Supporting a wonderful 12th century castle set in glorious grounds
The Friends of Berkeley Castle
By becoming a Friend of Berkeley Castle you can assist in the repair of the building and its unique contents and help to safeguard them for the enjoyment of future generations.
Members of the Friends of Berkeley Castle are assisting Berkeley Castle Charitable Trust, which is dedicated to the ‘preservation, conservation and restoration, for the public benefit, of Berkeley Castle, its contents and its gardens’.
The Benefits of becoming a Friend of Berkeley Castle
Free admission
- • Free admission to the Castle and Gardens during normal opening hours. This does not include Castle tours or Castle special occasions and events
- • Advance booking for a programme of Friends Events such as tours, lectures, quiz nights and concerts, including the annual Friends’ Summer Party
- • The opportunity to attend Friends-only events, usually with members of the Berkeley family
- • A Friends’ newsletter, The Berkeley Buttress and occasional emails with news of events and activities
- • Complimentary ticket to Spetchley Park Gardens, Worcestershire
- • A 10% discount on many items purchased from the Castle Gift Shop
Membership categories
- Adult: £35
- Concession: £30 (full-time students & over 60)
- Joint Adult: £65 (two adults at the same address)
- Joint Concession: £55 (at the same address)
Overseas surcharge to cover postage: £6.00
Help preserve this wonderful building and its contents for future generations.
Membership runs for one year from 1st April. Friends joining after 30th September will remain members until 31st March after the next renewal date.
You can download your Friends of Berkeley Castle application below, and post it to:
The FoBC Membership Secretary,
c/o Berkeley Castle, Berkeley, Gloucestershire GL13 9BQ.
The Berkeley Buttress
Friends of Berkeley Castle Events
Details of Friends Events are included in the twice a year editions of the Berkeley Buttress, dispatched to Friends in February and in August. Prices for non-Friends are shown in brackets.
The first Buttress mailing of each year also includes membership cards and complimentary tickets to associated visitor attractions for those who pay by standing order on 14 February.
Pre-book Castle admission
The Buttress Back Issues
Previous editions of the Buttress are available to download here:
Dates for your diary
Please see the next web page FRIENDS NEWS for updates.
Information about 2024 Friends Events will be included in the Spring and Autumn editions of the Berkeley Buttress, which will include an Events application form which is also available on the link above.
Please do not apply to the FoBC Admin team for non-Friends events. Friends should pre-book online any of their free visits to the Castle.
Friends Events Autumn 2024
Project support
Friends of Berkeley Castle, founded in 2006, has funded very many projects, including:
• Conservation and cleaning of many of the significant and delicate Castle tapestries
• First aid work on many of the textiles throughout the Castle
• Cleaning and restoring many Castle paintings, including the portrait of Sir William Berkeley, Governor of Virginia in the 17th century, by court painter Sir Peter Lely
• Purchasing a reproduction chain mail coat and helmet
• Repairing the damaged Venetian lamps in the Great Hall
• Providing a new fountain for the Lily Pond, which is both decorative and functional
• New gun carriages for the Castle cannons.
• Funding the maintenance of the long case clock made by the famous clockmaker, Thomas Tompion (1639-1713).
Current projects include:
Refurbishing a set of 17th century chairs with original embroidered seat covers and fringing in the style of Daniel Marot, plus
– the tall leather screen in the Billiard Room, and also
– a pair of 18th century gilded card tables.
