You be the queen. I’ll be the king. Or shall we be prince and princess? Knight and lady? Take your pick.
Few places reach the romantic heights of Amberley Castle, the 12th-century bishop’s fort in West Sussex, just southwest of London. From the outside, Amberley Castle has the look of a fortress ready to repel the strongest invader. The 60-foot-tall walls are 900 years old in parts, with slots cut out for archers to shoot at rampaging attackers.
Up close, peace reigns o’er the land. The dry moat is now used for croquet. The heavy spiked gate, called a portcullis, is operated by an electric motor installed by a previous, American, owner. There’s an 18-hole putting course tucked out of sight.
The transformation from battlement to playground began in 1893, when the castle was bought by the Duke of Norfolk, who rehabilitated the historic structures.
Until 1988, Amberley Castle had been the playground of first noble, then merely rich men and women English and otherwise who enjoyed playing lord and lady of the castle.
Since then it has been owned by Joy and Martin Cummings, who have turned it into one of the top hotels in southern England, a special stopover for well-heeled travelers coming down from London to board Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth 2 and other cruise ships in nearby Southampton.
The 19 guest rooms, each named after a nearby castle, are decorated in country-house florals, the only hint of the historical past coming in the lancet windows divided into small diamondlike panes.
The hotel has kept remnants of its medieval legacy. A dining hall dates from the 16th century. The hunting mural added to what is now called the Queen’s Room was to mark a visit by the party of King Charles II in 1686. Suits of armor and old battle axes and pikes suggest the warrior past.
Visitors can climb up on the ramparts for views of the Sussex countryside or stroll around the grounds where peacocks walk. A sign on one portico politely reminds visitors, “Please keep the door closed to prevent Peacocks from entering.” To stroll the battlements and look out over the countryside and the River Arun is to feel like a knight in some Arthurian legend. Just bring your own Guinevere.
