Acton Burnell Castle is a bit of an unknown gem, buried deep in the Shropshire countryside, in a peaceful village location. The Castle was built between 1284 and 1293 by Robert Burnell, Bishop of Bath and Wells and Lord Chancellor to King Edward I. Burnell built his Castle on the site of an earlier manor house where Burnell himself was born. The Castle is very similar in design to the Bishop's Palace in Wells, also built by Burnell.

2009 marks the 500th anniversary of the year that Henry VIII ascended to the throne of England. To mark the occasion I'll be writing about places associated with this most controversial of kings. This article looks at Sudeley Castle, Gloucestershire, home of Henry's sixth wife, Queen Catherine Parr.

2009 marks the 500th anniversary of the year that Henry VIII ascended to the throne of England.

To mark the occasion I'll be writing about places associated with this most controversial of kings. This article looks at Hever Castle, childhood home of Anne Boleyn, Henry's second wife.

In the first article of this series I looked at three stately homes owned by the National Trust, and last time out I looked at three hidden gems in the Trust's care. This time around, I'll suggest three castles in the ownership of the National Trust that might make for an enjoyable outing this summer.