If beds could talk...the antique four-poster dates back to at least 1608

Its extraordinary history was uncovered when retailers Furniture Village embarked on a search for the UK’s oldest piece of furniture still in use.

Marketing director Charlie Harrison said: “The Berkeley Castle bed offers compelling evidence that nothing can beat British furniture when it comes to craftsmanship and durability.”

The grade I building, which is open to visitors, is believed to be the oldest private castle in England still inhabited by the family that built it.

By Anna Pollitt. Images: Furniture Village

Britain's 400-year-old bed