Hertford Castle:
Group Visits

Hertford's historic castle is open to pre-booking group visits or as part of planned events such as the town's Funday or Medieval Night.

Hertford Castle Gatehouse is the base of the administration offices of Hertford Town Council, East Herts District Council cash offices and other organisations. Because of this, the castle is unable to be open to the public as a visitor attraction, except as part of planned events (e.g. Medieval Night, Fun Day and other Town Council-organised events). However, group visits to the castle by prior arrangement are welcomed.

Visits scheduled to take place during the week are easier to arrange, although it is possible to accommodate group visits at weekends providing sufficient notice is given, there are no other functions or events taking place at the castle, and volunteers can be found to assist with the visits.

Visit Details

Group visits up to a maximum of 15 people are usually hosted by one of Hertford Town Council's Sergeants At Mace. If there are more than 15 people, it may be possible to split the group into smaller sub-groups. Tours normally take between 1 - 1½ hours. This includes a walk around the Castle Grounds to see the Norman Walls and Motte in their riverside setting (weather permitting) and the 15th century gatehouse (including Robing Room, Library, Georgian Downshire Suite with its Salisbury Room and Mayor's Parlour, and the vault and dungeon).

Visitors may wish to conclude their visit at the Tourist Information Centre at 10 Market Place, Hertford where, during opening hours, free tourist information can be obtained and quality gifts, souvenirs, guides and maps can be purchased.

Access To The Castle

As Hertford Castle is a historic property, there is no lift. Wheelchair users can access the ground floor rooms but the first and second floors can only be accessed by wooden spiral staircases. The lower ground floor is reached by internal wooden or external stone steps. Therefore, these may be unsuitable for the elderly and infirm, or visitors who have difficulty in managing stairs. However, the entrance hall, Downshire Suite and picturesque grounds are completely accessible by wheelchair users and those with pushchairs.

Parking

Car and small mini bus parking is available by prior arrangement in the Castle grounds at the front of the building. Larger vehicles may experience difficulty in negotiating Castle Street and so would be advised to drop groups off at The Wash and return at a pre-arranged pick-up time.

Charges

Visits by educational and Charitable organisations are not normally charged a fee for weekday visits although donations to the Mayor's Charity will be gratefully received.

Commercial organisations and visits at the weekend are asked to make a minimum £30 donation.

Booking A Visit

If you wish to make a booking or require further details, please contact Hertford Information Centre on 01992 584322, email herford@eetb.info or call into the centre in person.

Every effort is made to accommodate all bookings but as Hertford Castle is a working building which hosts many events and functions, it may not always be possible to organise a full visit with less than one month's notice. Group organisers are recommended to book as far ahead as possible to avoid disappointment.

These details are correct at the time of writing but are subject to change