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You are here: Things To Do > Highcliffe Castle

Highcliffe Castle

Rothesay Drive
Lymington Road
Highcliffe
CHRISTCHURCH
Dorset
BH23 4LE

Add Highcliffe Castle to your Itinerary

Aerial view of Highcliffe Castle
  • Aerial view of Highcliffe Castle
  • Inside Highcliffe Castle
  • Children's activities at Highcliffe Castle
  • Victorian kitchen at Highcliffe Castle
  • Highcliffe Castle beach
  • Dressing up fun at Highcliffe Castle
  • Activities at Highcliffe Castle

Website

Email

Telephone: +44 (0)1425 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 1950s. Whilst two fires destroyed the rich interiors in the 1960s, 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 1990s.

A 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.

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.

Located just 10 miles from Bournemouth and 3 miles from Christchurch, there is easy access by car, public transport, on foot or by bike. If you don't have your own bike, you can use the Beryl Bike Share scheme to visit as we have two bays in the grounds.

Opening Times

Closed Long Term
Season (1 April 2021 - 23 December 2021)
DayTimes
Monday - Thursday10:00 - 15:30
Friday - SaturdayClosed
Sunday10:00 - 15:30
Bank Holiday10:00 - 15:30
Season (1 April 2021 - 23 December 2021)
DayTimes
Monday - Thursday10:00 - 15:30
Friday - SaturdayClosed
Sunday10:00 - 15:30
Bank Holiday10:00 - 15:30

* The Castle is currently closed. The Castle grounds are open daily at 7am and currently close at 6.30pm. Entry to the grounds is free, parking charges apply.

Guide Prices

Ticket TypeTicket Tariff
Family£15.00 per ticket
Adult admission charge£7.00 per ticket
CarerFree
Children 5 - 16 years old£3.00 per ticket
Children under 5 years oldFree
Highcliffe Castle Season Ticket holdersFree
Historic Houses Association MembersFree
Season Ticket from£24.00 per ticket
Senior/Student admission charge£6.50 per ticket

The Castle is currently closed due to to Covid - 19. When open charges are as follows:
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.
For more information, go to www.highcliffecastle.co.uk/visit/faqs/

Website

Email

Telephone: +44 (0)1425 278807

facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Highcliffecastle1

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Highcliffe Castle

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Highcliffe Castle

To celebrate #LibraryShelfieDay, we're sharing one of the few photographs showing what the library used to look lik… https://t.co/o2JzwVRA0G
27 Jan 2021   14:55:54
RT @Matt_Pinner: Brrrr 🥶🥶🥶 It’s freezing this morning however what better way to kick of 2021 then to walk around @HighcliffeC 😊🥶… https://t.co/s8DEvFQrYY
1 Jan 2021   12:08:14

TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor Traveller Rating:

4 of 5 stars
659 reviews
    • Excellent
      292
    • Very Good
      226
    • Average
      84
    • Poor
      36
    • Terrible
      21

    Recent Reviews:

    • bevanloz
      Redhill, United Kingdom
      Trip Type:
      Family
      Brilliant find, gorgeous location and a fantastic helpful team!
      5 of 5 stars
      Wednesday, 7th October 2020
      Visited the area many times but had not heard of Highcliffe castle before, as we were staying down the road we thought it was worth a visit! Turned out to be an absolute gem, perfect for a visit on a... Read full review
    • AvidTraveler12
      Winchester, United Kingdom
      An Interesting Find
      5 of 5 stars
      Wednesday, 14th October 2020
      We walked from Mudeford beach, it's a gentle an approx 1 mile walk. We never made it inside the house, externally it's an impressive building with equally impressive surrounding gardens. Read full review
    • Kimberleyanneh
      Portsmouth, United Kingdom
      Trip Type:
      Friends getaway
      Lesson in History
      5 of 5 stars
      Wednesday, 4th November 2020
      A wonderful history lesson. Whilst the castle interior is sadly no longer recognisable apart from the odd feature here and there, it is still able to imagine from the photos in each room, how it... Read full review
    Write a review
    © TripAdvisor 2021

    Facilities

    Other

    • Gift Shop

    Accessibility

    • Accessible to Wheelchair Users
    • All Areas Accessible to Disabled Visitors
    • Assistance Dogs
    • Facilities for the Disabled - Level Access and lifts to all floor available.
    • Guide Dogs Permitted
    • Parking Areas for Disabled Visitors
    • Ramp/Level Access
    • Toilets for Disabled Visitors

    Attraction Facilities

    • No Dogs - Dogs permitted in the grounds on leads. Assistance dog permitted in the Castle.
    • Shop
    • Tea Rooms

    Catering

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

    Children & Infants

    • Facilities for children - special events

    COVID-19 Response

    • 2m distancing in place
    • Advance booking essential
    • Capacity limit
    • Clear signage
    • Contactless payment only
    • COVID-19 measures in place
    • COVID-19 risk assessment completed
    • COVID-19 staff training completed
    • Deep cleaning between visitors
    • Face mask essential (not provided)
    • Face masks required for staff in public areas
    • Facilities must be booked
    • Floors clearly marked for social distancing
    • Food available during COVID-19 restrictions
    • Hand sanitizer available to visitors & staff
    • Hygiene screens in place
    • Interactive displays closed
    • One way system
    • Online booking only
    • Paid stay-at-home policy for staff with symptoms
    • Queuing system
    • Regularly sanitised high-traffic areas
    • Socially distanced spaced seating
    • Staff required to regularly wash hands
    • Time limited visits

    Establishment Features

    • Available for wedding receptions - Only available for weddings adhering to current Covid restrictions.
    • Cater for groups - We are not accepting group bookings currently due to Covid restrictions.
    • Coach drop-off point
    • Dogs Accepted - On leads, in the grounds only. Assistance dogs permitted in the Castle.
    • 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 parking or valet parking
    • On-site Restaurant/Cafe - Contact on 01425 276190.
    • Picnic Area
    • Printed Material in Foreign Languages - Room information available
    • Shop
    • Tea / Coffee Shop
    • Toilets
    • Wedding Venue

    Key Features

    • Approx length of visit - Due to Covid, limited to 2 hours currently.
    • Families
    • Film or TV location
    • Groups
    • In town/city centre - 10 minutes walk from Highcliffe village.
    • Indoor Attraction
    • Max group size - Restricted to 6 people due to current Covid regulations.
    • 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
    • Booking essential - During Covid restrictions
    • Contactless payment accepted
    • Delta accepted
    • Maestro accepted
    • MasterCard accepted
    • Special group rates - Not available during current Covid restrictions.
    • TIC Staff Admitted Free
    • Visa accepted

    Tours and Demonstrations

    • Educational Visits Accepted
    • Guided Tours Available for Groups - Not available during current Covid restrictions.
    • Guided Tours Available for Individuals - Not available during current Covid restrictions.

    Travel & Trade

    • Group discounts available - Not available during current Covid restrictions.
    • Wi-fi available

    Venue Facilities

    • Beach adajacent for photography
    • Choice of marriage rooms
    • Garden/grounds available for photography
    • Groups Accepted - Not available during current Covid restrictions.
    • 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

    Email

    Telephone: +44 (0)1425 278807

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