Blandings Castle

Blandings Castle is a creation of the English novelist P. G. Wodehouse. It is the seat of Clarence Threepwood, Ninth Earl of Emsworth, and is located in Shropshire. Several of Wodehouses's novels are set here including Something Fresh (Someting New in the US), Heavy Weather, Full Moon, Service with a Smile, A Pelican at Blandings, Galahad at Blandings, Summer Lightning and Leave it to Psmith. Several short stories are set here too, including "Custodian of the Pumpkin", "The Go Getter", "Crime Wave at Blandings" and "Lord Emsworth and the Girlfriend". Wodehouse was working on a Blandings Castle book when he died, and this incomplete work was titled Sunset at Blandings and was released with his working notes after his death, Wodehouse was working on this book in his last days in the hospital.

Blandings Castle is also home to Beach the butler, and is visited by several of Emsworth's nine sisters, his brother Galahad, his sons Freddie and Thomas,Lord Bosham (more of the former, less of the latter) and his grandchildren. We do know from other sources that Bertie and Jeeves have visited Blandings, but there is no specific story about this. Blandings has also been visited by Lord Ickenham and the Duke of Dunstable, and once was the lair of the Efficient Baxter. The most important citizen of Blandings Castle is the Empress of Blandings, Lord Emsworth's preeminent sow. She is a three time silver medal winner in the Shropshire Agricultural fair, and lives in her chateau by the castle.

Lady Constance Keeble, sister of Clarence was the chatelaine of the castle before she married George Schoonmaker the American millionaire. Clarence is seldom by himself in these novels, although silence and peace is what he wants. An imposing array of imposters have stayed in Blandings Castle, and have almost always been detected and booted out. Clarence has also had an impressive line-up of secerataries, whom he tries very hard to fire, perhaps the most officious of these was the Efficient Baxter, closely followed by Lavender Briggs.

Blandings Castle is near the town of Market Blandings, which houses the popular tavern The Emsworth Arms.(The tiny hamlet of Blandings Parva is right outside the castle gates). The beer at the Emsworth Arms is supposed to be good, especially on a warm day. Sir Gregory Parsloe-Parsloe, Baronet, lives in nearby Matchingham Hall, where he rears the Empress of Blandings' rival, the Pride of Matchingham .