English Heritage has announced that Walmer Castle opened the private Lord Warden’s apartment today.

The private apartment of the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports is opened to the public for the for the first time.   Queen Elizabath the Queen Mother was the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports from 1978 to 2002.  

It was a favourite seaside retreat of the beloved Queen Mother, who loved her annual summer trips there.   Flowers from the beautiful gardens were there in a vase to welcome her. 

The furnishings are evocative of an age past, and visitors can tour a selection of rooms in the apartment such as the sitting room, the dining room and the master bedroom.  The rooms were used by The Queen Mother and others and up to now, they’ve been locked away behind a secret door.

Private items that haven’t been seen for decades are redisplayed, together with art work and  a selection of paintings from a collection belonging to Sir Robert Menzies. 

The castle was built on the orders of King Henry VIII to defend English shores 
Find out all about it here

The apartment was separated into a private space in the 1960s to enable the emain part of the castle to stay open to the public, whilst the Lord Warden was residing there. 

The previous Lord Wardens include some very influential people in English history such as William Pitt the Younger, the Duke of Wellington (who died at the castle in 1852) and Winston Churchill. You can see an original pair of Wellington boots!  

The Lord Warden’s Apartment will stay open throughout 2024, say English Heritage.

There's lots more to see at Walmer Castle, including the Broadwalk Garden with its replanted herbaceous borders , The Queen Mother's Garden, who was gifted with it on her 95th birthday,  the Kitchen Garden (be inspired to grow your own, if you don't already), a Natural Play Garden for children, the Wellington Room where Wellington passed away, a second hand book shop and - of course - a cafe so that you can rest and dwell on what you've seen whilst enjoying a cup of something. 

Join English Heritage today!  Don't forget there's 15% off new Gift and Annual Memberships (direct debit only) until 31 December 2024 with the code EHAFF2024 and there's access to over 400 historic properties to enjoy and discover!