Lewes Castle: East Sussex, England

Number 8 - Lewes castle

Lewes was a real gem. It's based in the middle of Lewes town centre, kind of behind the high street. If you've not been to lewes before, it's worth a visit. Lovely little vintage and antique shops, independent boutiques and sweet cafes and restaurants. 

When we got to the castle you could see straight way it was going to be good. Lots of turrets, walkways and gorgeous gardens. You could even buy weeds.... though why you'd want to do that, I don't know. 

As an added bonus, there was a musician rehearsing for a concert which was happening that night in the gardens, so we got to listen to some beautiful guitar music as we wandered round.

 

Lewes castle is run by Sussex Past, it's a 1000 year old Norman castle and we visited it on a lovely day in July 2011. It's in pretty good nic considering how old it is. 

Once in the main part of the castle, it snaked round to a mound which took you higher and higher. At the top another separate bit of the castle appeared. It's much bigger than it first looks and there is lots to see and admire.

To be honest, the main highlight of the trip came when we happened upon a dressing up and props room with gowns, furs, and a fake catapult. 

 

It was a dream come true, and yes, we tried as much on as possible before any little kiddywinks interrupted us.

Cost: £7 approx

Hints and tips: There isn't a car park so you'll need to park in Lewes, take some loose change with you.

If you want to know more about why we're doing this, read my first blog!

Bolebroke Castle: Kent, England

Number 7 - Bolebroke Castle

What a lovely time was had at Bolebroke Castle in July 2011. 

We were camping at a rather brilliant camp site near Ashdown Forest where we had marshmallows over the fire and were able to fish, which Chloe's other half really enjoys.

We discovered Bolebroke was relatively close so decided to pay it a visit. We parked nearby and walked up the lane.

It looked more like a house than a castle, and I think they do B&B, though I can't comment on how good this is as we didn't stay there. The building itself seemed to have lots of varying elements which looked like they had been built at different points over time. Apparently Henry VIII used to stay there, he got around didn't he?!

The castle had a mini railway which we decided to have a little go on. We were the only ones there so were treated like guests of honour. It took us on a journey all round the grounds, passed a huge lake, and was pretty darn fun!

We didn't go inside the castle as we didn't need any grub, and it seemed to be a working restaurant. But it had beautiful grounds and was lovely from the outside.

Being Winnie the Pooh territory, we also went to place where the characters played Pooh sticks in the A.A. Milne's stories, which was rather delightful. 

Cost: We didn't actually go inside the castle itself, so the only payout was on the mini railway.

Hints and tips: I think you'd need to do something at the castle, whether that is eat or go on the mini train, in order to justify being there. You couldn't just wander round without doing that I don't think.