Richmond Castle
📍 Tower St., Richmond DL10 4QW, UK
About Richmond Castle
Perched majestically above the River Swale, Richmond Castle is one of England's best-preserved early Norman castles, offering a captivating journey through history. This impressive attraction is a popular choice for visitors, boasting an excellent Google rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars from over 2,900 reviews.
Visitors can explore the castle's robust architecture and discover its rich past, from its role in guarding the northern reaches of England to its use as a conscientious objector prison during WWI. The castle boasts spectacular views over the surrounding Yorkshire Dales, providing a breathtaking backdrop for your visit. Delve into the interactive history exhibition to uncover fascinating stories and explore the tranquil 'cockpit' garden, a secluded oasis within the ancient walls.
Reviews frequently highlight the castle as a fantastic destination for all ages, perfect for a memorable family day out. Guests often praise the informative experience, whether from guides or the engaging exhibits, and enjoy strolling through the historic grounds. Many appreciate the chance to explore the ancient brickwork and immerse themselves in the site's rich heritage, even finding trails and activities for younger explorers.
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📍 Tower St., Richmond DL10 4QW, UK
from 2,904 reviews
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Showing 5 of 2,904 reviews from Google Maps.Last updated 5 February 2026.View all on Google →
The guide was very informative and interesting. The views from the castle are brilliant even on a cloudy day. Climbing to the top is fairly easy even though there are lots of steps. They are steep though which makes it quite manageable. All in all it’s a lovely way to spend a few hours. Great views and history.
Great place for the whole family to visit. For those not so fit, the grounds are lovely to stroll round, letting you walk through history, with plenty of information available and places to sit down to take in the views. If you have good shoes on, the inside of the castle is very worth the climb! Each set of steps takes you to a new room, level and adventure. You can imagine yourself hauling water up as a servant or wafting round the halls like a lord or lady. Once at the top, the views are stunning, make sure you have your camera!
Nice castle with good views and picnic areas. Parking is limited in the nearby town. Castle is in the centre of Ripon so we had a walk around the town as well on our visit.
Today me and Star had a great time at Richmond Castle exploring all the brickwork and completing the folklore trail too. We had such great first time visit in celebrating Stars pre-3rd birthday, we used our English Heritage membership to get in for free. We also had a look round the Richmond town too. Star loved the open field area and the garden they had too in the castle.
As a family we love visiting historical sites, this is a great one, some breathtaking views of the scenery around some of which you don't have to go to the highest heights to see. We even took our dogs in who seemed to enjoy visit as much as we did. But they are lovely doggos. We have English Heritage membership, which meant it's free to enter. Can't recommend that enough if your in to going historical sites, the three sites we visited in our week away meant the yearly family membership was back into the positive for us. Plenty of the year left to keep going elsewhere.