Come for guided tours of the fascinating buildings of Bishop's Waltham Palace, started in the 12th century by the Bishop of Winchester. The Palace was so grand all the Tudor Monarchs stayed there.
There are three different tours available:
Tour 1: The Building Bishops. General tour of the Palace ruins that English Heritage have recently conserved (1 to 1.5 hours).
Tour 2: Courtiers and Crown Posts. An in-depth tour of the Bishop's Waltham Museum building, part of the original lodgings of the Palace, with its original roof from c. 1440, later converted into a farmhouse (1 hour).
Tour 3: Turret tour. The north turret on the Palace perimeter wall is not normally open to the public, but it is worth a look to see many unusual features. It is only one room but is 5 minutes walk away (45 mins).
Event Times
Sunday 8 September: 10:30am (Tour 2 - Courtiers and Crown Posts, an in-depth tour of the Bishop’s Waltham Museum building.)
Monday 9 September: 4:00pm (Tour 1 - The Building Bishops, a tour of the Palace ruins.)
Tuesday 10 September: 5:00pm (Tour 3 - Tour of the North Turret.)
Booking Information
Pre-booking: Required. This event is now fully booked, please click the below link if you would like to join the waitlist.
Booking opens: 15th July
Booking closes: 6th September
Address & Directions
Bishop's Waltham Museum, Bishop's Waltham Palace, Station Road, Bishop's Waltham, Hampshire, SO32 1SB.
Additional Information
Max 15 people per tour/session. Tours 45 minutes - 1.5 hours.
All tours meet at the Museum. Unfortunately the upper floor of the museum involves stairs and has no disabled access (although the ground floor is wheelchair friendly). The Palace turret has a narrow door so tours 2 and 3 are not suitable for wheelchairs. Tour 1 has steps that can be avoided, but not everything will be visible from accessible areas. All tours have uneven ground. The site has no toilets but there are public toilets in the town car park and local hostelries. Dogs on leads welcome in the Palace and museum (Tours 1, 2).
Our historic and traditional High Street connects the Palace with the 12th century church, so we hope you will take a stroll along it while you are in the town, perhaps have lunch or a drink. The Palace is also great for picnics.
Check out their social media:
Organised by:
Bishop’s Waltham Museum
Header image: Bishop’s Waltham Museum and Palace_credit Penny Copeland