 1 adult and 3 children.
Behind the Scenes Tours take place daily* at 12pm. These take in some of the unseen areas such as the wine cellar. This is an add on option at £3 for adults or £1 for children on top of the admission price.
Please be aware that car parking charges apply in addition to admission.
*Tours do not take place on Saturdays due to weddings.

Website

Telephone: +44 01425 278807

TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor Traveller Rating:

639 reviews

Excellent
277
Very Good
223
Average
83
Poor
36
Terrible
20

Recent Reviews:

Travels-with-family4
East Midlands, United Kingdom
Great family visit
Sunday, 23rd February 2020
We were staying in Highcliffe and needed something to keep us busy on a cold, windy afternoon. We walked along the beach and then up to the castle, such a lovely way to approach the castle. On... Read full review
jennytillman
Littlehampton, United Kingdom
Trip Type:
Couples
Rainy day
Monday, 24th February 2020
We last visited Highcliffe castle a few years ago, what a change we saw today. Lot of work has been done to renovate this lovely building, most rooms are now accessible. Display boards basic but very... Read full review
Paulbd47
Blandford Forum, United Kingdom
Trip Type:
Couples
Sunday day out
Sunday, 8th March 2020
Visited here. It was a bit of a strange "castle" as it wasn't really and very odd in that it's a combination of several building projects. Saw a fair bit with a guide who did their best but was not... Read full review

Write a review

Facilities

Other

Gift Shop

Accessibility

Accessible to Wheelchair Users
All Areas Accessible to Disabled Visitors
Facilities for the Disabled
Guide Dogs Permitted
Parking Areas for Disabled Visitors
Ramp/Level Access
Toilets for Disabled Visitors

Attraction Facilities

Shop
Tea Rooms

Catering

On-Site café/restaurant - Tearooms. Contact (01425) 270924
Picnic Site

Children & Infants

Facilities for children - special events

Establishment Features

Available for wedding receptions
Cater for groups
Coach drop-off point
Dogs Accepted - On leads, in the grounds only.
Event Venue - see www.highcliffecastle.co.uk/events for all event listings.
Licenced for civil marriages - see www.highcliffecastle.co.uk/weddings for comprehensive information.
On-site Restaurant/Cafe - Contact on 01425 276190.
Printed Material in Foreign Languages - Room information available
Shop
Toilets
Wedding Venue

Key Features

Approx length of visit - 03:00
Film or TV location
In town/city centre - 10 minutes walk from Highcliffe village.
Indoor Attraction
No Smoking Attraction
Of historic, literary or architectural interest - Grade 1 listed building, once the home of Lord Stuart de Rothesay.
Outdoor Attraction - Access the gardens free of charge. Direct access to Highcliffe Beach and Steamer Point Nature Reserve.
Weddings

Parking & Transport

On Bus Route - Wilts & Dorset bus X1 and X2 and Yellow bus 111 from the centre of Christchurch
On site parking - pay and display parking.
Parking (charge) - Car Parking charges apply. Maximum stay 4 hours.

Payment Methods

All major credit cards accepted - American Express cards are not accepted.
Android pay accepted
Apple pay accepted
Contactless payment accepted
Delta accepted
Maestro accepted
MasterCard accepted
Special group rates
TIC Staff Admitted Free
Visa accepted

Tours and Demonstrations

Educational Visits Accepted
Guided Tours Available for Groups - From 1st May 2019.
Guided Tours Available for Individuals - From 1st May 2019.

Travel & Trade

Group discounts available
Wi-fi available

Venue Facilities

Beach adajacent for photography
Choice of marriage rooms
Garden/grounds available for photography
Groups Accepted - Essential to pre book.
Late licence for evening receptions
Licenced for civil marriages
Sea views available for photography
Special rates for small/midweek weddings - Afternoon Tea midweek wedding packages available.
Use of cake stand and knife

Map & Directions

View Map

Road Directions

Road From A35 follow signs to Highcliffe.

Public Transport Directions

Bus: Wilts & Dorset and Yellow Buses operate services to and from Highcliffe town centre.

Rail: 15 minutess walk from Hinton Admiral Railway Station.

Air: 20 minutes drive from Bournemouth Airport.

Journey planning: Contact Traveline on 0871 200 2233 or visit their website: www.travelinesw.com to look up bus timetables. From 1st January 2019, calls cost 12p per minute plus your phone company's access charge.

Website

Telephone: +44 01425 278807

Highcliffe Castle Beach, ChristchurchA beautiful, rural, shingle and sand beach set against tree-lined cliffs.

Saturday, 13th June 2020 - Sunday, 14th June 2020

Highcliffe Food and Arts FestivalThe Highcliffe Food and Arts Festival is a two-day event run by unpaid volunteers celebrating local and regional food, drink and art and takes place in June each year.: more info

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Highcliffe Castle

About

Opening Times

Guide Prices

TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor Traveller Rating:

Recent Reviews:

Facilities

Other

Accessibility

Attraction Facilities

Catering

Children & Infants

Establishment Features

Key Features

Parking & Transport

Payment Methods

Tours and Demonstrations

Travel & Trade

Venue Facilities

Map & Directions

Road Directions

Public Transport Directions

Related

Saturday, 13th June 2020 - Sunday, 14th June 2020

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