Berkeley Castle is situated on the edge of Berkeley town, on the S bank of the Severn, approx. 15 m N of Bristol.
The castle features a Norman keep, a medieval buttery and kitchens, and Elizabethan terraced gardens and lawns.
The entry to the castle is 11 feet across and cuts underneath the residential apartments. There is only one small gate house which is found in the small outer ward.
The courtyard is an open, central, quadrangular space which faces the hall, chapel, residential chambers and offices.
The chapel abutted the hall on the south west side and is dedicated to St. Mary. It appears to have been either built or reconstructed in the 12th c. Converted to a morning room 1923
The kitchen and the buttery are found on the other side of the hall. They were both reconstructed in the 14th c. The kitchen is connected to the great hall by way of a screens passage with three Berkeley Arches.
Berkeley Castle is owned and operated by Mr. and Mrs. R.J.G. Berkeley. Accessible to public
1117 Roger de Berkeley began building of the Castle, which was completed by this son, Roger, who was deprived of the Castle ca. 1152. [CP]
1153 or 1154 Castle granted to Robert Fitz Harding. His son Maurice took the surname de Berkeley, and enlarged the Castle. [CP]
1310 Maurice, 2nd Baron Berkeley (d 1326) reconstructed the caput by pulling down all earlier buildings against the courtyard wall. They were replaced by a range of apartments which spanned the courtyard between the opposing sides of the shell keep. The new range encompassed lodgings, offices, kitchen, hall, chapel and private apartments.
1340--50 Thomas, Baron Berkeley completely remodelled the interior, although evidence of this only remains in the inner bailey.
1417 inheritance of castle disputed between Berkeley and Beauchamp families.
1491 William, Baron Berkely bequeathed castle and estates to Henry VII and his successors heirs male
1553-1609 Dispute over ownership of the castle was renewed by both the Beauchamp and Talbot families in a sequence of inheritance disputes with the Berkeleys. Henry, Baron Berkeley (1534-1613) resided at Caludon, Warks.
1609 dispute over castle resolved in favour of the Berkeleys.
1645 Castle besieged by Cromwell's troops.
| Name | Dates | Titles |
|---|---|---|
| Berkeley, Thomas de | 1353-1417 | 5th Baron , Lord |
