Special offer this weekend for residents of Gloucestershire

On Easter Sunday in 1956 Mr Berkeley opened the Berkeley Castle doors to the paying public for the first time in history. To celebrate the 60th anniversary of this, residents living with GL postcodes will be able to visit the Castle at a similar rate to what would have been charged all those years ago.... 2s/6d!

This Sunday 24th, Monday 25th, Tuesday 26th & Wednesday 27th April, upon supplying a Utility or Council Tax Bill to the ticket office, GL residents will gain entry to the Castle & Gardens at the discounted rate of £3.50 per person. 

A special Memory Board will be on display in our Education Room where visitors can look back on memories from Berkeley Castle's history, including old newspaper clippings, old account books and historic staff records. 

Available from Sunday 24th - Wednesday 27th April 2016 

We want to hear and see your memories too, so please do bring in copies of memories from your visits to the castle, whether that is original tickets you may have kept hold of, an old guide book or photographs from past visits. 

Lily & Violet Vintage from local town Dursley will also be displaying three vintage dresses for visitors to see. 

The Castle will of course be open to visitors from outside the Gloucestershire region on these dates, normal admission prices will apply. 

We look forward to welcoming you to the Castle and celebrating a fantastic sixty years of being open! 

This year's winter weddings at Berkeley Castle

Frozen Lily Pond on the morning of a Winter Wedding 

We have been so lucky this winter to host a handful of very special and memorable weddings at Berkeley Castle. We wanted to share a few memories from these weddings with you.... 

We've had singing waiters surprising the guests... Grooms party in kilt's ... ... Floral staircases to inspire... Couples braving the cold for romantic photos in the grounds.... a stunning floral masterclass hosted by Sabine Daniels..... Bride's getting ready in Brook House and a rustic wedding with (literally!) hundreds of candles! 

Singing waiters surprised guests by disguising themselves in Napier Catering Uniform - Adam Drake Photography 

Kilts weren't just adorned by the groom Rob and his Best Man at this Berkeley wedding - Martin Hill Photography 



Bridal Party getting ready in Brook House... - Martin Hill Photography 

.... and the beautiful Bride, Ellie, arriving with her Bridesmaids - Martin Hill Photography

The Grand Staircase looking simply divine - by Sabine Daniels Floral 



Of course plenty of bubbly - Big Eye Photography 




Our very happy bride Fran, upon seeing The Great Hall set for her Wedding Breakfast 



Civil Ceremony in the Long Drawing Room....  - Big Eye Photography




... followed by Mr & Mrs Hailstones first kiss as married man & wife - Big Eye Photography




Gorgeous photo moments in the grounds - Big Eye Photography 




And when the weather felt wintery.... family photos in the Small Drawing Room - Martin Hill Photography 

Styling in the Castle - Martin Hill Photography 

Our photographer bride Amanda, who enjoyed being the bride for a change - Dominic Wright Photography 



Candles lighting the Great Hall for Rachel & Duncan's wedding day 

The setting sun over the Gun Terrace - Martin Hill Photography 

And the last of the winter weddings for this year with Charlotte & Richard - Big Eye Photography 



To find out more about holding your dream wedding day at Berkeley Castle take a look at our website, email us, or speak to one of our wedding coordinators by phoning 01453 512 999.

Don't forget to follow us on Instagram & Facebook to keep up to date with all our Berkeley Castle pictures too! 

Special Concert for the St Mary's Church Bell Tower Appeal

On Thursday 5^th May at 7pm there will be a special concert in St Mary’s Church Berkeley, given by the Berkeley Ensemble conducted by Lord Berkeley of Knighton CBE; the great-grandson of the 7^th Earl of Berkeley. 

Michael Berkeley is the internationally renowned classical composer and conductor, who also presents the radio programme “Private Passions” weekly on BBC Radio 3. The concert will include Michael’s Clarinet Quintet, a String Trio by his father Lennox and two works by Mozart. After the concert there will a reception in the Great Hall of the Castle, where concert-goers can chat with the performers and enjoy a fork buffet with wine.  Before the concert there will be fascinating early evening guided tours of the Castle, starting between 5pm and 5.30pm.

The concert has been organized by one of the Patrons, Rt. Hon. Lord Cope of Berkeley, former MP for Berkeley and Minister of State in Margaret Thatcher’s and John Major’s Governments.

Concert tickets cost £30 for Nave seats and £20 for Aisle seats. Tickets for the Reception, which are limited and only available with a concert ticket, also cost £30 while pre-concert tours are £15. Tickets are only available from the booking agency; Brown Paper Tickets on 0800 411 8881 (24 hrs, ask for the Special Berkeley Concert) or at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2511095

This exciting concert will help to raise the £50,000 still needed to complete the restoration of St Mary’s bell tower so that these ten bells, including the two Great War memorial bells, can ring out for the Armistice centenary in 2018.

If you aren't able to attend the event but would like to help support the Bell Tower Appeal, please contact Reverend Richard Avery for any queries or to make a donation- http://www.stmarys-berkeley.co.uk/contact-us.html

Written By: Steve Chandler JP