Yarmouth Castle is Henry VIII’s last Tudor artillery fort, built in 1547 on Quay Street in Yarmouth on the Isle of Wight and managed by English Heritage. This guide covers opening hours, ticket prices, transport, parking, accessibility, and practical visitor tips.
This guide was last updated in April 2026 to reflect the 2026/27 admission prices, valid from 28 March 2026. There are no toilets inside Yarmouth Castle — the nearest public facilities are a 5-minute walk at the pier. The Super Saver rate applies on Fridays and Saturdays, not Mondays to Fridays as at most English Heritage sites.
Quick facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Address | Quay Street, Yarmouth, Isle of Wight PO41 0PB |
| Sat nav (parking) | PO41 0NS (Wightlink ferry terminal car park) |
| Opening hours | Daily 10am–5pm (summer); reduced days in winter (see below) |
| Adult ticket | £6.88–£8.50 depending on date and day |
| Nearest ferry | Wightlink Yarmouth–Lymington ferry terminal (adjacent to the castle) |
| Parking | Pay-and-display adjacent to Wightlink ferry, ~5-minute walk (not managed by EH) |
| Time needed | 1–1.5 hours |
Yarmouth Castle opening hours
The 2026/27 schedule (28 March 2026 – 16 March 2027): 28 Mar – 24 Oct, daily 10am–5pm; 25 Oct – 1 Nov, daily 10am–4pm; 2 Nov – 12 Feb, Sat–Sun only, 10am–4pm; 13–21 Feb (half-term), daily 10am–4pm; 22 Feb – 16 Mar, Sat–Sun only, 10am–4pm; 24–26 Dec, closed. Last admission 30 minutes before closing. Opening hours last updated in March 2026.
Yarmouth Castle ticket prices
At Yarmouth Castle the Super Saver rate applies on Fridays and Saturdays — the cheapest rate falls Sun–Thu outside peak summer, the reverse of most English Heritage sites. English Heritage members enter free. Concessions apply to visitors aged 65+, students with a valid ID, and jobseekers with relevant ID.
Super Saver — Fri–Sat, 28 Mar–22 May & 1 Sep–1 Nov; daily, 2 Nov–16 Mar
| Visitor | Price |
|---|---|
| Adult | £6.88 |
| Concession | £6.12 |
| Child | £3.40 |
Saver — Sun–Thu, 28 Mar–22 May & 1 Sep–1 Nov; Fri–Sat, 23 May–31 Aug
| Visitor | Price |
|---|---|
| Adult | £7.65 |
| Concession | £6.88 |
| Child | £3.82 |
Standard — Sun–Thu, 23 May–31 Aug
| Visitor | Price |
|---|---|
| Adult | £8.50 |
| Concession | £7.65 |
| Child | £4.25 |
Groups of 15 or more receive a 10% discount. Not included in any city pass scheme. Ticket prices last updated in April 2026.
Is it worth paying for English Heritage membership?
Entry prices for English Heritage sites, including Dover Castle, Stonehenge and Tintagel Castle, can seem extremely expensive. This is clearly a deliberate ploy to push visitors towards taking out annual English Heritage membership.
Membership gives free access to more than 400 sites across the country, and costs £82. That is, unless you get a special deal – there was a 25%-off Black Friday deal in November 2025, for example.
Whether that £82 is worth it depends on how many sites are near you (there are lots in the south of the country, not so many near me in Yorkshire). And, critically, whether you’re going to visit them with children.
Each member can take up to six children with them free of charge. Given the steep one-time entry fees, an adult member with two children is likely to recoup the cost of their membership by visiting just two or three sites within the year.
For an individual without children, I’d say English Heritage membership is worth it only if you’re planning to blitz a few sites in one year. For an individual with children, membership is a smart investment that will likely pay itself back within one school holiday. To me, it’s a no-brainer.
The real question is whether it’s worth renewing English Heritage membership after a year. That’s debatable, as you’re unlikely to go to many of these sites twice. I eventually renewed after I was offered 20% off the price. I’ll probably recoup the membership price visiting two sites in summer next year, even if I’ve ticked off most of the best ones near me.
If you buy membership through this link, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
How to get to Yarmouth Castle
Yarmouth Castle is on Quay Street, immediately adjacent to the Wightlink car ferry terminal, on the north-western shore of the Isle of Wight.
By ferry: The Wightlink Yarmouth–Lymington ferry docks directly next to the castle. From Lymington Pier railway station (South Western Railway from London Waterloo, change at Brockenhurst, ~1 hr 50 min), the ferry terminal is adjacent to the station. Foot passengers can walk to the castle entrance in under 2 minutes. The crossing takes ~40 minutes and runs frequently.
By bus: Southern Vectis routes 7 and 9 and the seasonal Island Coaster service stop at the Yarmouth bus terminus at the ferry terminal. Check islandbuses.info for timetables.
By car: Postcode PO41 0PB for the castle; PO41 0NS for the Wightlink ferry terminal car park. Cycling routes at sustrans.org.uk; bike racks on site.
