Castles and historic properties
Peacocks strut across manicured lawns, children shriek with delight as they try to find their way out of fiendishly difficult mazes, and well-kept gardens dazzle year-round at England’s many historic houses and well-preserved castles. Once inside, enthusiastic curators bring history to life with their expert knowledge and often funny insights into the lives, loves, and artefacts of generations of inhabitants. Castle breaks give you more chances of bumping into the present owners of an English castle, many of whom still live in wings of the properties. Just don’t forget to retrieve your children from that maze before you head home.
Keeping it in the family at Castle Howard
The Howard family has called Castle Howard home for 300 years but their house is your house as you explore one of Yorkshire’s finest historic estates.
Location: York, North Yorkshire
Be royalty for a day at Scarborough Castle
Take an audio tour around the Castle, enjoy breathtaking views from the headland of the North Yorkshire Coast and have tea in a historic building.
Location: Scarborough, North Yorkshire
Be crowned king of the castle in glorious Skipton
Exercise your princely skills at North Yorkshire’s marvelous Norman keep.
Location: Skipton, North Yorkshire
Explore the Norman fortress of Richmond Castle
Built to subdue the unruly North of England, Richmond Castle sits against the stunning backdrop of the Yorkshire Dales.
Location: Richmond, North Yorkshire
Go camping in the grounds of one of England’s finest stately homes
Take the kids camping on a child friendly holiday at Castle Howard near York, where a thousand breath-taking acres await for you to explore.
Location: Malton, North Yorkshire
Discover ‘All Creatures Great and Small’ in Yorkshire
Tour Yorkshire writer and vet James Herriot's original home, recreated to look just as it did in the 1940s, in the picturesque town of Thirsk.
Location: Thirsk, North Yorkshire
Discover North Yorkshire’s heirs and graces
Soak up centuries of style and grandeur as you discover North Yorkshire’s rich tapestry of castles, stately homes and gardens.
Location: Harrogate, Ripon, Masham and Knaresborough, North Yorkshire
Discover the beauty of the Yorkshire Dales
A photographer’s dream, the Yorkshire Dales has many moods – from wild and windswept to quietly tranquil – each dramatically beautiful.
Location: Yorkshire Dales National Park, North Yorkshire
Tales of intrigue, love and war at Ripley Castle
Discover over 700 years of English history through one of the country’s oldest families, and the fascinating castle that they call home.
Location: Ripley Village, North Yorkshire
Explore the stunning medieval Bolton Castle
Experience the incredible atmosphere of Bolton Castle where many of its rooms give the feeling that their inhabitants have just walked out of them.
Location: North Leyburn, North Yorkshire