Highclere Castle
BEST FOR
Ages 0-4
WHERE
Newbury
What it’s like
A grand castle tour, Egyptian artefacts from the Tutankhamun connection, and gardens to wander with a pushchair before or after.
This is the castle you'll recognise from the telly, and the tour takes you through the state rooms and the Egyptian Exhibition, which covers the family's connection to the Tutankhamun discovery. That exhibition is the bit to save for last if you've got an older child with you, it's the one with the proper story attached rather than just admiring the furniture.
Under-fours get in free and don't need a ticket, which is one less thing to sort. Pushchairs are welcome across the grounds and lawns, but you'll need to leave them at the Entrance Hall if you're touring the castle itself, so factor in carrying a small one or having a baby carrier as backup. Most tours need booking ahead of time, though general admission sometimes opens up during Easter and summer holidays without it.
Picnics aren't allowed in the gardens, which feels like a faff if you've packed sandwiches, but you can head back to the car and eat there instead. Dogs are a no as well, guide dogs excepted. The tearooms open from 9:30am and do coffee, lunch and hot takeaway food like paninis, pasties and baguettes with local sausages, so there's a proper stop built in if the castle tour runs long.
Some parts of the castle are only reachable if you can walk unaided at a reasonable pace, worth knowing if anyone in your group needs a slower route round. Wheelchairs can be hired but you'll need someone to push, as there's no escort service.
Facilities
Need to know
- Best for
- Under 4s, who get in free while older kids enjoy the tour
- Booking
- Most tours require advance pre-booking
- Food
- Tearooms open from 9:30am with morning coffee, lunch items and hot takeaway food such as paninis, pasties and baguettes with local sausages
- Picnics
- Not permitted in the gardens or grounds
- Pushchairs
- Welcome in gardens and grounds
- Wheelchairs
- Manual wheelchairs available to hire
- Dogs
- Guide dogs only. Other dogs not permitted on the grounds
- Under-fours are free and skip the ticket entirely
- Leave pushchairs at the Entrance Hall for the castle tour, bring a carrier if you can
- Some rooms are only reachable if you can walk unaided at a decent pace
- Picnics are car-park only, not in the gardens
Plan your visit
Do we need to book ahead?
Most tours do need advance booking. During Easter and summer holidays there's sometimes general admission without it.
Is it free for young children?
Under-fours get in free and don't need a ticket at all.
Can we bring a pushchair?
Pushchairs are fine around the grounds and lawns. For the castle tour itself you leave them at the Entrance Hall, so a baby carrier is worth having as backup.
What's there for food?
The tearooms open from 9:30am with coffee, lunch items and hot takeaway like paninis, pasties and baguettes with local sausages.
Can we have a picnic?
Not in the gardens or grounds. You can eat one in the car park if you've brought your own.
Are dogs allowed?
Guide dogs only, other dogs aren't permitted on the grounds.
Is it accessible for wheelchairs?
Manual wheelchairs can be hired and there are accessible rooms and an accessible exhibition. There's no escort service though, so someone in your group will need to push.
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