The Berkeley Estate in Gloucestershire is the oldest family-owned estate in the country. Its centrepiece is a magnificant medieval castle, which the family has lived in for nearly 900 years.

The estate has played a key role in English history: the castle was attacked by Oliver Cromwell during the civil war, Shakespeare's 'A Mid Summer night's Dream' was written for a Berkeley wedding, and King Edward II was reputedly murdered in the castle.

The estate comprises two residences: Berkeley Castle on the banks of the River Severn, and Spetchley House near Worcester. The Berkeley Estate covers 6000 acres and Spetchley, 4000. Spetchley has a famous 30-acre Victorian Garden that receives 40,000 visitors a year. The world-renowned Slimbridge Wildlife and Wetlands Trust is part of the estate land.

At one time, the family could hunt on their own land from the River Severn to Berkeley Square. Today, the combined estates have shrunk, but the history remains integral. They run a hunt dating back to the twelfth century, maintain a medieval deer herd and park and have their own archivist working through the family records on site. The castle is host to many events throughout the summer, including jousting competitions, civil war re-enactments and open-air plays. It was opened to the public in 1956 and two of the guides (88 and 92-years-old respectively) have worked there ever since.

Agriculture is key to the Berkeley Estate. There are 26 tenanted farms and two run by the family itself. The current owner, John Berkeley, is passionate about the countryside and its people, often supporting his tenants more than outsiders would expect.

Horse & Country TV and Halo Films spent seven months filming across the Berkeley and Spetchley Estates. With unprecedented access to a previously private family, the series depicts an honest and inspiring portrait of what is an increasingly forgotten way of life.

See weddings, battle re-enactments and flooded medieval shows at the castle and follow the farmers devastated by foot and mouth disease, the arrival of new pups at the hunt kennels as well as the estate’s latest venture, selling venison produced by the annual cull.