Visiting Allerton Castle in North Yorkshire

Thinking of visiting Allerton Castle in North Yorkshire? This beautiful Victorian gothic castle is on an estate with over 1,000 years of history and is a great place to visit in North Yorkshire.

Allerton Castle was (re)built in 1853, has been the set of many movies and TV shows.

It is now primarily a wedding venue, but also a tourist attraction that you can visit between March and October.

The Secret Garden (1993) with Maggie Smith was one of my favourite movies as a child. It was used ‘Misselthwaite Manor.’ I liked it so much, that I’ve introduced my own kids to the movie.

When my daughter and I were staying with some friends in Liverpool, we took a day trip to Allerton Castle.

I want to share everything there is to know about visiting for others interested in seeing this beautiful gothic-style castle.

Where is Allerton Castle?

Allerton is located in North Yorkshire, Northern England. The castle is approximately:

• 20 km (13 miles) from York
• 33 km (21 miles) from Leeds
• 114 km (71 miles) from Manchester
• 159 km (99 miles) from Liverpool

Needless to say, you would likely need a car to get to Allerton Castle. There is plenty of parking on site, about only about 100 m from the entrance to the castle.

We drove here from Liverpool and there were plenty of places to see both inside and out + a café on site where we ate lunch. It made a very nice day trip.

Allerton Castle is actually quite ‘remote’ – its on 150 acres of property, surrounded by woodland and rolling farm hills. The closest town is Harrogate, which is a 30 minute drive.

A special note to Secret Garden fans: The inside of Allerton Castle doesn’t look like in the movie. It turns out, the indoor shots of the castle in the movie were filmed at other locations. Only the outside of Allerton Castle was used in the movie. You can see other filming locations for the Secret Garden here.

What is the history behind the castle?

I mentioned above that the castle was rebuilt in 1853, but the history goes way back further than that – to the year 1,066.

It has been rebuilt twice and owned by several dukes, lords, and barons over the centuries.

Here’s a snapshot of what Allerton Castle has lived through:

• 1066 -Estate first built and owned by a man named William Mauleverer. The estate was bought by Kings College 400 years later but then but then sold back to the Mauleverer family -descendents of the original owner- in 1544
• Mid 1600s – the house went through a rebuild. The last member of the Mauleverer family died in 1713, and had no heirs so the castle was taken by the state and a new house was commissioned in the 1720s
• 1720s – 1930s: For the next 200 years, the estate was owned by barons, dukes and lords. The current castle that you use today was built in that time, in the 1850s by the Morbray family
• 2nd World War: The castle was used as a base for the Royal Canadian Air Force (No 6 Group.) The Morbray family moved back into the estate after the war
• 1965 – Lord Morbray died, and passed the castle down to his 12-year-old grandson, Edward Morbray. Although Edward lived until 2021, he didn’t seem to hang on to the castle
• 1980s – the castle was in huge disrepair by the early 80s, and the Gerald Arthur Rolph Foundation for Historic Preservation and Education was established. That is who currently manages it today
• 2005 – a huge fire destroyed 1/3 of the castle, and it took firefighters 2 days to put it out.

Interesting fact: It’s believed that this castle and estate inspired the children’s nursery rhyme ‘Grand Olde Duke of York’

Can you actually visit Allerton Castle?

Absolutely, you can still visit Allerton Castle, although not every day of the year.

Allerton is currently only open to visitors on Tuesdays between March and Octover (we visited in July.)

Is the private tour at Allerton Castle worth it?

We did the private tour, and we found it worth it – even with a 3-year-old in tow. It was so nice to be able to hear the stories behind the castle, and see some rooms that we may have missed or not seen otherwise.

The tour guide was kind, and involved my 3-year-old in the tour.

After the tour, we ate in the cafe and spent some time in the courtyard at our leisure.

Pro Tip: The cafe at Allerton Castle served a delicious traditional English tea time. However, I’m having a hard time finding out if that cafe is currently still open. The beginning of the 2025 season should tell. Be sure to check their website.

What was filmed at Allerton Castle?

Allerton Castle has been used for quite a few TV shows and movies.

• The Secret Garden (1993)
• Sherlock Homes – The Sign of Four (1983)
• Location, Location, Location (a 2000 British Reality show)
• Europe’s Strongest Man in 2020
• Fairytale: A True Story (1997)
• Lost in Austen (British TV show)
• Shaandaar (a Hindi language film from 2015)

What to Know Before Visiting Allerton Castle

✅ A big part of the castle’s beauty are the lands and gardens surrounding it. Be sure to wear the right footwear, and clothing for the weather.

✅ Plan to spend anywhere from 1-3 hours exploring the castle, enjoying the gardens and the food on site (if available.)

✅  Allerton Castle is surrounded by woodland. There’s the large Allerton Park to the north, and an Allerton campground (where you can stay in a cabin or RV) to the south.

✅ The closest town to Allerton Castle is Harrogate (30 minutes drive.) It’s known as a spa town, and has a lot of amenities and things to do.

Final Thoughts on Visiting Allerton Castle

I’m glad that I made a point to visit Allerton Castle. It’s not the oldest castle in the UK, but its certainly one of the prettiest Victorian Gothic buildings and a beautiful place to visit in Northern England.