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Amberley Castle
Amberley, West Sussex, United Kingdom · Independent · High Luxury
Originally established as a timber-framed hunting lodge in 1103 by the Bishop of Chichester, Amberley Castle was rebuilt in stone in 1140 and heavily fortified with its signature curtain walls and gatehouse in 1377. The castle served as a royalist stronghold during the English Civil War until it was partially slighted by Cromwell's forces; it was later restored as a manor house and eventually converted into a luxury hotel in 1989.
- 19 rooms
- Opened 1988
About Amberley Castle
- The land was granted to the See of Selsey by King Caedwalla of Wessex around AD 683, and Bishop William Reade fortified it with a gatehouse and portcullis in 1377.
- Henry VIII visited in 1526 seeking advice on annulling his marriage to Catherine of Aragon, and the castle's portcullis is still lowered every night.
- The castle became a country-house hotel in 1988 after passing through several private owners, including the Emmet family in 1926 and Hollis Baker in 1982.
History
King Cædwalla of Wessex granted the Amberley land to the See of Selsey in the late seventh century; after the Norman Conquest it passed with the bishopric to Chichester. Bishop Ralph de Luffa built a timber hunting lodge in 1103 and the parish church next door. Bishop Seffrid I replaced the lodge with a stone hall in 1140; the Norman doorway still opens in reception. Seffrid II added the East Wing around 1200. Bishop John Langton raised a larger Great Hall between 1305 and 1337, when the house was called the Bishop of Chichester's Summer Palace.
Bishop William Reade rebuilt the Great Hall again, then in 1377, at the start of the Hundred Years' War, obtained a licence to crenellate from Richard II (granted 10 December 1377). Between 1377 and 1382 he added curtain walls up to 40 feet, a twin-towered gatehouse, portcullis, and oubliette. In 1526 Henry VIII visited Bishop Robert Sherborne to sound out an annulment from Catherine of Aragon. Sherborne, who died in 1536, was the last bishop to live here; afterwards the castle was leased.
In the Civil War a Royalist tenant brought General William Waller's Parliamentary attack. The Great Hall was destroyed and about 20 feet taken off the walls. Parliament sold the ruin to cloth merchant John Butler for £3,341 14s 4d; he made a manor house from the wreck. After the Restoration in 1660 the see recovered the freehold, Charles II visited, and the Butlers remained as tenants. Twentieth-century private owners included the Emmets from 1926 and Hollis Baker from 1982. The castle became a country-house hotel in 1988-89, joined Relais & Châteaux in 2004, and became part of Andrew Brownsword Hotels' Gidleigh Collection in 2011. The portcullis is still lowered at night.
The setting
16-minute walk to Amberley Museum & Heritage Centre. 3.3 miles from Parham House.
Experiences
- Private dining — Private dining in intimate and grand rooms, including the Green Room and the Great Room, serving contemporary British cuisine made from finest local produce.
Amenities
- Award-winning fine dining in the 12th-century Queen's Room and Great Room
- 12 acres of formal gardens featuring a koi pond and resident peacocks
- 18-hole putting course and professional-standard grass tennis courts
- Working medieval portcullis and 60-foot high curtain walls
- Traditional garden games including croquet, giant lawn snakes and ladders, and putting
- Luxury accommodations featuring four-poster beds and whirlpool baths
- Pet-friendly
Awards
- MICHELIN One Key (2026)
- AA Four Red Stars (2025)
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