Walk through 400 years of history and discover the “Great stories of Sherborne Castle”. See Nationally important collections of art, porcelain and furniture. History will come alive for you.
Visitors from all over the world have been attracted to its outstanding collections of art and furniture, connection to Sir Walter Raleigh and to admire Capability Brown’s landscape. Sherborne Castle remains the family home of the Wingfield Digby Family.
Sherborne in Dorset has had a castle since the 12th Century. Roger Bishop of Salisbury built a castle to the east of the Town to administer the western part of his large diocese.
In early Tudor times the Bishops built a small Hunting Lodge in the deer park attached to the Old Castle from which to observe the chase.
Sir Walter Raleigh acquired the Old Castle in 1592.
At first he tried to modernise it, but then he built a new house in 1594 in the deer park. It was on the site of the Hunting Lodge which he incorporated into the foundations. His house was rectangular and four storeys high, with large square-headed windows filled with diamond pane glass.
In 1600 he added hexagonal turrets to the four corners of his house, topped with heraldic beasts. The house was rendered from the outset, in the latest fashion.
In 1617 the diplomat Sir John Digby acquired Sherborne Castle and he added four wings to Raleigh’s building, giving the house its present H-shape. He copied the style adopted by Raleigh, of square-headed windows, and balustraded roofs with heraldic beasts, and added hexagonal turrets at the end of each wing, so the house looks of one piece.
In the Civil War the Digbys fought for the Royalist cause and the Old Castle was garrisoned and suffered two sieges.
After the second siege in 1645 Col Fairfax and his Parliamentarian army systematically demolished the Old Castle. Thus the name ‘Sherborne Castle’ came to be applied to the new house in the park.
William of Orange visits the Castle during the Glorious Revolution and issues a proclamation here declaring himself King of England.
In the eighteenth century later generations of the Digby family modernised the Tudor house, adding Georgian sash windows, panelled doors and white marble fireplaces and filling the house with fine furniture.
Capability Brown returns to landscape the grounds.
In 1787 an extension was added to the west side of the house which provided more bedrooms and improved staff accommodation and kitchens.
In 1969, Sherborne Castle opened its doors to the general public.
Gardens: 3rd April 2025
Castle: 2nd May 2025
* Castle and Gardens tickets need to be purchased 48 hours before entry to qualify for the 10% discount, after that normal price.
