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This wonderful historic castle standing a short distance inland from the River Severn estuary has long been associated with the secrets surrounding the murder of King Edward II in 1327. The King was murdered on the orders of his wife, Queen Isabella and her lover Roger Mortimer. A strange phenomenon of this event that has continued to puzzle, is that within a few short years of the murder the castle was completely gutted and rebuilt inside its old walls, giving rise to speculation as to what dark mysterious secrets the old castle held!
Berkeley Castle is owned by the illustrious family of the same name. It was originally built by William FitzOsbern, a staunch supporter of William the Conqueror and was passed the Berkeley's in 1153. It is steeped in history and was besieged by Cromwell's troops in 1645. Since this time, the castle would appear to have led a fairly peaceful existence.
Today, it is an interesting place to visit and to see the changes brought about by 24 generations of Berkeley's, who dominate Berkeley Square in London and have given their name to several other places renowned around the world.
The Great Hall is the most eye-catching of all the castle's rooms, this is from the rebuilding of 1340-1350 and is raised on the foundations of the old hall. The old Great Hall was the place the Baron's set out from for Runnymede and the signing of the Magna Carter by King John in 1215.
The sumptuous state apartments contain rich displays of tapestries, furniture and paintings including both English and Dutch old masters. There is rare silver and porcelain and in the state bed chambers you can take a look at bedcovers used by Queen Elizabeth I.
Berkeley is a naturally delightful place where visitors can revel in the lurid stories of the past as they explore the dungeons, or on occasions watch a jousting tournament within the castle grounds.
Recently, this magnificent place was the setting for a "Stately Supper" cooked by celebrity chef James Martin, whilst his co-star, Alistair Appleton enjoyed a personal tour of parts of the castle, its glorious contents and grounds.
Berkeley Castle provides the perfect setting for wedding receptions, and special dinners. It is available for corporate functions, it also forms an historic backdrop for the Sealed Knot who give a thrilling performance depicting scenes of when Cromwell's troops stormed the castle at the time of the Civil War. This is held between the 29th April and Ist of May, it is a rowdy, hilarious event which everyone can enjoy.
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