Castles Today
Castles have survived for over 1,000 years and will, hopefully, be around for another millennium.
Although they no longer have military uses they have adapted to changing requirements by opening up to the public in a way that their original builders had never imagined.
Some medieval castles are still in their original family; many are owned by charities or by the government and somec castles are just a plaything for wealthy people!
Today there are many medieval castles which are well preserved and lived in by their owners. However, the maintenance of these castles places a heavy financial burden on their owners whether they be private families or organisations such as English Heritage or the National Trust (in Britain). Castles today therefore have to look to where they can generate the monies required for the upkeep of their buildings and grounds and they do this in a variety of ways ....
- Some castles open their doors for public visits and castle tours during select times of year.
- Some castles have opted to become castle hotels, opening their doors to discerning guests looking for luxury accommodation in a historic setting.
- Some castles stage special events for the public such as music concerts, theatre productions, steam engine rallies, craft fairs, medieval fairs.
- Some castles are even available for hire as wedding venues or corporate venues .
- Some castles enjoy the privilege of extra income from photographic shoots and being used as historic film locations for movies and television.
If it were not for these extra sources of revenue, some of the most magnificent castles in the world would have otherwise fallen into disrepair. It is therefore with enthusiasm that we lend our support to the idea of medieval castles being used for a broad spectrum of activities such as ......
Medieval castles currently operating as castle hotels
Medieval castles for hire as wedding venues
Medieval castles for hire for as corporate venues
Medieval castles for hire as historic film locations
Medieval castles currently offering special events open to the public
There is such a wealth of castles to visit that castle tours are very popular today and for those dreaming of owning a castle, there are always a few castles for sale.
We also join the debate as to which are the greatest medieval castles. Indeed, we have our own list of the greatest medieval castles in Britain & Ireland and greatest castles in Europe.