Warwick Castle becomes The Haunted Castle this Halloween

Until October 31st, Warwick Castle is hosting six all new spooky attractions turning it into The Haunted Castle in the week leading up to Halloween. We were invited along to join in the fun and experience the family thrills and scares. Warwick Castle stays open until 9 pm everyday of The Haunted Castle event, giving some after dark excitement to the bravest visitors.

During the day, families can get lost in time and enjoy the all new Horrible Histories Maze. Children can explore gruesome eras in history from the Terrible Tudors to the Stomin' Normans to the Vicious Vikings, as they attempt to re-order history and escape the maze. Along the way, you stamp a passport and once completed, it can be exchanged for a treat in the castle shop. There is so much to learn and Freddy really enjoyed it.

The Haunted Hollows walk-through is a magical trail filled with spooky secrets where fairy tales become scary tales. You encounter a friendly washerwoman, a grumpy gargoyle and a mysterious scarecrow as you make your way to the Witch's garden where golden vegetables grow. There are bats, spiders, skeletons and crows to spot as you explore the haunted hollows. As darkness falls, things get more eerie!

The Warwick Castle courtyard is decorated with hay bails and pumpkins giving it a seasonal makeover. There are spooky stories brought to life by resident storytellers and little wizards and witches can help the witches of Warwick conjure up spells in The Witches Tower. Eagles, Owls and Vultures take to the skies in the Flight of the Eagles show. The birds are utterly magnificent!

Included in your ticket price, is a brand new live action horror mazes Tormented, which has a 5 pumpkin scare rating! It tells the story of a woman tormented by the malevolent spirit of a man excused of murdering her family. With creepy dolls, unnerving special effects and doctors trying to cure the poor tormented woman of her 'condition', this is not for the faint hearted. Don't take the kids into these mazes. (Somebody in my group did and the poor girl had hysterics and had to be escorted out in tears.) You have to collect a free timed ticket for Tormented, returning at a set time to enter. Tormented opens at 12 pm.

Outbreak 1349, which is a free-flow attraction, opens at 5 pm. You come face to face with the plague ridden residents of Warwick Castle. Can you escape the Black Death?

After dark, the action hots up as fearless knights take part in a thrilling fire joust and the trebuchet catapults a fireball in an exciting demonstration. 

With the spectacular state rooms and Great Hall, Kingmaker, the towers and ramparts, the mound, the mill, the gaol and the Time Tower to explore, there is so much to see and do. We took an autumnal walk in the landscaped gardens and enjoyed a coffee in the conservatory overlooking the Peacock Garden watching the birds proudly strutting about. It is a lovely place for wandering about in the beautiful grounds, getting some fresh air and exercise and of course making leaf angels!

The Castle Dungeon (extra charge applies) completes the scary attractions on offer this Halloween. You can make a short break out of your visit by arranging a sleepover in the new Knight's Village.

We had a really good day and enjoyed learning about the history of the castle in such an interactive way. The Halloween attractions certainly added some spooky fun and make Warwick Castle a great choice this half term.

Find out more and book tickets at www.warwick-castle.com.

June in Pictures

We Met Mike the Knight at Warwick Castle

Yesterday we were lucky enough to be invited to the first of the Mike the Knight weekends at Warwick Castle.  We were blessed with glorious sunshine, and it was the perfect day for Freddy, my own little knight in training, to learn all about Mike the Knight's chivalrous code with the motto "Be a Knight, Do it Right!"

The setting for the event is just perfect.  Warwick Castle is a fabulous Merlin attraction which is easily accessible from junction 15 of the M40.  It is a great family day out with lots to see and do including live combat shows featuring the Warwick Warriors, the Flight of the Eagles show, the Kingmaker exhibition and actor led tours of the State Rooms and Great Hall.  Families can have fun in the Castle Courtyard and explore the ancient Towers and Ramparts or enjoy wandering around the beautiful grounds beside the river.

During the special Mike the Knight weekends there are also a range of medieval missions for pre-schoolers to embark on.  (These activities are all free of charge and included in the Warwick Castle entry price.) They can practice their archery skills with Mike's Target Test.  Jump on a trusty steed and race in Gallahad's Gallop. Go on a voyage of discovery with Sparkie and Squirt in the Dragon Egg Hunt.  Build a wall for the Glendragon Castle. Make a Mr Cuddles in the Colour and Craft Tent. Cast a magical spell at Evie's Workshop and even get their faces painted with a special Medieval Mike the Knight design.  Each task is rewarded with a sticker and when the missions are completed, the little knights receive a small gift for their hard work.  Little ones will learn a whole host of chivalrous lessons such as listening skills, good manners and helpfulness along the way.

Freddy had an excellent time taking part in all the activities, helped by his big sisters.  They met up with their cousins, Addy and Dyl, who were also attending the event with their family.  Together they embarked on  the quest to find the dragon eggs which lead us around the grounds of the castle.  They loved it!  We visited the Mill, the Peacock Gardens and the Birds of Prey before ending our adventure at the top of the Mound.  It was a great way to explore and discover new things.  Freddy was slightly disappointed not to see a real live dragon hatching from the final egg, but we explained to him that it had flown away!

In front of the castle is a brilliant sand sculpture depicting Warwick Castle, Glendragon and Buckingham Palace.  The 5m x 6m structure weighs in at over 30 tonnes and brings a taste of the seaside to Warwick.  There is also a sandpit for children to try to create their own sandcastle and enter a competition to create Britain's Ultimate Sandcastle.  Kids can also get to meet and greet Mike the Knight himself and have their photo taken with the CBeebies favourite.  The queues to see Mike can get quite long, but at the end of the day we didn't have to wait too long at all.

We really had a wonderful day.  There was so much for us all to do, and it was lovely to see Freddy join in with all the fun activities on offer. He is so much more confident these days and loves seizing every opportunity to have fun!

The next Mike the Knight weekend is the 6th and 7th July.  

A new series of Mike the Knight is due to air this summer on CBeebies.

Find out more about Warwick Castle at www.warwick-castle.com

Keep up to date with Glendragon news on Mike the Knight's Facebook page or visit the website at www.miketheknight.com or follow Mike the Knight on Twitter @MiketheKnightUK

February In Pictures

Visiting Warwick Castle

Over half term we visited Warwick Castle.  Freddy loves castles and magic and swords, so was immediately in his element playing at being Harry Potter or Mike the Knight.  

He loved climbing the ramparts (coping with all 553 steep stone steps!), pretending to shoot arrows from the little windows of the castle and running over the cobbled pathways.

He was fascinated with the exhibitions where he got to touch bows and arrows and wear a helmet (although he wasn't too keen on how heavy it was!)

He played in the playground which was perfect for little princes and princesses to let off steam.  My favourite moment was when he tried out the stocks.  He really played the part well!  Bless him.

Warwick Castle is a great day out for families who are interested in history.  It really fired up Freddy's imagination and it was a delight to see him engaged in his role play.