Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Visiting Castles in the UK

Fodor's Travel Talk Forums (https://www.fodors.com/community/)

- Europe (https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/)

- - Visiting Castles in the UK (https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/visiting-castles-in-the-uk-52341/)

Visiting Castles in the UK

I promised my 14 year old daughter that I would take her to the U.K. next year. I told her she needs to start doing some research now if she wants to go. One of her interests is visiting castles. Do you know of any websites that would give her any information about walking tours of British castles? (guided or self-guided) Also, we would like to visit Portmeiron in Wales, the site of where the television program "The Prisoner" was filmed. Are there any websites that would help plan interesting places to visit in Wales? One more thing. I have a cousin in Budapest that we would like to visit. Is there any tourist information about Budapest on the Internet? Thanks, Bruce and Beth Gordon

A couple of web sites you might like to try for starters are the English Hertage site at www.english-heritage.org.uk , they look after many national monuments including some castles. The second is the National Trust site at www.nationaltrust.org.uk again some castles on this one plus historic houses and some lovely gardens. Hope this helps.

Dear Mr Goirdon, Congratulations. Often, questions on the web about touring with children show no signs that the parents asked the children what they like. For castles: www.aboutscotland.co.uk/castles/castles.html www.walesdirectory.co.uk/maps/castles.htm The great Welsh castles are grouped in North Wales. Portmerion http://www.infinityweb.force9.co.uk/Sarnfaen/p4.htm and http://www.portmeirion.co.uk/ is some fifteen miles north of Harlech, one of the main castles http://www.data-wales.co.uk/harlech.htm. Some pleasant small trains run between them all. Kent boasts two fine abandoned castles in line: Rochester and Dover. Rochester : http://www.emas.demon.co.uk/castles/rochest/main.htm Dover: http://www.durley.demon.co.uk/surround/21.html and http://www.daysout.co.uk/colourapore/IA053.html When I say abandoned, we gave up use of the basement of Dover as fortress in 1990. Third, for Hungary you might try //www.fsz.bme.hu/hungary/intro.html and //www.hungary.com/. There's a large, well-preserved and romantic castle at Sarospatak, with the advantage that the pubs sell Tokay sweet white by the glass. Please don't let your daughter try it: she'd like it. For Budapest perhaps //www.fsz.bme.hu/hungary/budapest/budapest.html Please write if I can help further. Youare both welcome to Wales. Ben Haines

Hi! I stumbled on the following site about castles one evening and wound up reading it till the wee hours.. http://www.castles-of-britain.com/index.htm Enjoy! Denise

I find that castles are of two kinds - the ruins and the furnished. I like the ruined ones which are easy to see in a short time but usually have interesting sites. In southen england, i enjoyed the nunny castle. I just got back from scotland. Perhaps the most interesting castle I ever visited is on the scotland/england border - Threave Castle near Castle Douglas. If you go to scotland, get the guide from Scotland heritage

That was Historic Scotland

We took our 13 year old son and 16 year old daughter to England in July. They were reluctant to do any research beforehand but loved every castle we went to and bought books at each gift shop to learn more about the history of each site. As an internet novice I wasn't able to find a lot of the above listed sites. They sound great. I did get addresses and wrote to many places for brochures, however. I received lots of info on castles and surrounding areas this way. If (or maybe I should say when) we go again I will ask that everything be mailed right to the kids. They love to get mail, and would've read anything sent directly to them.

Don't miss Warwick Castle - we've discussed it on this forum before, but it is full of things which would interest a teenager: a display (made by the same people who make the wax figures for Madame Tussaud's Museum) which shows everyday life in a castle in the Middle Ages. The horse which is getting shoed blows frosty breath from his nose and the water "sizzles" when the hot horseshoe is lowered into it. It's fun and informative. (And it's also a very short distance to Stratford which will be a boon to your daughter when she studies Shakespeare in school if she hasn't already.) Have a great time!

I have to agree with Judy and advise Warwick castle - remember to call it Warrick (w is silent) and impress the locals. While I don't know much about the north of Wales (lived in Swansea) central Wales is quite beautiful if somewhat less inhabited.

Dear Bruce, I visit the British Monarchy official webpage http://www.royal.gov.uk/ It has a section on historic palaces still owned by the monarchy or by the government -- Buckingham, Tower of London, Windsor, Kensington, etc. http://www.hrp.org.uk/ If your daughter likes Prince William, there are pictures of him, Diana, etc. on the site or linked to the site. If she looks further on the sites linked to the official webpage, she can get the "history of the British Monarchy" -- as far as 100 AD. I visited London and some cities last July to Aug and enjoyed my trip. I hope to visit again in the future. Thus, I am creating a webpage (about UK) -- for travelers to London and UK; so that the information needed for the travel (just like those contained in many postings here in this forum) will be better organized. So if your daughter will consider, I would be interested to include "her research", as a section on the webpage -- if it is researched well. When she comes back, it would be nice to include her experience also on such a webpage. I hope those who have replied so far (as well as the future visitors will help in the setup of the webpage about their travels in London and UK. CGC -- 990907