Christmas at the castle
“COME on I can see the next clue” shouted my eight-year-old daughter as we ran through the Warwick Castle grounds on the Christmas scavenger hunt.
We were running because there is so much to do at the castle and we were trying to cram in the Horrible Histories Maze, Princess Tower, Stories with Santa and Christmas scavenger hunt all before lunch to give us time to explore the towers and battlements in the afternoon.
If you’re looking for a picture book castle that looks just like a toy castle or a drawing from a children’s history of the Norman conquest the Merlin Entertainments owned Warwick Castle is the place. There are battlements, gatehouses, walls, portcullises and a reconstructed trebuchet. In the main gatehouse it’s even possible to guess where the gaps in the roof once were for the castle’s defenders to throw rocks and pour boiling oil on any invading force.
The Time Tower and the Kingmaker exhibition give a glimpse of the castle’s history and the prominent role its former aristocratic owners played in the power struggles of medieval England.
But our six and eight-year-old girls opted to concentrate on the lighter side of the attraction. We began with the Horrible Histories Maze with stamps to collect at each historical era and regular appearances from Rattus Rattus familiar to watchers of the Children’s BBC Horrible Histories Programme.
On the way out of the maze is the first Christmas Scavenger Hunt clue. After that it was a mad dash to find each clue between our timed slots at the Princess Tower and Stories with Santa. The hunt is ideal for kids as it encourages them to visit parts of the castle they might otherwise not be motivated to see - the hunt took us to the mill and engine house on one side of the grounds and the Peacock Garden on the other side.
After lunch the visit finished with a walk on the battlements and a climb up the 12 sided 39 metre high Guy’s Tower for a view over Warwick and the Warwickshire countryside. The children’s verdict Ashling, aged eight said: “The Horrible Histories Maze was really good but to get the point you have to have watched the television programmes otherwise you don’t know what the rat is doing there. I think the ideal age for the Princess Tower is three to six. Seeing the peacocks was great. I liked how they were free to wander around.”
Eilish aged six said: “I really liked the Stories with Santa. There are lots of things to see at Warwick Castle. There is a gift shop and a café.” Activities we did Horrible histories maze This is great for primary school pupils, especially ones that have read Terry Deary’s Horrible Histories books or seen the popular BBC series. We loved making our way round the maze to find displays on different historical eras. The princess tower A staff member dressed in beautiful robes invited us to book on the to the princess tower experience for no extra cost. The experience is just right for three to eight-year-olds and enchanted both girls and boys who signed up. It has all the ingredients for a great princess fairy tale – a dramatic rescue, a handsome prince trapped for generations, a riddle and true love overcoming all. Stories with Santa Children were ushered into the Victorian section of the castle for an elf to read “The Night Before Christmas.” Then it was on to another room for fun poems and a photo opportunity with the man himself. Younger children got the most out of this experience. This activity needs to be booked and paid for in advance. Christmas scavenger hunt Children can pick up a leaflet at the entrance to the Horrible Histories Maze. There are six stamps to find in the maze and five letters to find around the castle grounds – each letter has a clue to the next one. My kids enjoyed both these challenges. The letter hunt was particularly good as it took us to parts of the castle grounds we might not otherwise have visited including the mill and the Peacock Gardens. Children can take their completed leaflets to the gift shop for a small prize. Activities we didn’t do The castle dungeon This looks scary in a fun kind of way with actors in costumes leaping out and spooky special effects but is not recommended for children under 10. My children are six and eight so we didn’t do this. There is an extra charge. It costs £9 to buy a ticket once inside the castle. It’s cheaper for those who pay when they buy castle tickets. Winter birds of prey display These beautiful creatures are displayed at set times (see programme for the day you visit) on a grassy area near the Peacock Gardens but sadly we didn’t have time to see this.