Highcliffe Castle
South Coast
Highcliffe

From the outside the Castle looks like a perfectly preserved building.

But when you step inside you will discover how this wonderful building has survived two major fires, and learn about the extensive restoration work which has taken place, enabling you to walk through and explore three floors of fascinating history.

The Castle has been described as arguably the most important surviving house of the Romantic and Picturesque style of architecture. It is a grade 1 listed building built mainly between 1831 and 1836 by Lord Stuart de Rothesay.

The magnificent building, once lavishly furnished in the 18th century French style, remained a family home until the 1950s. Whilst two fires destroyed the rich interiors in the 1960s, the Castle’s renovated exterior is testimony to the remarkable skills of craftsmen and women who carried out a huge repair and conservation programme in the 1990s. A recent renovation of the East Wing has opened up an even larger area for visitors to enjoy

A team of knowledgeable room hosts will bring to life the detailed history of the building and its residents, amongst whom was Harry Gordon Selfridge, who founded the London based department store Selfridges. Mr Selfridge lived in the Castle between 1916 and 1922, and is buried with his wife and mother at St Mark’s churchyard just across the road from the Castle.

The surrounding grounds are perfect for a relaxing stroll or a family picnic on the lawns. There is direct access to both a wonderful sandy beach and the unspoilt nature reserve of nearby Steamer Point.

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