I’m going to get absolutely eaten apart in the comments for this one, but Birmingham has its very own castle! Forget about Warwick, Kenilworth, and Taworth castles, and I wasn’t even going to mention Dudley Castle. Because there’s a castle right within Birmingham’s boundaries, and you can visit it for free (but should you?)
Look, I get it, Weoley Castle doesn’t have the best of reputations (and that’s whether you’re talking about the neighbourhood or the fenced-off manor house it takes its name from). But that doesn’t mean we can’t and shouldn’t talk about it. Because this is Birmingham’s only castle and we should be proud of it.
When is a castle not a castle? When it’s a Wily Castle, Weoley Castle, whatever
It might not be much more than ruins now, but dating back to 1270, Weoley Castle is one of the oldest buildings still visible in Birmingham—about a hundred years older than The Old Crown. But although long called a castle, it’s probably best described as a “fortified manor house” (sorry about that).
You see, despite once having its own moat, curtain wall, towers, battlements and arrow slits (things that you and I might consider castley), it never held a keep, nor had the defensive position required to be considered one (there’s a reason no one builds castles in a valley). But that doesn’t make it any less interesting.
Weoley Castle was built as a hunting lodge by the Lords of Dudley in a once-thousand-acre deer park, the grounds stretching almost as far as the city centre. Many paid tithes to the Lords here, while a regular court was held in the Great Hall to settle disputes (again, sounds a lot like a castle to me).
The ruined castle, abandoned in the 17th century, leaves a lot to the imagination, but stand at the free-to-access viewing platform to picture life 750 years ago. The Grade II listed building is only explorable on select Fridays—for £3.50, enjoy a guided tour and discover historic treasures (unearthed in the 20th century)—while the annual Medieval Open Day is incredibly popular for its battle reenactments.
To learn more about Weoley Castle and to book your guided tours, you should head here.
