Five Medieval castles your children WILL want to visit - and what Jack the Knight would make of each one!

By Chris Livemore

There is a moment, when you walk through the gatehouse of a genuinely old castle with a small child, that is unlike almost anything else you can experience.

They actually go quiet.

Not bored quiet. Not tired quiet. Proper, full-body awe quiet. It's amazing.

The sudden realisation that this enormous stone place has been standing for nearly a thousand years, which is older than the Aztec Empire. That real people lived here, argued here, defended it, built it, and that the world is much bigger and older than anyone had previously explained (see previous posts about what it was like growing up in the 'olden days' and where knights would travel!).

Their imaginations run wild. Did knights fight here? Has a dragon flown over the castle turret? Who was the princess that lived in that room? How could you breach the castle's defences? I could go on and on with the questions, but they are really the ones that I ask each time I visit one, sorry, I meant that my kids ask...honest.

The awe-inspired silence lasts about forty-five seconds.

Then someone needs a snack, or remembers that they desperately need to go to the toilet and have been holding a wee in (or worse) for the best part of 2 hours and 43 minutes - the joys of parenthood - and now need to rush to the bathroom quicker than the speed of light.

But those forty-five seconds are worth everything.

England has more medieval castles than almost anywhere on earth (not Wales, I will put together a Welsh castles blog in the near future), and many are now brilliantly set up for families. Cafés, dressing up, towers to climb, walls to run along, jousts, archery - they really are all singing and dancing days out.

In fact, all that sounds so good you might even consider leaving the children at home. But here are five of the best that England has to offer that the whole family will enjoy. What would you add to the list and have you been to any of these?

I. Warwick Castle (Warwickshire)

If Jack could visit just one castle, it would be this.

Warwick is big, loud, and gloriously over-the-top, in the best possible way. Jousting. Trebuchets. Towers. Dungeons. Proper, full-day adventure. The trebuchet alone is worth the trip, a giant medieval catapult launching objects the size of a small car through the air. It turns out this is equally thrilling for five-year-olds and forty-year-olds.

Dates way back to 914!

THE GOOD KNIGHT Connection: This is The Tournament in real life (wait for Book 4 in The Good Knight series). The castle is expensive, very commercialised but packed full with activity and fun that will create memories that last a lifetime. Booking ahead is encouraged. The castle is located just 15 minutes drive from Stratford-upon-Avon so you can double up your historical break with a visit to Shakespeare's birthplace too.

II. Bodiam Castle (Sussex)

This is the castle that children draw, it is the castle I drew as a child.

Moat. Towers. Drawbridge. The perfect castle. If you asked a five-year-old to design a castle, they’d show you something that closely resembled Bodiam Castle. It’s also wonderfully explorable, roofless, open, and full of places to climb, peer, and imagine. Inside, there’s dressing up, storytelling, and just enough gruesome detail to keep things interesting. There's also lots of stuff for the kids to do.

THE GOOD KNIGHT Connection:This looks exactly like Jack’s castle. Expect immediate character room assignments. Before visiting it is important to note that there is a lot of uneven ground throughout, you do need to supervise the kids enthusiastically as a result and I would 100% recommended sturdy footwear - not a place for flipflops.

III. Dover Castle (Kent)

This is the serious one - and the one that I've visited the most over the years. You even get to shoot bows and arrows!

Massive. Strategic. Layered with history from 1066 through to World War II. It is awesome. The Great Tower is arguably the greatest highlight, fully restored, immersive, and genuinely feels like you've stepped back in time. Older children especially love the underground tunnels. As a bonus there are views across to France on a clear day.

THE GOOD KNIGHT Connection: This is what castle life actually looked like. Thick walls, narrow stairs, echoing halls, it’s all here. It is probably my favourite castle

Practical note: Best for 5+. There’s a lot to take in for little legs.

IV. Beeston Castle (Cheshire)

The hidden gem. It is like you are stepping right into a fairytale, it is a magical experience.

Less polished. More wild. Arguably more fun. Perched on a rocky hill, Beeston feels like a quest just to reach. The climb is steep, the ruins are open, and the views stretch for miles. There’s also a legend of hidden treasure, which is exactly the kind of detail that transforms a day out into a mission and keeps the kids very busy and for the most part quiet (well, until they want an ice cream).

THE GOOD KNIGHT Connection: This is for children who want to be Jack, not just read about him. I would say that Beeston is not the most buggy-friendly of the castles on this list. But it is absolutely worth the effort. It is a great day out for all the family.

V. Carisbrooke Castle (Isle of Wight)

The one with the donkeys. Yes, really.

Carisbrooke has working donkeys turning a medieval treadwheel, drawing water from a well exactly as they did hundreds of years ago. For children, this is the thing that lands. A real animal, doing a real job, in a real castle. History, instantly understood. Enough entertainment to keep you going for 3-4 hours (there's honestly more to see than the donkeys - the castle keep is brilliant and English Heritage have a great tea room there too).

THE GOOD KNIGHT Connection: This is the world of THE GOOD KNIGHT in physical form, warm, slightly chaotic, full of detail. Fire Pud would love the donkeys.The donkeys might disagree and would likely leave the castle grounds after a day or two. The journey does require a ferry ride, but with children this only adds to the adventure.

A castle conclusion

Every castle on this list is hundreds of years old. Every stone was placed by hand. Every wall was built to defend something that mattered. Every one has bucketfuls of history just waiting to be explored.

And every single one will make a child go quiet for about forty-five seconds before they ask for a snack or you have to rush them to the toilet! With sunnier weather just around the corner why not start planning a medieval road trip.

The look on your children's face is worth it every time.

Nb. you can find a lot more information about the castles you can visit on the English Heritage site - https://www.english-heritage.org.uk