Berkhamsted Castle

Right now, Berkhamsted Castle Trust is focusing on fundraising to secure the future of Castle Fields. The sooner this money is raised, the sooner the Castle Trust can look to the future and to curating the Fields as a green space for the community.

So – what’s next?

This is our unique opportunity to:

• preserve and interpret an exceptional part of England’s history and a critical part of the Castle’s narrative
• significantly extend green space which Berkhamsted lacks
• enhance ecology and secure a wildlife corridor
• create a stepping stone for the larger Deer Park project
• maintain a vital buffer between the Castle and Berkhamsted’s built environment

Castle Fields on a 17th-century map of Berkhampstead Castle & Park

Castle Fields on a 17th-century map of Berkhampstead Castle & Park

Safeguarding Castle Fields is our priority – its rich history and proximity to a Scheduled Ancient Monument (Berkhamsted Castle) mean that this land must be protected.

There is potential for Castle Fields to be designated by Historic England as a Registered Battlefield Site (connected with the 1216 Siege), and also as a Registered Park & Garden (due to its historic significance as a royal Deer Park).

Concept sketch for the Castle Fields entry point

Concept sketch for the Castle Fields entry point

Berkhamsted Castle Trust aims to enhance public appreciation of the historical significance of Fields, as part of the wider Deer Park project. We plan to develop a scheme of non-intrusive visitor interpretation, conveying information and points of interest, based on intensive research and archaeological investigation. This will enhance the educational value of the Fields, as visitors discover the impact of the Barons’ War and Magna Carta in Berkhamsted, and their long association with the development of the Castle.

We want to continue public access to this green space for recreational activity, encouraging health and well-being. To safeguard access, we plan to register the existing footpaths as official Rights of Way. Berkhamsted Town Council is developing a Berkhamsted Neighbourhood Plan which will reinforce protection of Castle Fields from Development as an essential wildlife corridor. Additional protections already exist – Castle Fields is Green Belt land and lies within the Chilterns National Landscape, and a direct covenant prohibits the land from being developed for non-agricultural purposes.

Securing Castle Fields will potentially also make it possible for us to obtain match-funded support for the wider Deer Park Project, triggering further funding and cementing a wider landscape protection scheme. Every donation to our appeal will help to make this possible.

We are working with several local organisations to develop a plan for protecting this vital natural space. The line of beech trees across the centre of the Fields is now safeguarded by a Tree Protection Order, thanks to the Castle Fields Interest Group. Eco Berko are looking at creating crucial wildlife corridors to assure protection for wild animals, insects and plants.

Berkhamsted Castle is the town’s greatest asset. The Fields are a key part of a jigsaw in re-connecting the Castle with the local community. Safeguarding this area from future development will create a “buffer” between the Castle and Berkhamsted’s built environment, ensuring that the Castle can be experienced within its original setting – a landscape that has been largely unchanged for centuries.

In conjunction with the Deer Park project, we hope to offer an enhanced visitor experience to one of England’s most significant heritage attractions. This will raise the status of Berkhamsted as a destination, benefitting local businesses and bringing more investment into the town. Every donation to our appeal will bring this closer.