Herstmonceux Castle is located near the village of Herstmonceux in East Sussex, England. The area got its name in the XII century as a result of merger of two Norman families - Hёrstov and Monceau. The castle is one of the oldest brick buildings in England and was built in 1441 by one of the descendants of this kind - Roger Fiennes, treasurer of the Royal Court under Henry VI. The castle was a palace complex, the style of old, and is the largest privately owned in England at the time.

During the English Revolution Herstmonceux Castle was injured during the Restoration of the Stuarts moved to her husband's daughter of King Charles II. At the same time the castle has experienced a small reconstruction - it was decorated with exquisite carving work Grinling Gibbons. However, in the early XVII century because of the ruin of the family had to sell the castle, and in 1777 he was in such poor condition that the decision of the architect Samuel Wyatt destroy it. From the castle there were only walls and gatehouse.

In the XIX century Herstmonceux castle ruins began to attract many tourists who come to the fashionable resort of Brighton. The castle and gardens were equipped outdoor cafe. However, despite the increased popularity, the castle was still in a derelict state.

In XX century, Herstmonceux Castle acquired the eccentric Colonel Claude Lowther, and in 1913 began a twenty-year restoration of the castle by the architect Walter Godfrey. Keep the interior of previous epochs were supplemented with English and French antiques. Initially, the castle had four courtyards, but on the idea of ​​the architect joined them into one large. More are equipped tennis court and swimming pool as well was dug and filled with water moat.

During the Second World War, the castle Herstmonceux, then the insurance company owned by Hearts of Oak, managed to escape the German bombing. Immediately after the war the castle was sold to the British Admiralty, and from 1957 to 1988. area of ​​the castle was given to the Greenwich Observatory. For many years the castle was based leading astronomical organizations, even here there is the largest in the world 2, 5-meter Isaac Newton Telescope and now you can see his former observatory. At the moment the estate transformed into interactive scientific center for school children, but some telescopes still remain in the castle.

In 1993, Herstmonceux Castle was purchased by the Royal University of Canada, and a year later there was opened the International Training Centre, where trained students of the humanities and trading business.

Since 1992, at the end of August in Herstmonceux Castle hosts an annual medieval festival.