About
Ashby de la Zouch Castle is a substantial medieval fortified manor house whose impressive ruins dominate the Leicestershire market town from which it takes its name. Managed by English Heritage, this Grade I listed site tells a dramatic story spanning four centuries of English history, from Norman lords through the Wars of the Roses to the English Civil War, and even into the literary imagination through Sir Walter Scott's famous novel Ivanhoe.
The site began as a Norman manor house in the 12th century, but its transformation into one of the most impressive late medieval residences in the Midlands was the work of William, Lord Hastings, who received a licence to crenellate in 1474. Hastings constructed the magnificent Hastings Tower, a four-storey great tower standing over 24 metres tall, which provided luxurious private apartments reflecting the wealth and status of one of Edward IV's closest allies. The tower included a chapel on the upper floor and underground passages connecting it to the kitchens.
The castle has strong connections to Mary, Queen of Scots, who was imprisoned here during the 1560s and 1580s as part of her long captivity in England. The ruins also gained literary fame when Sir Walter Scott chose Ashby as the setting for the great tournament scene in his 1819 novel Ivanhoe, forever associating the castle with chivalric romance and medieval pageantry. The tournament field adjacent to the castle may well have hosted real medieval jousting.
During the English Civil War, Ashby de la Zouch Castle was a Royalist stronghold held by Colonel Henry Hastings. After a prolonged siege, the garrison surrendered in 1646 and Parliament ordered the castle slighted — deliberately damaged to prevent further military use. The Hastings Tower was split in two, and the dramatic ruin visitors see today is a direct consequence of this destruction. An underground passage, excavated in the 18th century, can still be explored by visitors, adding an atmospheric dimension to a site rich in history and literary association.
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Plan Your Visit
⏱️ Recommended Visit Duration
📅 Best Times to Visit
Quietest: Wednesday, Thursday
Busiest: Saturday, Sunday
💡 Weekday mornings for quietest experience and best photography light on the Hastings Tower
💡 Visitor Tips
- Don't miss the underground passage — it's the highlight for many visitors and gives a genuine sense of medieval castle life. The tunnel can be chilly even in summer.
- The audio guide is included with admission and significantly enhances the visit with stories of Lord Hastings, Mary Queen of Scots, and the Civil War siege.
- Allow at least 75 minutes to explore the full site including the tunnel, tower ruins, great hall, and grounds.
- Read Ivanhoe before visiting for maximum literary enjoyment — Scott's vivid tournament scenes were set here and the adjacent field is the supposed location.
- The castle is mostly outdoors with uneven surfaces — wear sturdy footwear and bring waterproofs in changeable weather.
- Combine with a visit to Kirby Muxloe Castle (30 minutes' drive) to see another Lord Hastings building project — same patron, dramatically different fate.
- The town of Ashby-de-la-Zouch has good cafés and pubs for lunch as there are no refreshments at the castle itself.
Highlights
The Hastings Tower
The magnificent four-storey great tower built by Lord Hastings from 1474 is the castle's most dramatic feature, even in its ruined state. Originally over 24 metres tall, the tower was split in half during the Civil War slighting, leaving one sheer face exposed to the elements. The surviving half reveals the internal layout including fireplaces, window seats, and the remains of a private chapel on the upper floor.
The tower represented the height of late medieval luxury, with heated private apartments designed to impress visitors and demonstrate Hastings' status as one of England's most powerful nobles.
The Underground Passage
A remarkable underground passage connects the Hastings Tower to the kitchen area, running beneath the courtyard. Excavated in the 18th century, this tunnel is now accessible to visitors who can walk through the atmospheric candlelit passage that once allowed servants to transport food between the kitchens and the lord's private apartments without crossing the open courtyard.
The passage demonstrates the sophisticated domestic planning of the late medieval period, where great households increasingly valued privacy and convenience.
The experience of walking underground through a medieval passage adds a memorable tactile dimension to any visit.
Mary Queen of Scots' Imprisonment
Ashby de la Zouch Castle served as one of the many locations where Mary, Queen of Scots, was held during her long imprisonment in England from 1568 to 1587. She was detained here under the custody of the Earl of Huntingdon during the 1560s and 1580s, occupying the more comfortable apartments within the castle.
Mary's captivity at Ashby forms part of the wider story of her ill-fated claim to the English throne, her conflicts with Elizabeth I, and the political and religious tensions that eventually led to her execution at Fotheringhay Castle in 1587.
Ivanhoe and Literary Fame
Sir Walter Scott immortalised Ashby de la Zouch Castle in his celebrated 1819 novel Ivanhoe, choosing the site as the location for the great tournament scene that forms a centrepiece of the story. The tournament field adjacent to the castle, which may have hosted real medieval jousting, became forever associated with chivalric romance through Scott's vivid depiction of mounted combat, fair maidens, and heroic deeds.
Ivanhoe was enormously popular in the 19th century and helped spark the Gothic Revival interest in medieval history, bringing thousands of visitors to Ashby eager to see the scene of Scott's fictional jousting.
Collections
As an English Heritage ruin, Ashby de la Zouch Castle's primary interest lies in its surviving architecture and the stories embedded in its walls. On-site interpretation panels, audio guides, and a small exhibition explain the castle's history from its Norman origins through the Wars of the Roses, Mary Queen of Scots' imprisonment, and the English Civil War destruction.
The underground passage provides a tangible connection to medieval domestic life.
The Story of Ashby Castle
On-site interpretation covering the castle's history from Norman origins through Lord Hastings' transformation, Mary Queen of Scots' imprisonment, and English Civil War destruction. Audio guide included with admission.
📍 Throughout site
Themes
Time Periods
Current Exhibitions
No current exhibitions. Please check the museum website for updates.