Parking at Yarmouth Castle
There is no parking managed by English Heritage at Yarmouth Castle. The nearest parking is a pay-and-display car park adjacent to the Wightlink ferry terminal, approximately a 5-minute walk from the castle entrance; use postcode PO41 0NS. This car park is not managed by English Heritage; charges apply to all visitors including members. Additional limited free parking is available in the town, though spaces and times are restricted. There are 10–15ft drops from the sides of the castle — take care when approaching across the road to gain access to the site.
How long to spend at Yarmouth Castle
Most visitors spend 1 to 1.5 hours. The castle is compact — ground floor, first floor, upper floor children’s room, gun battery, and exhibition can all be seen comfortably within this time. Yarmouth is a small and characterful harbour town; allow additional time for the town itself, the pier, and nearby cafés and restaurants after your visit.
Accessibility at Yarmouth Castle
The ground floor is fully accessible. The first-floor exhibition has no disabled access — stairs only. Upper floors also require narrow stairs; pushchairs are limited to the ground floor. Take care crossing the road outside: there are 10–15ft drops from the castle sides; barriers and railings are in place.
There are no toilets inside the castle. The nearest public toilets are 5 minutes’ walk, next to the pier. The ground-floor shop is accessible. One picnic bench is on the gun battery. Dogs on leads are welcome throughout, including inside. Assistance dogs welcome.
Inside Yarmouth Castle: what to see
Yarmouth was completed in September 1547 — the last fort built in Henry VIII’s chain of coastal defences, and the only one he did not live to see used, dying in January of the same year. Unlike his earlier circular forts, Yarmouth is square and contains the first arrowhead bastion ever built in England — an Italian-influenced design to deflect cannon fire and allow flanking fire. It controlled the western Solent entrance alongside Hurst Castle, visible from the gun platform.
The gun battery offers panoramic Solent views from Hurst Castle west to Portsdown Hill east. The traversing gun carriage rail from 1855 remains on the platform. The ground-floor rooms are furnished as 16th-century recreations; the magazine (converted from accommodation in 1632) and the Master Gunner’s kitchen — built inside the arrowhead bastion itself — are both accessible. The first-floor exhibition covers the history of Yarmouth Roads, a treacherous stretch of sea outside the castle; artefacts include pewter plates from a Spanish merchant vessel that sank in Tudor times. An upper-floor children’s room has books and Tudor games. The adjacent George Hotel occupies the former moat and the mansion built by the controversial Governor Sir Robert Holmes.
There is no café. The gift shop sells souvenirs and local Isle of Wight produce including wines and spirits. Yarmouth’s independent cafés are a very short walk. The gun battery is one of the finest picnic spots on the island, with uninterrupted Solent views; one picnic bench is provided.
Practical visitor tips
| Tip | Detail |
|---|---|
| No toilets on site | The nearest public toilets are 5 minutes’ walk next to the pier. Use them before entering. |
| Super Saver is Fri–Sat | The cheapest rate falls Sun–Thu outside peak summer — the reverse of most English Heritage sites. |
| Ferry passengers can walk straight in | The Wightlink ferry ramp is metres from the castle entrance. Foot passengers arriving from Lymington are ideally placed for an immediate visit. |
| First-floor exhibition is inaccessible | Visitors who cannot use stairs will not be able to access the exhibition on the Yarmouth Roads wrecks. The ground floor and gun platform are accessible. |
| Dogs welcome inside | Dogs on leads are permitted throughout — ground floor, upper floors, and the gun battery. |
| Combine with Carisbrooke | Carisbrooke Castle (English Heritage) is approximately 10 miles east; members enter free. |
Frequently asked questions about Yarmouth Castle
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Is there parking at Yarmouth Castle? | No EH parking. Pay-and-display is in the Wightlink ferry terminal car park (~5 min walk, PO41 0NS); charges apply to all visitors including EH members. |
| Are there toilets at Yarmouth Castle? | No. The nearest public toilets are 5 minutes’ walk, next to the pier. |
| Are dogs allowed at Yarmouth Castle? | Yes. Dogs on leads are welcome throughout, including inside the castle. |
| Is Yarmouth Castle free for English Heritage members? | Yes. Members enter free and can bring up to six children free. |
| Is the first-floor exhibition accessible? | No. The first-floor exhibition has no disabled access and is reached by stairs only. |
| How do I get to Yarmouth Castle? | The Wightlink ferry from Lymington docks immediately next to the castle. From London Waterloo, take South Western Railway to Lymington Pier and walk to the ferry terminal. |
Things to do near Yarmouth Castle
Carisbrooke Castle (English Heritage), ~10 miles east in Newport, is the IoW’s medieval fortress and site of Charles I’s imprisonment; members free. Osborne (English Heritage), ~15 miles east, is Queen Victoria’s seaside retreat; members free. Hurst Castle (English Heritage), visible from the gun battery, is accessible by ferry from Keyhaven; members free. Yarmouth Pier is a short walk with a Victorian roundhouse museum at the end. Fort Victoria Country Park, ~1 mile west, has a café, nature trails, and aquarium; parking and grounds are free.
