Best Castles Near Bristol
Written by UK Hidden Gems Editorial
Updated 5 August 2026
The best castles near Bristol are Sham Castle, Chepstow Castle, Nunney Castle, St Briavels Castle, Llangybi Castle, Usk Castle, Raglan Castle and Castell Coch.
Bristol sits within easy reach of a sizeable spread of castles, and you barely need to travel far before the first one appears. Head east towards Bath and you will find Sham Castle, a folly on the hills above the city.
Cross the Severn into Monmouthshire and a cluster awaits: Chepstow on its cliff above the Wye, the sprawling ruins of Llangybi near Usk, lived-in Usk Castle itself, and the grand shell of Raglan. Turn south into Somerset for the moated keep at Nunney, or north into the Forest of Dean for St Briavels, now a youth hostel above the valley.
Push a little further west, above Cardiff, and the storybook towers of Castell Coch rise from the beech woods. Some of these sit close to the city, while others make a longer but rewarding trip in the right direction.
Whether you fancy a short stroll or a proper day out, there is plenty here for anyone who loves old stone. Here are eight castles to seek out near Bristol.
Sham Castle
Photo: Derek Harper via Geograph.org.uk
Visit Sham Castle above Bath Just east of Bristol on the hills above Bath, this eighteenth-century folly is a mock castle with nothing behind it, really a decorative screen wall built to be admired from a distance. A central pointed archway sits between round turrets and square battlemented towers set with blank windows.
Ralph Allen, the local quarry owner and postal reformer, had it raised in 1762 on Bathampton Down to improve the view from his town house below. You can reach it freely on foot, it is floodlit after dark, and it rewards the walk with wide views out over Bath from the down.
It lies close enough to make an easy trip.
Chepstow Castle
Photo: Michael Garlick via Geograph.org.uk
Explore Chepstow Castle on the Wye A short hop west across the Severn brings you to Chepstow, where the castle runs along a narrow ridge above limestone cliffs that fall straight to the River Wye in Monmouthshire. Work began here in 1067 under the Norman lord William FitzOsbern, which makes it one of the oldest stone castles still standing in Britain.
The long line of ruins threads through a series of walled enclosures and towers, and you can climb the battlements and step into Marten's Tower. Cadw cares for the site today.
Being so near Bristol, it makes a comfortable half-day out.
Nunney Castle
Photo: Michael Dibb via Geograph.org.uk
Seek out Nunney Castle in Somerset Set right in the heart of the Somerset village of Nunney, this tall, compact castle is worth the longer run south from Bristol. Its water-filled moat is fed by the village brook, and four round corner towers with conical caps stand around a rectangular keep.
One whole side has collapsed, which opens the interior to view. Sir John de la Mare was granted licence to build it in 1373.
Parliament's forces besieged and took it in 1645 during the Civil War, and the north wall finally came down on Christmas Day 1910. It is a free English Heritage site beside the church.
St Briavels Castle
Photo: Jaggery via Geograph.org.uk
Stay at St Briavels Castle A longer trip north from Bristol takes you to a spur above the Wye valley, at the western edge of the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire, where St Briavels is a Norman castle that now doubles as a youth hostel under English Heritage's care. Its boldest feature is the great twin-towered gatehouse, put up in the 1290s under Edward the First, with the bailey buildings and the line of an old moat, now a garden, around it.
Begun soon after the Norman Conquest, it became the base from which the royal Forest of Dean was run and served as a hunting lodge for King John. You can stay the night or simply visit by day.
Llangybi Castle
Photo: Philip Halling via Geograph.org.uk
Discover Llangybi Castle near Usk West of Bristol and about a mile north of Llangybi village near Usk in Monmouthshire, this large ruin, also known as Tregrug Castle, spreads across a wooded ridge. It ranks among the biggest single-enclosure castles in Britain, with a long surviving curtain wall, a twin-towered gatehouse and a tall keep called the Lord's Tower; the earlier Norman motte lies to the east.
The de Clare family raised the stone castle in the early fourteenth century, on a site older still. It stands on private land, heavily overgrown and ringed by defensive ditches and woodland, so it suits a longer look in the right direction rather than a close visit.
Usk Castle
Photo: Pauline E via Geograph.org.uk
Wander Usk Castle in Monmouthshire Just north of Usk town in Monmouthshire, this ruined medieval castle keeps its stone keep, towers, curtain walls and gatehouse, and it comes with an unusual twist: it is also a lived-in family home, with gardens laid out among the ruins. Visitors can roam the ruins and grounds, though there are steep steps, low doorways and uneven ground to manage.
The grounds open on Sunday and bank holiday afternoons through spring and summer, with a small donation asked at the gate. It sits a fair way west of Bristol, so pair it with the other Monmouthshire castles for a full day.
Raglan Castle
Photo: andy dolman via Geograph.org.uk
See the ruins of Raglan Castle Further west into Monmouthshire, Raglan is a grand late-medieval ruin built more for show and comfort than for war, and it counts among the finest castle ruins in Wales. At its heart stands the hexagonal Great Tower, the Yellow Tower of Gwent, a moated keep set apart from the rest, joined by an elaborately worked gatehouse, courtyards and the remains of a long gallery and gardens.
Sir William ap Thomas and his son began it around 1435. It held out for the king through a long Civil War siege before surrendering in 1646, after which much was pulled down.
Cadw looks after it now. The drive is longer, but the ruin repays it.
Castell Coch
Photo: John Lord via Geograph.org.uk
Step inside Castell Coch above Cardiff The furthest of the eight, above Tongwynlais north of Cardiff, Castell Coch is well worth the longer journey west from Bristol. Three round towers capped with tall, pointed conical roofs lift it out of steep beech woodland and give it a storybook look among the trees.
The Victorian architect William Burges rebuilt it from 1868 for the third Marquess of Bute, raising it on the remains of a much older medieval castle. Step inside for the painted drawing room and banqueting hall, which still carry the richly decorated scheme he designed.
FAQs
Which castle near Bristol is easiest to reach?
Sham Castle is the closest of the eight, sitting on Bathampton Down just east of Bath, around 19 km from Bristol. You can walk up to it for free, and it is floodlit at night.
Are any of these castles free to visit?
Yes. Sham Castle above Bath and Nunney Castle in Somerset are both free, the latter an English Heritage site beside the village church. Usk Castle in Monmouthshire asks only a small donation at the gate.
Can you stay overnight at any of them?
St Briavels Castle, on the edge of the Forest of Dean north of Bristol, runs as a youth hostel, so you can book a night inside a Norman castle or simply drop by to visit during the day.
Conclusion
From follies to fortresses, the countryside around Bristol holds castles for every kind of visitor. Close at hand you have Sham Castle above Bath and Chepstow on its cliff over the Wye, both an easy trip from the city.
West across the Severn, Monmouthshire gathers Llangybi, Usk and Raglan within a short run of one another, while Castell Coch waits a little beyond, above Cardiff. Head south into Somerset for the moated keep at Nunney, or north into the Forest of Dean for St Briavels and its riverside setting.
Some are free to wander, others ask a small donation or an overnight stay, and each rewards the effort of getting there. Whether you want a gentle stroll or a longer drive with a proper ruin at the end, these are the castles to seek out near Bristol.
