Old Wardour Castle

The romantic ruins of Old Wardour Castle form part of the sculptured landscape of the grounds of a Palladian mansion, deep within the Wiltshire countryside.

Idyllically set on the lakeside, the wistful ruins of Old Wardour Castle stand as testament to the intricately fashioned castles of the 14th Century. Old Wardour was built in 1393, not as a defensive fortress, but as a stylish home for Lord Lovel and was endowed and embellished to show off the wealth and style of its owner, and to provide lavish entertainment for his guests.

Inspired by the Chateaux of France, Old Wardour Castle was unique in England at its time of building. Built to a hexagonal plan, Old Wardour has flanking entrance towers and a small courtyard and well in the centre of the building. No expense was spared in its building, with high quality masonry and stone carvings evidenced in the remains of the North Tower, which would have contained the Lords private apartments and a small chapel. Old Wardour Castle would have been quite the dream home, if turbulent events had not brought about its demise.

By 1460, Lord Lovel’s great grandson had lost the family estate and Old Wardour Castle passed into the hands of a number of owners before the Arundell family eventually purchased it in 1570. And it is the Arundell’s who own the Palladian mansion in whose grounds the ruins of Old Wardour stands today.

Old Wardour Castle was virtually destroyed during the Civil War, when it fell victim to a four-month long siege and bombardment, leaving it in the ruinous state it is today.