Castleton Plantation

The Castleton Plantation is located in the Kurseong area of Darjeeling and is one of the region’s best-known and most historic tea gardens. Its history dates back to 1885. The plantation was founded by Dr. Charles Graham. The garden was formerly known as Kumseri. The current name, Castleton, is said to derive from a nearby building that resembled a castle.

The cultivation areas extend across elevations ranging from approximately 980 to 2,300 meters. The area planted with tea is about 170 hectares. Annual production is reported to be approximately 30,545 kilograms of tea. Castleton is now part of the Goodricke Group and is one of the most famous Darjeeling plantations in the Kurseong and Pankhabari areas.

Another aspect of the plantation’s history is that individual garden sections are designated not by numbers but by traditional names. These names are often linked to local history and the landscape. To this day, Castleton is regarded as a historically significant and tradition-rich plantation within the Darjeeling growing region.