Donate
When you donate to Hartlebury Castle, you support the charity behind it: Hartlebury Castle Trust.
Hartlebury Castle isn’t merely a structure of stone and mortar; it is a repository of over a thousand years of stories just waiting to be told. From the 112 bishops, many servants and countless others who have called it home, the Castle has endured the ages and stands as a timeless testament to British history.
Your generosity not only helps the Trust preserve the Castle for ages more, but ensures that we are no longer just a window on the past. Instead, we can continue its legacy by sharing the messages behind these stories and becoming a space that casts new light on today’s issues. Every penny goes towards making Hartlebury Castle a beacon of reflection for years to come.
Your donation helps to preserve and share:
The stories of the Bishops of Worcester
The Bishops who lived in our Castle for over a millennium weren’t just religious figures of the past; they were real men with enlightening lives. Their deeds shaped our country of today and they were also linked with many names that you might just recognise…
Your donation keeps our Bishops’ stories alive so we can bridge the gap between past and present and inspire future generations.
Click through to learn more about four of our Bishops.
Bishop Whitgift
While he was our Bishop, Whiftgift signed the paper to allow William Shakespeare to marry Anne Hathaway in 1582.
Bishop Pepys
Descended from a relative of the diarist Samuel Pepys, Bishop Pepys gifted a herd of deer to Queen Victoria and brought up several of his children in Hartlebury Castle. His youngest daughter, Emily, kept a secret diary describing her life here which inspired our talking portraits.
Bishop Hurd
Hurd was a friend of King George III and Queen Charlotte, who visited Hartlebury Castle in 1788 and paraded in the garden in front of 8000 people.
Bishop Bullingham
Bullingham spent a great deal of money to welcome Queen Elizabeth I and her 100-strong party to the Castle in 1575, creating the Queen Elizabeth Walk especially for her visit.
The Hurd Library
This beautiful library is the only Anglican bishop’s library with its books remaining on the original shelves in the room built for it. It contains everything from the collections of Richard Hurd, Bishop of Worcester to volumes annotated by the poet Alexander Pope, and from the magnificent coloured plates of flowers in William Curtis’s Flora Londinensis to stunning drawings of Worcester Cathedral by James Ross.
With your support, the Hurd Library and its treasure trove of knowledge can remain in its intended home and serve as a unique space to question and explore.
Family memories
Local people have been visiting Hartlebury Castle for generations, stepping into another time and enjoying days out with their loved ones.
No matter how small, your gift makes a difference to our charity’s mission of providing an unmissable experience that inspires, informs and delights all who visit. This means that people of all ages can continue to make wonderful memories and create new stories together.
Support Hartlebury Castle by donating online:
Or text to donate
To donate £1, text CASTLE to 70201
To donate £3, text CASTLE to 70331
To donate £5, text CASTLE to 70970
To donate £10, text CASTLE to 70191
We are immensely grateful to The National Lottery Heritage Fund and to all our other funders for helping us make Hartlebury Castle the visitor attraction it is today.
* Fundraising, payments and donations will be processed and administered by the National Funding Scheme, operating as DONATE, a charity registered in England and Wales (1149800) and Scotland (SC045106). In addition to any text donation, you will incur your standard network message charge (based on your service provider rates). For Terms & Conditions, see www.easydonate.org
Volunteer
This is your opportunity to get more involved and help us even further, turning Hartlebury Castle into something truly special. We couldn’t manage without our fantastic volunteers and we’re always looking for new people to join our friendly teams. All you need is enthusiasm and a smile! There are a variety of roles available with different commitment levels required.