Hartlebury Castle
 Hartlebury Castle, Worcestershire Photo © Stephen Mckay, 29 April 2007 |
 Hartlebury Castle Museum Photo © Bob Embleton, 28 October 2009 |
Hartlebury Castle in Worcestershire was built in the mid-13th century as a fortified manor house on land given to the Bishop of Worcester by King Burgred of Mercia.[1] It lies near Stourport town in north Worcestershire. The manor of Hartlebury belonged to the bishops of Worcester from before the Norman Conquest. The castle was thus one of the residences of the medieval bishops and their principal residence in later periods.[2]
From the early 13th century until 2007, Hartlebury Castle was the residence of the Bishop of Worcester. With the coming of a new Bishop, Bishop Inge, the residence was moved to a house adjacent to the Cathedral in the city of Worcester itself.
In 1964 the north wing of the castle was taken over by Worcestershire County Council for the creation of a County Museum and in 1966 the Worcestershire County Museum was opened to the public.
The future of the rest of the historic building (including the Hurd Library, a special gallery built by Bishop Hurd in 1782 and which still contains his extensive and unique collection of books) is at the present time (May 2008) uncertain.
Hartlebury Castle is a Grade I listed building.
Worcestershire County Museum
The Worcestershire County Museum is housed in the servants' quarters of Hartlebury Castle. The exhibits focus on local history, and include toys, archaeology, costumes, crafts by the Bromsgrove Guild, local industry and transportation, and area geology and natural history. There are period room displays including a schoolroom, nursery and scullery, and Victorian, Georgian and Civil War rooms.
The castle grounds include a cider mill and the Transport Gallery that features vehicles including a fire engine, hansom cab, bicycles, carts and a collection of Gypsy caravans.
