History

With royal connections spanning a thousand years, Sudeley Castle has played an important role in the turbulent and changing times of England’s past.

Sudeley Castle remains the only private castle in England to have a queen buried within the grounds – Queen Katherine Parr, the last and surviving wife of King Henry VIII – who lived and died at Sudeley.

Henry himself, Anne Boleyn, Lady Jane Grey, Queen Elizabeth I and Richard III have all played a part in Sudeley’s story. King Charles I found refuge here during the Civil War, when his nephew Prince Rupert established headquarters at the Castle. Following its ‘slighting’ on Cromwell’s orders at the end of the Civil War, Sudeley lay neglected and derelict for nearly 200 years.

Then in 1837, Sudeley was rescued by the wealthy Worcester glove-makers, brothers John and William Dent, who began an ambitious restoration programme, which was continued by their nephew, John Coucher Dent, when he inherited the castle in 1855. His wife, Emma Brocklehurst, threw herself enthusiastically into Sudeley’s restoration, at the same time forging strong links with the nearby town of Winchcombe. It is the results of Emma’s dedication that are so evident in the gardens and exhibitions at Sudeley today.

Paranormal

Many people have seen the ghost lady especially on the stairs near the library. This castle was investigated 20 years ago. Let’s see what we can uncover and who is haunting the castle and its ruins .

Areas to investigate

The chapel
The dungeon
The grounds
The ruins
The library – no photography allowed
The stairs
The old kennels
The coach house and gallery