5 of the best: UK castles for family stays

Hever Castle, Kent. Copyright Gretta Schifano

My favourite game as a child was Kings, Queens and Princesses. This involved lots of dressing up, flouncing about and bossing around imaginary minions with my brother and sister for hours on end. My sister’s and my bedroom was our castle, but we’d have loved to have stayed in a real one. Here are five of the best castles around the UK where families are welcome to stay – from luxury hotels to B&Bs, self-catering and glamping, there’s a surprisingly wide range of castle accommodation available.

Hever Castle

Hever Castle in Kent was the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, one of King Henry VIII’s wives. Today it’s a brilliant place for a family day out, with an excellent adventure playground, boating lake, water maze, yew maze and historic formal gardens. It’s also has a luxury hotel and golf club in the grounds. Read more in my post Family days out: Hever Castle, Kent.

Bovey Castle

Bovey Castle is a luxury Devon resort and the only hotel in the world to offer a Lego room service menu. It also offers activities such as archery and falconry displays. We stayed there one February half term and really enjoyed it. Read all about our stay in my post Things to do around Bovey Castle and Dartmoor with kids.

Falconery display at Bovey Castle. Copyright Gretta Schifano

Leeds Castle

Leeds Castle in Kent has several great options for guests. You can opt for Knights Glamping in well-equipped Medieval-Style tents, self catering holiday cottages in the grounds, or B&B rooms in the castle’s Stable Courtyard. There’s been a castle here from the 12th century, and at one point it was one of Henry VIII’s royal palaces.

St Briavels Castle

St Briavels Castle is a Youth Hostel in a moated Norman castle in Gloucestershire. The hostel offers private rooms and welcomes families. It was once King John’s hunting lodge and is a great base for exploring the Forest of Dean (check out my post 7 great outdoor activities in the Forest of Dean).

Glenapp Castle

Glenapp Castle is on the Ayrshire coast in Scotland, and has views towards the Isle of Arran. The castle is now a luxury hotel and has some family suites with with interconnecting rooms. There are 36 acres of gardens and woodland and miles of surrounding countryside to explore.

Over to you

Have you ever stayed in a castle? Do you have any recommendations to add to this list?

Disclosure: This post contains some affiliate links, which means that if you clicked through and booked I may receive a small commission. All opinions, images and words are my own, as ever. We were hosted at Bovey Castle for two nights for review purposes.