In 1153 Maurice completed Berkeley Castle, by the Severn Estuary, at the command of Henry II, and ever since it has been the home of the Berkeley family.

This is one of England's oldest families who have given their name to numerous locations all over the world, from Berkeley Square in London to Berkeley Hundred in Virginia and Berkeley University in California. This ancient castle has been preserved and gradually transformed from a savage Norman fortress into a truly stately home with a wealth of treasures, paintings by English and Dutch masters, tapestries, furniture of an interesting diversity, silver and porcelain. Highlights of the castle are the massive Norman Keep with the Dungeon and the cell where King Edward II was murdered in 1327, the Picture Gallery, the Dining Room, the medieval Buttery and Kitchens, the Historic Great Hall and the magnificent State Apartments.