Bodiam Castle

Important notice -

The grounds, castle courtyard and shop are open. Wharf tea room and Castle view cafe are open with outdoor seating, serving hot food and drinks. Please book your visit in advance.

Archetypal 14th century moated castle with ruined interior - a glimpse of medieval splendour

Please book ahead before visiting Check availability

More about this place

Visitors walking through a garden in spring

Visiting this spring 

Our gardens, parks and countryside locations are open to visit. Shops are also open and outdoor seating is available at some cafés. Subject to government confirmation, we're planning to reopen houses in England and Wales from 17 May, and in Northern Ireland from 24 May. Advance booking for visits helps us keep everyone safe and socially distanced. When space is available, particularly on weekdays, pre-booking isn't always necessary. But to guarantee, entry please always book in advance, especially at busier times like weekends and bank holidays. Please check the property webpage before you visit and follow government guidance.

Please book ahead before visiting 

The grounds, café and Wharf tea room (takeaway only), shop, car park, castle courtyard and toilets at Bodiam are open. Due to the current restrictions we are unable to open the castle towers and rooms. We've introduced advance booking to keep everyone safe and maintain social distancing. To avoid disappointment please book your tickets by 3pm the day before your visit. Members can book for free, while non-members will need to pay when booking. We'll be releasing tickets every Friday.

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Upcoming events

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Timed entry to Bodiam Castle (3 May - 9 May)

Thu 06 May 2021
10:00-16:00
Book your timed entry to visit Bodiam Castle.
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Bodiam Castle

Things to see and do

Bodiam Castle view over the moat

Bodiam Castle Guide 

Download our new Bodiam Castle guide before your next visit. The guide shows the walking route around the exterior of the castle and the grounds, with points of interest along the way.

Visitor walking their dog in the parkland

Visiting Bodiam Castle with your dog  

Planning a day out with the dog? Dogs on short leads are welcome in the grounds around Bodiam Castle and in the Castle-view café. Find out more about where you can and can't take your dog here.

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Bodiam Castle

Eating and shopping

A slice of National Trust cake

Wharf tea-room and Castle View café at Bodiam Castle 

Planning on staying for lunch? Want to know where you can grab a quick drink or treat yourself to some homemade cake? At Bodiam Castle you can enjoy seasonal food, freshly prepared in the Wharf tea-room or the Castle View café.

The Spring Riverlands collection

Shopping at Bodiam Castle 

Visit the Castle gift shop and discover our great range of National Trust gifts, books and souvenirs. We also have some great local artisan produce and gifts.

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Bodiam Castle

Our work

Wildflower meadow

Wildflower meadows at Bodiam Castle 

We're about to start on a long term project, working with the existing grassland areas at Bodiam Castle, to create lowland grassland and wildflower meadows. Encouraging nature and wildflowers back to the castle grounds.

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Bodiam Castle

Learning

A school visit to Bodiam Castle

School visits to Bodiam Castle 

Set in the heart of an historic landscape, with spiral staircases, battlements and a portcullis, 14th century Bodiam Castle is one of Britain's most picturesque and romantic ancient monuments.

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Bodiam Castle

Wildlife

White legged damselfly

Wildlife at Bodiam Castle 

Bodiam is a great place to find a wide range of wildlife, with different habitats for animals, insects and birds. Discover some of the species living here today.

A brown long-eared bat in flight

Bats at Bodiam Castle 

Bodiam Castle hosts one of the largest bat roosts in south-east England, and is home to five species of bats. Our team works hard to monitor and protect them and at certain times of the year you can see them roosting in the castle gatehouse.

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Bodiam Castle

History

Ducks on the banks of Bodiam Castle moat Play Video
Video

An introduction to Bodiam Castle

This video usually plays in one of the tower rooms at Bodiam Castle to give you an introduction to the history of the castle. With limited access to the tower rooms due to covid restrictions, we've put it online for you to enjoy here before or after you visit.

A view across the moat to Bodiam Castle in the early morning sunshine

Bodiam Castle a brief history 

Bodiam is the quintessential English castle, an echo from distant and very different times. Discover Bodiam's past and how it came to be owned by the National Trust.

A banker's (or craftsman's) mark in the stonework at Bodiam Castle in East Sussex

Bodiam Castle's graffiti uncovered 

Discover what the many marks in the stonework at Bodiam Castle mean and who by and when they were put there.

A frosty view of Bodiam Castle

Exploring Bodiam Castle  

Discover some key features of the castle and how and what they might have been used for.

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Bodiam Castle

Art and collections

Our collections

Explore the objects and works of art we care for at Bodiam Castle on the National Trust Collections website

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© National Trust Registered Charity 205846 Heelis, Kemble Drive, Swindon SN2 2NA

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