It was founded by Sir Richard Abberbury the Elder in 1386 and was bought by Thomas Chaucer before the castle was taken under royal control during the Tudor period.

The Duke of Suffolk William De La Pole made Donnington his occasional residence, and considerably enlarged the buildings.

Only the gatehouse, crested by battlements, survived the castle's destruction in 1646;[4] standing three storeys high, it measures 17.5 by 11.75 feet (5.33 by 3.58 m) internally.

[4] Donnington Castle's close association with the English monarchy dates back to its construction under a license granted by Richard II to the Adderbury family.

Although the castle changed hands several times, it eventually became the property of the royal family, and consequently, many notable figures closely linked to the English monarchy visited Donnington.

Among the most prominent residents of Donnington were Sir Richard Abberbury the Elder, the original owner of the castle and Chamberlain to Anne of Bohemia; Alice Chaucer, Duchess of Suffolk; William de la Pole, 1st Duke of Suffolk; Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk and 1st Viscount Lisle; King Henry VIII; King Edward VI; Queen Elizabeth I; Elizabeth Cooke, Lady Russell; Charles Howard, 1st Earl of Nottingham; John Packer, Parliamentarian, and secretary to George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham; Sir John Boys, the Royalist Governor of Donnington Castle; and Robert Packer, a politician and Member of Parliament.

The castle appeared in the Children's Film Foundation feature A Hitch in Time (1978), starring Patrick Troughton.