Photo: Broughton Castle by David Stowell, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Broughton Castle is a Grade I listed castle in Oxfordshire, and a member of Historic Houses. Read about its history, architecture and gardens, plus how to visit and what's nearby.
About Broughton Castle
Broughton Castle is a moated manor house near Banbury in North Oxfordshire, built from local Hornton ironstone with a warm, rust-coloured tone.
The core dates from 1306, though most of what visitors see today was rebuilt in the 1550s.
It stands on an artificial island surrounded by a wide moat, reached over a small bridge that also leads to the parish church of St Mary the Virgin.
The castle opens to the public on Wednesdays, Sundays and Bank Holiday Mondays between April and September.
History of Broughton Castle
The gatehouse was added in the early fifteenth century, and the castle became a centre of opposition to Charles I during the Civil War, suffering damage after the Battle of Edgehill in 1642. The Fiennes family, Barons Saye and Sele, have held the castle since 1448, when Sir William Fiennes married Margaret Wykeham. It remains home to Martin Fiennes, the 22nd Lord Saye and Sele, and his family.
Architecture of Broughton Castle
Built of Hornton ironstone, the castle combines its fourteenth-century core with a fifteenth-century gatehouse and extensive Tudor remodelling carried out in the 1550s. It is a Grade I listed building.
Worth knowing
Broughton Castle is a regular filming location, having been used for feature films, television dramas and commercials as well as fashion shoots. The writer Simon Jenkins gave it five stars, one of only twenty houses to receive that rating in his book England's Thousand Best Houses.
Gardens & grounds at Broughton Castle
The castle stands in open parkland with a moat that entirely surrounds it, and its walled gardens can be seen on a self-guided route through the grounds.
Facilities
Plan your visit to Broughton Castle
Nearest station: Banbury Rail Station (3 miles)
Places to visit near Broughton Castle
Deddington Castle
View Deddington Castle on heritage mapUpton House
View Upton House on heritage mapSt John the Baptist's Church, Avon Dassett
View St John the Baptist's Church, Avon Dassett on heritage mapRollright Stones
View Rollright Stones on heritage mapSulgrave Manor
View Sulgrave Manor on heritage mapHistoric places nearby
Within 10 miles of Broughton Castle there are 6 historic properties, including 2 historic buildings and 2 historic houses, across English Heritage, Historic Houses and Churches Conservation Trust sites.
Within 20 miles of Broughton Castle there are 21 historic properties, including 7 historic houses, 6 historic buildings and 2 gardens, across Historic Houses, National Trust and English Heritage sites.
Facts
A working family home held by the same barons since 1448, still moated and still lived in.
- Type
- castle
- Location
- Oxfordshire, England
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