Learning outside the classroom
School Visits
Berkeley Castle contains a wealth of information for all types of learning outside of the classroom. Whether the subject is castles, the monarchy, architecture, family history, art history, fabrics, furniture or silver – just let us know.
All visits include a Guided Tour, tailored to the age of the children. These generally take around 45 minutes to 1 hour. We really encourage schools to let us know what they are studying in advance, and we will then do our best to build your topic into our Tours. There is space for this information on the Booking Form.
A discounted rate of £7.50 per child is available for groups of 20 or more. For every 10 children 1 adult is admitted free of charge, additional adults are charged at the discounted group rate of £14.00pp.
For a small additional charge of £2.00 per child, we are also able to offer workshops from our Education Room (subject to availability). Please click on the relevant tab for further information.
Why is Berkeley Castle so special?
- The Castle is over 900 years old
- It is one of the best-preserved castles in the country
- It is still owned by the Berkeley family who originally built it
Your Visit
Our tours and workshops have been carefully designed to cater for all types of learners
- • Visual
- • Auditory
- • Reading/writing
- • Kinesthetic
Our Workshops
For Primary Schools
- • Design a stained-glass window
- • Tudor dancing
- • Kitchen garden mini beast discovery trail (teacher led)
- • Design a Coat of Arms
What to see
- • Experience the Castle’s defences, such as battlements and arrow slits
- • Enjoy a tour with a knowledgeable guide
- • Choose an educational workshop run by an experienced workshop leader (a small extra charge per child applies)
- • Explore the gardens by completing our dragon trail and castle clues riddle quiz
Find out more
If you would like us to help you plan a visit, please visit our website or contact Helen Berryman by email or phone 01453 810303.
Berkeley Castle’s Links to Events in British History
- • Berkeley Castle was originally built as a fortress shortly after the Battle of Hastings in 1066 on William the Conqueror’s orders
- • In 1327, the castle became a prison for King Edward II who later died here, most probably murdered
- • During the Tudor dynasty, the castle was owned by King Henry VII, King Henry VIII and Edward VI
- • During the English Civil War, the castle was fought over by the Royalists and Parliamentarians. It changed hands between them five times
- • Dr Edward Jenner, the father of vaccination, was a doctor at Berkeley
