← Back✦ Historic site

Grimsbury Castle - Main fortifications

WildlifeBirdsHeritage

Dogs welcome

Getting here

51.44656, -1.26368

Open directionsv

Google Maps↗Driving directions Apple Maps↗Driving directions Waze↗Live driving navigation Google Transit↗Bus, rail or tram Apple Transit↗Bus, rail or tram

Visiting this summer

Seasonal nature notes and what to look for now

🌞Midsummer — early morning visits most comfortable; look for deer fawns in quieter clearings
✦Historic character is a year-round quality here — summer brings its own atmosphere to the setting
🐕Dogs welcome — bring water in summer; the site has enough space to find shade on hot days

🌤️ Visiting this summer

🌞Midsummer — early morning visits most comfortable; look for deer fawns in quieter clearings
✦Historic character is a year-round quality here — summer brings its own atmosphere to the setting
🐕Dogs welcome — bring water in summer; the site has enough space to find shade on hot days

Good to know

🐕Dogs welcome

Parking

Best for

5 activities

Wildlife

Very strong match

Multi-group wildlife — Amphibians, Birds, Mammals; Multi-group wildlife — Amphibians, Birds, Mammals

Free

Bird watching

Very strong match

Birds — Robin, Blue Tit, Woodpigeon +53 more · last seen 2026; Birds — Robin, Blue Tit, Woodpigeon +53 more · last seen 2026

Free

Heritage

Strong match

Historic site

Free

Insect spotting

Good match

Insects — Drab Looper, Maple Dot, Norway Maple Leaf-miner +16 more · last seen 2025; Insects — Drab Looper, Maple Dot, Norway Maple Leaf-miner +16 more · last seen 2025

Free

Foraging

Good match

Deciduous woodland — fungi, berries and wild garlic

Varies

Trails nearby

Within roughly 5 km

🚶

Walking

3 signed routes nearby

Signed route nearby

The Roman WayWalking route274.5 km

Named routeLength 274.5 kmRegional walking route

Lambourn Valley WayWalking route

Named routeLocal walking route

Kennet and Avon Canal TrailWalking route140 km

Rivers linked by a canal. The name refers to the entire navigable length. From Bristol the way is the Avon. The canal is from Bath to Newbury. From there to Reading the way is the Kennet. 53 locks to Summit Pound (150 m asl) and 54 down to Reading.

Named routeRef K&ALength 140 kmRegional walking route

🚴

Cycling

30 signed routes nearby

Signed route nearby

National Cycle Network Route 4Cycling route

Named routeRef 4National Cycle Network

Route 4Cycling route

Named routeRef 4National Cycle Network

Eling WayCycling route

Named routeLocal cycle route

EuroVelo 2 - Capitals Route - part United Kingdom 4Cycling route

Named routeRef EV2International cycle route

Route 422Cycling route

Named routeRef 422National Cycle Network

Main RouteCycling route96 m

Named routeRef 4Length 96 mNational Cycle NetworkTraffic-freeSurface other

🐴

Horse riding

2 public paths nearby

Public paths

Fence Lanerestricted byway · 535 m

Public pathrestricted bywayLength 535 mPath type: track

Wildlife to spot

8,301 records · National Biodiversity Network

Wildlife to spot

8,301 records · National Biodiversity Network

🐦

Birds42 species

springautumnwinter

2026

Robin · Blue Tit · Woodpigeon · Wren · Nuthatch +37

RobinErithacus rubecula
Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus
WoodpigeonColumba palumbus
WrenTroglodytes troglodytes
NuthatchSitta europaea
BlackbirdTurdus merula
Great TitParus major
Coal TitPeriparus ater
ChaffinchFringilla coelebs
JayGarrulus glandarius
GoldcrestRegulus regulus
Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major
Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus
RookCorvus frugilegus2025
DunnockPrunella modularis2025
JackdawColoeus monedula2025
RavenCorvus corax2025
Song ThrushTurdus philomelos2025
Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto2025
MagpiePica pica2025
Carrion CrowCorvus corone2025
TreecreeperCerthia familiaris2025
StarlingSturnus vulgaris2025
House SparrowPasser domesticus2025
FirecrestRegulus ignicapilla2025
Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorus2025
GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis2025
BlackcapSylvia atricapilla2025
Green WoodpeckerPicus viridis2025
ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita2025
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus2025
Grey HeronArdea cinerea2025
Lesser RedpollAcanthis flammea cabaret2025
Stock DoveColumba oenas2025
PheasantPhasianus colchicus2025
BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhula2025
Mute SwanCygnus olor2025
MoorhenGallinula chloropus2025
SwallowHirundo rustica2025
House MartinDelichon urbicum2025
MallardAnas platyrhynchos2025
Canada GooseBranta canadensis2025

