Set against the beautiful backdrop of Cotswold Hills, Sudeley Castle is steeped in history. With royal connections spanning a thousand years, it has played an important role in the turbulent and changing times of England’s past.

The Castle was once home to Queen Katherine Parr, following her marriage to Sir Thomas Seymour, and Lady Jane Grey. Henry VIII, King Charles I, Anne Boleyn and Queen Elizabeth I all visited Sudeley. 

Following its destruction by Cromwell’s troops, Sudeley lay neglected and derelict for two hundred years. In 1837, Sudeley was bought by John and William Dent, of the Worcestershire glove making company of that name who began an ambitious restoration program.

Today, Sudeley is the home of Lord and Lady Ashcombe and the Dent-Brocklehurst family. They are dedicated to its continued restoration and the regeneration of the gardens, with particular emphasis on conservation and sustainability.

Surrounding the Castle are the magnificent gardens which won the HHA Christies Garden of the Year award in 1996. Sudeley’s gardens delight visitors throughout the seasons. Spring highlights include the myriad of tulips which transform the White Garden while the Secret Garden uses the protection of the walls and yew hedges to create a semi-tender Mediterranean style planting.

All fourteen acres of gardens are managed using organic principles. Dedicated areas of wild planting complement the formal gardens and a Heritage Seed Library Garden, laid out as a Victorian Kitchen Garden, works in conjunction with the Henry Doubleday Research Association to help preserve rare and traditional varieties of vegetable.