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| Berkeley Castle | |
|---|---|
| Berkeley, Gloucestershire | |
 Berkeley Castle viewed from the southwest | |
  Berkeley Castle | |
| Coordinates | 51°41′19″N 02°27′25″W / 51.68861°N 2.45694°W grid reference ST685989 |
Listed Building – Grade I | |
| Official name | Berkeley Castle |
| Designated | 21 October 1952 |
| Reference no. | 1340692 |
Berkeley Castle (/ˈbɑːrkli/ BARK-lee; historically sometimes spelled as Berkley Castle or Barkley Castle) is a castle in the town of Berkeley, Gloucestershire, England. The castle's origins date back to the 11th century, being designated by English Heritage as a Grade I-listed building.[1]
The castle, traditionally believed to have been the scene of the murder of King Edward II in 1327,[2][3] has remained in the possession of the Berkeley family since they reconstructed it in the 12th century, except for a period of royal ownership under the Tudors.[4]
The Berkeley barony having separated from the earldom in 1882, the 8th and last Earl of Berkeley (1865–1942) bequeathed the ancestral seat[5] to his 13th cousin, Captain Robert Berkeley, of Spetchley Park, Worcestershire (1898–1969), whose grandson, Charles Berkeley (born 1968),[6] High Sheriff of Gloucestershire for 2019/20,[7] inherited the castle and estate from his father, Major John Berkeley (1931–2017).[8][9]
Since 1956, Berkeley Castle has been open to visitors (for a fee) and remains open from April to November (in 2023) on certain days of the week. The property has also been available for rent for private events.[10]
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GuardianSumptionwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ According to an article by James Lees-Milne in the 18th edition of Burke's Landed Gentry, Volume 1 (1965).
- ^ www.berkeley-castle.com
- ^ www.burkespeerage.com
- ^ www.highsheriffofgloucestershire.org.uk
- ^ www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk
- ^ "Head of historic Gloucestershire family and owner of Berkeley Castle John Berkeley dies". Gloucestershire Live. 17 November 2017. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
- ^ "Berkeley Castle is open from Sunday to Wednesday every week from 2nd April to 5th November". Retrieved 7 October 2023.