Castle hotel
Peckforton Castle
Peckforton, Cheshire
Level 4 Castle-Style MansionLevel 4: built from 1844 to 1850 as a castellated country house, with no earlier defensive history. Guests sleep inside this Victorian castle building.
Some rooms inside the walls
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Peckforton Castle is a castle hotel near Tarporley, Cheshire, built between 1844 and 1850 in Gothic Revival style. It is a Level 4 castle-style mansion: no earlier fortress stood here, but guests sleep inside the 19th-century building itself. It suits weddings, groups wanting exclusive use, and anyone after a full castle interior rather than an older ruin.
Quick facts
- Castle Authenticity Scale
- Level 4: Castle-Style Mansion
- Where you sleep
- Some rooms inside the walls
- Built
- 1844 to 1850
- Architecture
- Gothic Revival castellated mansion, arranged around a central ward
- Heritage status
- Grade I listed
- Rooms
- 48
- Star rating
- Four-star (Booking.com)
- Guest rating
- 8.1 out of 10 on Booking.com (September 2026)
- Restaurant
- Yes (hotel website)
- Weddings
- Yes (hotel website)
- Exclusive use
- Yes (hotel website)
- Listed on Booking.com
- EV charging point, Restaurant, Parking, Free wifi, Accessible rooms
- Last checked
- September 2026
The story
The story of Peckforton Castle
Peckforton Castle stands in woodland at the north end of the Peckforton Hills, about one mile north west of Peckforton village in Cheshire. It was built between 1844 and 1850 by the architect Anthony Salvin for Sir John Tollemache, a local MP, according to its Grade I listing entry.
The building is constructed of rock-faced red sandstone with lead, asphalt and tile roofs, arranged around a central ward with a gatehouse and dry moat at the entrance. A circular tower stands at the north west corner and an octagonal tower holds the library. Historic England describes it as one of the last serious fortified-style houses built in England, despite never having had a genuine military role.
The Naylor family took over the castle in June 2006 and turned it into a wedding, dining and hotel venue, according to the hotel's own website. It now operates as a 48-bedroom hotel with two restaurants and grounds used for weddings and events.
The sleep
Rooms at Peckforton Castle
The hotel's own website describes 48 individually designed bedrooms and suites inside the castle, including Classic, Executive, Four-Poster, Suite, Bridal Suite and Tower Suite rooms, set among the castle's vaulted ceilings and stone corridors.
A separate self-catering building, The Lodge, stands near the gatehouse at the bottom of the castle drive rather than inside the main castle. It has four double bedrooms and a twin room, sleeping up to 10 people, with its own kitchen, living area and outdoor jacuzzi.
Anyone wanting to sleep inside the historic castle building itself should book one of the 48 hotel rooms rather than The Lodge.
The table
Eating at Peckforton Castle
Peckforton Castle has two dining venues, according to its own website: the 1851 Restaurant, described as contemporary fine dining, and the 2010 Brasserie, a more casual option. Both are open to hotel residents and to non-resident diners.
The grounds
Around Peckforton Castle
The castle sits within its own grounds in the Peckforton Hills, with woodland walks and formal gardens around the building, according to the hotel's own website.
The castle is around 30 minutes by car from Chester, according to the hotel's website.
What we'd flag
What we'd flag
- Only some accommodation is inside the historic castle. The Lodge, a self-catering option for groups, is a separate building near the gatehouse rather than part of the castle itself.
Who it's for
Who Peckforton Castle suits
Peckforton Castle suits couples planning a wedding, since the venue offers exclusive use and a 'Keys to the Castle' upgrade for full privacy, according to its own website. It also suits guests who want a complete Victorian castle interior, with vaulted halls and towers, rather than a smaller or ruined building. It is less suited to guests who specifically want to sleep in a medieval or genuinely fortified castle, since the building dates from the 1840s and was never used for defence.
Where Peckforton Castle is.
Map tiles from OpenStreetMap.
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Peckforton Castle: questions
Is Peckforton Castle a real castle?
It is a real, purpose-built castle-style building, but not a medieval fortress. Peckforton Castle was constructed between 1844 and 1850 for Sir John Tollemache MP, designed by the architect Anthony Salvin in Gothic Revival style, and it never had a genuine defensive role.
Who built Peckforton Castle?
It was built for Sir John Tollemache MP by the architect Anthony Salvin, with construction taking place from 1844 to 1850, according to its Grade I listing entry with Historic England.
Can you get married at Peckforton Castle?
Yes. The hotel's own website describes it as a wedding venue with 48 bedrooms, offering standard use of the grounds and facilities or an exclusive-use upgrade covering the whole castle.
Where do the bedrooms sit at Peckforton Castle?
The 48 hotel bedrooms and suites are inside the main castle building. A separate self-catering lodge for groups, called The Lodge, stands near the gatehouse rather than inside the castle itself.
Sources and checks
Last checked: September 2026. We checked these sources for this page. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
- historicengland.org.uk: build date, architect, patron, listing grade, materials, layout
- peckfortoncastle.co.uk: number of rooms, room types, restaurant names, lodge capacity
- peckfortoncastle.co.uk: 2006 Naylor family history, castle description
- peckfortoncastle.co.uk: exclusive use and Keys to the Castle wedding package