Confirmed · Gloucestershire and the Severn Vale · Castle

Berkeley Castle

Rutshire Cup polo match in Rivals. Tickets and opening calendar; allow 2–3 hours.

Berkeley Castle’s pink-grey stone walls and towers above a lawn
Photo: Philip Halling / Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0 ↗
On screen as
Rutshire Cup polo match
Series and episodes
Series 2, Episode 1
Access
Tickets and opening calendar
Time needed
2–3 hours
Where
Berkeley, Gloucestershire

On screen

How Berkeley Castle appears

Berkeley Castle's grounds provide the Rutshire Cup polo match in series two, episode one of Rivals. VisitWest identifies that exact screen connection, giving the estate a specific role rather than a general claim that it looks like Rutshire. The match belongs to a production staged on the grounds, so a visitor should not expect a permanent polo fixture to be part of normal castle admission. The screen spectacle and the real castle visit offer different experiences, even when the same landscape is recognisable.

The real place

What you can visit

The castle remains a family home with a defined public visitor route through historic interiors and gardens. Its real history gives a visit more substance than looking for a patch of lawn from the show. The castle's own information describes the approach through the Keep Steps, whose uneven surfaces are an important access consideration. Public admission covers the advertised areas, not every part of the family's home or estate. Plan a visit around the rooms and grounds that interest you, while recognising that production dressing and sporting activity may have been temporary.

Decide whether the castle route suits your mobility needs before booking. A television view across the grounds says little about the steps and surfaces involved in visiting the historic interiors.

Visit West ↗
Getting there.

The castle names Cam and Dursley as its nearest railway station, around six miles away, and advises booking a taxi for the onward journey. Drivers should follow the brown visitor signs towards the castle entrance, using the published GL13 9PJ arrival information. A visitor car park and designated accessible spaces are listed by the venue. Read its access information before choosing an interior tour.

Official visitor information ↗Open in Google Maps ↗Read the visiting guide →

Common questions

Planning a responsible visit

Which episode used the grounds?

VisitWest identifies the Rutshire Cup polo match in series two, episode one.

Will a normal visit include polo?

The match was part of the production. Ordinary castle admission should not be treated as a booking for the same sporting event.

Can I walk from the station?

The castle recommends a pre-booked taxi from Cam and Dursley, which it places around six miles away. Include the return transfer too.

Plan your visit

Build it into the day.

Aerospace Bristol offers another documented Rivals location farther south, but it requires its own admission and transport time. Keep the day realistic rather than adding several country-house stops around one castle tour. Also filmed here: Berkeley represents French scenes in Poldark.

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Tickets / official site ↗Search Booking.com stays nearby ↗Read the visiting guide →

Map

Days out including this place

Continue with a prepared day out

Sources