Bolsover Castle, Chesterfield

A glorious playground to alight the imagination with not one but two castles to explore, Bolsover Castle is one of Derbyshire’s best kept secrets. Young and old will be enchanted by this medieval fortress and ‘Little Castle’, which can be seen from miles around. The family-friendly English Heritage property has loads of hands-on activities as well as educational reference boards strategically placed around the site. Our four year old son and two year daughter brazenly charged around the Castle shrieking in delight as we found new places to uncover. The first place we explored was The Discovery Centre, with a mini castle, dressing-up clothes, castle building blocks and lots of fun resources about the medieval period. My husband and I just had time to catch our breath before the children hot-footed it to the fortresses’ ruins, taking no time to climb the walls and trap themselves inside the servant’s ovens. Here, like all around the site, you’re free to roam at your leisure without feeling that you’ll be in trouble. Don’t forget to wrap-up warm as it did get a bit chilly for us. Another point to remember is to make sure the children take their knight’s costumes and princess outfits to help them get into ‘character’. Don’t worry if you forget, the shop does a good line in swords, armour and pink gowns. A visit to the Little Castle is a must. It’s a magical place with painted walls and ceilings, a spiral staircase, secret passage ways and views of the Vale of Scarsdale. This is the only place that is not accessible for pushchairs but is spacious enough for child-carrying back packs. From here we entered into the glorious fountain garden, spotting yet more secret alcoves. We choose to eat our lunch in the main picnic area where we treated to a free display of sword fighting - the icing on the cake for my little boy. With ample green space around the Castle many families brought Frisbees and balls, which we thought was a good idea. The toilets are sparkling clean with baby changing facilities. Although we didn’t eat in the café, on appearance we couldn’t fault it. Parking is just 50 metres away and the entrance fee is very reasonable with children under five free, and a family pass costing just £20.30. We’re very pleased that Bolsover Castle is no longer a secret to our family and will be sure to return very soon.