EASTNOR CASTLE
HX Suggested Reasons to Visit
Take in the surrounding views of the Malvern Hills National Landscape, marvel at the breathtaking Gothic architecture, and lose yourself in the Knights Maze.
About
Eastnor Castle is a proper fairytale castle, with battlements and suits of armour. The house was built by John Somers Cocks, 2nd Baron Somers and the architect Robert Smirke, later designer of the British Museum, between 1810 and 1824. The idea was to build a castle that gave the impression of a medieval fortress guarding the Welsh borders, an assertion of power by Lord Somers in the wake of the French Revolution. In the first 18 months of the build, 4,000 tons of stone, 16,000 tons of mortar, and 600 tons of wood were used for Eastnor.
In 1849, another John Somers Cocks, 2nd Earl Somers, commissioned Augustus Pugin, the well-known designer of the Palace of Westminster interiors, to decorate the drawing room at Eastnor in the Gothic Revival style. His son Charles Somers Cockes, 3rd Earl Somers went a step further, doing more decorative work at Eastnor in the 1860s and 1870s, the result being a house that represents three styles of 19th century domestic interior taste.
When Arthur Somers Cocks, 6th Baron Somers inherited the estate in 1920, much of the estate surrounding Eastnor had been sold, and the collection split up among family members. Appointed Governor of Victoria in 1926, he moved to Australia with his family. Five years later, on his return home, he set about redecorating some of the rooms and installing rudimentary central heating. Eastnor was left empty during the Second World War and available for requisition, but the government never took the family up on it, and after the war his wife Daisy returned to the castle where she lived in the servants’ wing in reduced circumstances following payment of the enormous death duties that her husband’s death in 1944 incurred.
The castle began to come back to life when in 1949 the Hon. Elizabeth Somers Cocks and her husband Benjamin Hervey-Bathurst, parents of the incumbent custodian James, took over Eastnor. Restoring and renovating the house, they made it back into a comfortable family home, which James Hervey-Bathurst took on in 1988.
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Grounds Only
Discover the stunning Arboretum, featuring a diverse collection of spectacular trees, and enjoy a leisurely walk around the 14-acre lake. Follow the Eastnor Tree Trail to explore 24 of the estate’s most significant trees. Don’t miss …
Castle & Grounds
Explore the Castle’s stunning state rooms, including the Great Hall, State Dining Room, Gothic Drawing Room, Octagon Saloon, and elegant bedrooms. Enter through the grand main doors and enjoy insights from knowledgeable guides in each room. …
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