Norris Castle

Norris Castle
Norris Castle from the sea
Location within Isle of Wight
General information
Architectural style	Norman/Georgian Style
Location	Isle of Wight
Town or city	East Cowes
Country	United Kingdom
Coordinates	50°45′47″N 1°16′14″W / 50.763056°N 1.270556°W / 50.763056; -1.270556
Construction started	1795
Completed	1805
Client	Lord Henry Seymour
Design and construction
Architect	James Wyatt

Coordinates: 50°45′47″N 1°16′14″W / 50.763056°N 1.270556°W / 50.763056; -1.270556

Norris Castle is located on the Isle of Wight and can be seen from the Solent standing on the northeast point of East Cowes. It was designed by the famous architect James Wyatt for Lord Henry Seymour. The estate adjoins the neighbouring Osborne House, country home to Queen Victoria, which also includes the nine-hole Osborne Golf Club. On the other side of Norris Castle sits the Spring Hill estate, bought by William Goodrich in 1794. Norris Castle was built in 1799 and sits in 225 acres of land, with a mile of waterfront. The Castle is a Grade I listed building.

In October 2016, the parks and gardens at Norris Castle were also upgraded by Historic England to Grade I, making them the Isle of Wight's only Grade I listed landscape. This change in status was achieved as a result of the new owners working in partnership with Historic England. The landscape at Norris Castle is thought to have been designed in 1799 by Humphry Repton, one of England’s greatest landscape designers, and it includes one of the best examples of a castellated walled garden anywhere in England.

Despite its grandeur, the castle's condition has suffered dramatically over recent years, with the huge cost of trying to keep it maintained. Again in October 2016, Historic England confirmed that its Heritage at Risk register includes not only Norris Castle itself, but also its lands and outbuildings as well. They particularly noted the 'failure in the external walling of Norris Castle' and the 'immediate risk of further rapid deterioration to Norris Castle Farm'.