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The Story so Far
Over the past 900 years, the town of Berkhamsted in Hertfordshire has grown up around its ancient Norman Castle (where William the Conqueror was offered the crown in 1066). Just to the east of Berkhamsted Castle, running alongside New Road, are 30 acres (12 hectares) of open grassland, an area known as Castle Fields.
A hidden history
This unassuming tract of land has a fascinating history. It was here that a French army laid siege to Berkhamsted Castle in 1216, during the Barons’ War.
By the 1280s, the fields had become part of a large deer park established around Berkhamsted Castle by Richard, Earl of Cornwall for royal hunting. For six centuries, these fields were a Duchy of Cornwall possession.
In 1862, Lord Brownlow of Ashridge purchased the estate around the Castle (including Castle Fields) for agricultural land.
A precious green space
Berkhamsted is surrounded by beautiful countryside, but access to green space is limited within the town itself. For many years, local people have used Castle Fields for country walks, and these Fields are crisscrossed with paths imprinted into the landscape by the footsteps of generations.
The threat of development
By the early 2000s, demand was increasing for land to build new housing. As parcels of farmland around Berkhamsted were being sold off for development, it seemed only a matter of time before Castle Fields would be next.
Each time Castle Fields passed to a new landowner, it seemed there was a very real risk that this cherished open grassland would be snapped up by developers for yet another swathe of new houses.
Three narrow escapes
There were three “narrow escapes” when Castle Fields was nearly lost:
- In 2015, Castle Fields was identified by Dacorum Council as a potential site to be developed for parking or housing.
- In 2024, the owner signed an ‘Option to Buy Agreement’ for £600k with a Berkhamsted developer. The land was fenced off, preventing public access.
- In 2025, half the fields were put up for auction by the developer at £450k.
Many people felt that losing Castle Fields to a housing development would diminish the quality of life in Berkhamsted significantly. A local pressure group, the Castle Fields Interest Group, was formed in 2024 to campaign for returning public access to the fields. They applied for rights of way and successfully set up Tree Protection Orders (TPOs).
Berkhamsted Castle Trust steps in
Berkhamsted Castle Trust had been negotiating with the landowner about acquiring Castle Fields since 2021. It would be a natural move – in 2018, three acres (1.2 hectares) of the Castle’s outer earthworks were donated to the Trust.
Securing Castle Fields would add another piece to the jigsaw of the ancient Berkhamsted Castle estate.
Following attempts to secure funding from local government organisations, the Option to Buy Agreement effectively prevented further negotiations. But, when the 2025 auction fell through, Berkhamsted Castle Trust stepped in. An agreement was reached with the Trust to purchase Castle Fields for £500,000.
This was made possible by a generous philanthropic loan of £500,000 from a former local resident. The interest-free loan must be paid back within 2 years.
This is wonderful news, but the job is not yet done.
The appeal – repaying the loan
If you would like to make a larger gift, please contact us to find out more. We welcome enquiries from individuals, corporates, local government and grant-giving organisations.
Now Berkhamsted Castle Trust faces the challenge of repaying the loan, and an appeal has been set up to raise £500,000 within two years to cover the purchase costs, as well as further sums towards land management and environmental improvement works. We are inviting our supporters to help us by making donations or fundraising. Please consider making a gift to help us to save Castle Fields today.
So far we have raised…
That means we've reached 28.26% of our target – you can help us get closer!