🦌

Mammals1 species

winter

2026

Grey Squirrel

Grey SquirrelSciurus carolinensis

🐝

Insects6 species

autumn

2025

Maple Dot · Norway Maple Leaf-miner · Hawthorn Leaf-miner · Birch Parornix · Common Birch Leaf-miner +1

Maple DotStigmella aceris
Norway Maple Leaf-minerPhyllonorycter joannisi
Hawthorn Leaf-minerPhyllonorycter corylifoliella
Birch ParornixParornix betulae
Common Birch Leaf-minerPhyllonorycter ulmifoliella
Speckled Bush-cricketLeptophyes punctatissima

Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas

Wildlife to spot

8,301 records · National Biodiversity Network

🐦

Birds42 species

springautumnwinter

2026

Robin · Blue Tit · Woodpigeon · Wren · Nuthatch +37

RobinErithacus rubecula
Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus
WoodpigeonColumba palumbus
WrenTroglodytes troglodytes
NuthatchSitta europaea
BlackbirdTurdus merula
Great TitParus major
Coal TitPeriparus ater
ChaffinchFringilla coelebs
JayGarrulus glandarius
GoldcrestRegulus regulus
Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major
Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus
RookCorvus frugilegus2025
DunnockPrunella modularis2025
JackdawColoeus monedula2025
RavenCorvus corax2025
Song ThrushTurdus philomelos2025
Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto2025
MagpiePica pica2025
Carrion CrowCorvus corone2025
TreecreeperCerthia familiaris2025
StarlingSturnus vulgaris2025
House SparrowPasser domesticus2025
FirecrestRegulus ignicapilla2025
Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorus2025
GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis2025
BlackcapSylvia atricapilla2025
Green WoodpeckerPicus viridis2025
ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita2025
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus2025
Grey HeronArdea cinerea2025
Lesser RedpollAcanthis flammea cabaret2025
Stock DoveColumba oenas2025
PheasantPhasianus colchicus2025
BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhula2025
Mute SwanCygnus olor2025
MoorhenGallinula chloropus2025
SwallowHirundo rustica2025
House MartinDelichon urbicum2025
MallardAnas platyrhynchos2025
Canada GooseBranta canadensis2025

🦌

Mammals1 species

winter

2026

Grey Squirrel

Grey SquirrelSciurus carolinensis

🐝

Insects6 species

autumn

2025

Maple Dot · Norway Maple Leaf-miner · Hawthorn Leaf-miner · Birch Parornix · Common Birch Leaf-miner +1

Maple DotStigmella aceris
Norway Maple Leaf-minerPhyllonorycter joannisi
Hawthorn Leaf-minerPhyllonorycter corylifoliella
Birch ParornixParornix betulae
Common Birch Leaf-minerPhyllonorycter ulmifoliella
Speckled Bush-cricketLeptophyes punctatissima

Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas

Wildlife to spot

Photos

📷 Graham Horn · Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0

Grimsbury Castle

1 / 22

Events & activities nearby

Switch provider to compare local events, tours and bookable activities.

Bookable tours

Weather for this location

Next 14 days

Loading local forecast…

Nearby places

Useful places within 5 km

🐄Bucklebury Farm ParkVisitor farm4.5 km→🌱Turnfields ParkUrban park4.9 km→🐄Guinea Pig VillageVisitor farm4.5 km→🌱Dunstan GreenUrban park4.7 km→🌱Dunstan GreenUrban park4.7 km→🌱Cold Ash Recreation GroundUrban park2 km→

Own or manage this place?

Claim this listing to keep details accurate, add photos, and highlight what makes it special — free.

Claim this page

How was your visit?

How useful was the information on this page?

id: ddd29e8e-213f-435f-a74a-3ad1250421a3