'Hidden gem' Hartlebury Castle wins national tourism gong

The castle has been awarded Visit England’s Hidden Gem Accolade - a national award for smaller attractions that offer a very good visitor experience.

It follows a Visit England assessment of Hartlebury Castle which took into account all areas of activity; from cleanliness and catering to the visitor welcome and customer care.

Assessors noted in particular the excellent range and variety of content at the site, the impressive appearance of the Castle buildings and the enthusiasm of visitor assistants.

Hartlebury Castle is steeped in history, having been home to the Bishops of Worcester for more than 1,000 years.

Following Heritage Lottery-funded developments, visitors can now tour grand state rooms, explore previously unseen grounds and gardens and enjoy the Worcestershire County Museum’s fascinating collections including costumes, transport and toy gallery.

County Councillor Lucy Hodgson, Chair of the Joint Museums Committee, said: "The Hidden Gem Accolade is a fabulous recognition of the commitment of the partnership between Museums Worcestershire and the Hartlebury Castle Preservation Trust to provide the best possible experience for all our visitors."

Vicky Bagnall, Chair of the Hartlebury Castle Preservation Trust, said: “Hartlebury Castle is supported by a brilliant team of Trustees, volunteers and staff.

"Offering an excellent visitor experience is a priority for every one of us. We hope this award will encourage many more visitors to come and find Hartlebury Castle.”

Hartlebury Castle is situated off the A449, just south of Kidderminster, and reopened last year following significant Heritage Lottery-funded developments making it a larger visitor destination.

It is open from February 1 to December 23 from Tuesday to Friday each week from 10am-5pm and on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays from 11am-5pm.

A new café opened at the historic site just two weeks ago.

For more information, call 01299 250416 or visit www.hartleburycastle.com