Plan your visit
Getting here
50.94612, -2.48690
About Sherborne Castle
Sherborne Castle is a 16th-century Tudor mansion southeast of Sherborne in Dorset, England, within the parish of Castleton. Originally built by Sir Walter Raleigh as Sherborne Lodge, and extended in the 1620s, it stands in a 1,200-acre (490 ha) park which formed a small part of the 15,000-acre (61 km2) Digby estate. Within the grounds lie the ruins of the 12th-century Sherborne Old Castle, now in the care of English Heritage.
Read more on Wikipedia →Visiting this summer
Seasonal nature notes and what to look for now
Visiting this summer
Seasonal nature notes and what to look for now
- 🐦84+ species recorded in this area — summer evenings are best for activity; watch for Herring Gull and Woodpigeon
- ✦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
- 🐦84+ species recorded in this area — summer evenings are best for activity; watch for Herring Gull and Woodpigeon
- ✦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
Best for
Bird watching
Very strong match
Birds — Herring Gull, Woodpigeon, Wren +81 more · last seen 2025; Deciduous woodland — woodpeckers, warblers and woodland birds
Heritage
Very strong match
Grade I listed building: SHERBORNE OLD CASTLE; Historic site with public access
Wildlife
Strong match
Birds — Herring Gull, Woodpigeon, Wren +81 more · last seen 2025; Deciduous woodland priority habitat
Insect spotting
Strong match
Insects — Marmalade Hoverfly, 7-spot Ladybird, Syrphus +16 more · last seen 2026; Traditional orchard — specialist orchard insects and lichens
Foraging
Strong match
Traditional orchard — seasonal fruit, fungi and wild plants
Dog walks
Good match
Dogs allowed with public access
Trails nearby
Within roughly 5 km🚶Walking
2 signed routes nearby · 44 public paths nearby
Signed route nearbyPublic paths
Walking
Monarch's WayWalking route990 km
approximate route of Charles II's escape
Macmillan WayWalking route290 km
Miller Waypublic footpath · 50 m
Church Lanepublic footpath · 32 m
Lush Pathpublic footpath · 65 m
🚴Cycling
21 signed routes nearby
Signed route nearby
Cycling
Route 26Cycling route
National BywayCycling route
National Byway (Somerset Loop)Cycling route
Route 30Cycling route
Main RouteCycling route373 m
Main RouteCycling route143 m
🐴Horse riding
8 public paths nearby
Public paths
Horse riding
No named routes yet. Public paths are shown on the map.
Wildlife to spot
Photos
Weather for this location
Loading local forecast…
Nearby places
Useful places within 5 km