Sizergh Castle is a National Trust property which is located in South Cumbria in England, about 10 minutes from the M6 motorway means it's easy to get to by car. Public transport isn't so good, there are buses from Kendal and Grange which stop in the vicinity, but they aren't regular and there's still a bit of a walk after that. The nearest train station is 3 miles away in Oxenholme.

The Castle

The castle is a beautiful medieval house, famous for its Elizabethan oak panelled rooms some of which was once housed in the Victoria and Albert Museum, and has now been returned to the castle. It has been home to the Strickland family for over 750 years. The Great Hall was added to the house in 1450, and was extended in 1770.

You can either walk around the house at your own leisure or you can take a guided tour. If you have children, they normally have a quiz for the children to do on the way around, which involves them having to search for information. This information is either on the boards or can be found around the rooms by examining the furniture and paintings. There are 3 quizzes which suit different ages of children.

The rooms are beautifully laid out and there's such a lot to see in each room that it can take some time to get though them all. There are several levels in the castle, and one of the spiral staircases is extremely steep, although you don't have to go down this staircase there is an alternative route.

There is supposed to be a ghost associated with the castle. The ghost is said to be that of a woman who was locked in the castle and starved to death by her husband, nice chap!

The Garden

The garden is spilt into different areas. The vegetable garden, all the vegetables grown in the castle grounds are used in the castle restaurant.

The lime stone rock garden, which is a relatively new addition to the castle (it was added in 1926), but already has the honour of being the largest lime stone rock garden owned by the National Trust. They have a wildflower garden, a water garden and a small rose garden. Also in the grounds you'll find a lake and a small lawn.

Walking through the lawned area and away from the castle, you'll eventually come upon the barn.

The Barn

Obviously an old barn, this area is used for different things throughout the year. Most of the activities are based around fund craft for the children. For example during Halloween they set out tables with masks and paints/glue/glitter etc for the children to decorate. They also have people there to show the children how to make spiders and witches hats, amongst other things. At Christmas they did something similar, with the children making Christmas decorations.

Then another time of year they'll have an exhibition of country crafts, so they'll have people spinning wool on a wheel, or weaving with an old fashioned loom.

Restaurant and Shop

As I mentioned earlier, the restaurant uses vegetables grown in their own gardens. There are indoor and outdoor tables, and they sell full meals and snacks, as well as hot and cold drinks. The restaurant is quite popular and can often get full at peak times. The restaurant is also licensed for anyone who's not driving and fancies a drink.

The shop sells mostly National Trust souvenirs, with a few souvenirs that are limited to Sizergh Castle. They also sell plants, depending on the time of year.

Accessibility

There is limited access to the Castle for people in wheelchairs, they are only able to access the ground floor, where there's a limited amount exhibited. Obviously this is also a problem for pushchairs, but the castle provides baby slings and hip carrying infant seats.

Dogs are permitted on the public footpaths, but they are not allowed in the grounds themselves.

Opening Times and Admission

Unusually the castle is not open on Friday's and Saturday's, which you'd think would be their busiest days. But as the family still live there, they obviously want the weekend to themselves. So the opening hours are

Castle: 15 Mar-1 Nov 09 12--5* Monday to Thursday, plus Sunday
Garden: 15 Mar-1 Nov 09 11-5 Monday to Thursday, plus Sunday
Café/shop: 1 Feb-8 Mar 09 11-4 Saturday and Sunday
15 Mar-1 Nov 09 11-5 Monday to Thursday, plus Sunday
7 Nov-31 Jan 10 11-4 Saturday and Sunday

* Guided tours from 12-1, ordinary opening from 1pm onwards.

Admission to Castle and Grounds: £6.80, child 3.45, family £17.05, family (1 adult & up to 3 children)£ 10.25. Groups £6.40.

Garden only: £4.45, child £2.25. Groups £4.15.

Reduced rate when arriving by cycle or public transport.

Extras

The National Trust put on different events during the year, for instance, this year they are staging A Midsummer Night's Dream in the gardens.

They also have a single cottage that is available to hire, which accommodates 8 and prices range from £445 per week in January, up to £1501 in August.

My thoughts

I love this castle, it's a great day out for a family. Unlike many places they cater extremely well for children, and they are unlikely to get bored here. Even if they're not overly interested in anything historical, the barn has some great activities and the lawned garden offers a great place for them to run around.

One of the days we went to the castle the fire alarms sounded because some work they were having done. The staff were excellent and made sure that everyone exited the castle with no panic whatsoever. My only complaint was that it went off at the exact moment my ear was about 5 inches from the alarm, and I was almost deafened!! (Not their fault of course).

The food in the restaurant is lovely, if a little expensive. But for the quality of the food and the freshness I think it's well worth paying that little bit more. The shop is expensive though, although I think the prices are standard across all the National Trust properties. Many of the items they sell could be bought elsewhere at a fraction of the price.

The garden is my favourite place though, there are lots of wonderful beds and shrubs, the displays are superb and the scents are wonderful. There are plenty of spots to sit and relax and look out onto lovely scenes. From the gardens you can also see views of the Low Furness Hills and across Morecambe Bay.