Hello everyone 😀
It was the last day of half-term, and we had a trip to our local castle planned … an adventure packed with plenty of things to keep Sir Bobbalot entertained, including The Great Storybook Escape!
I love a day out that doesn’t require too much travel, and honestly, it had been years since I last visited the castle. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect.
Back in the day … when Saturdays meant hanging out in town as a teenager … entry to the castle was free for residents. I have fond memories of dashing around in the rain, playing epic games of hide and seek. I also remember spending hours researching its history for my Girl Guides local history badge.
Over time, the castle has become more of a ‘proper’ tourist attraction, which unfortunately means no more free entry. That said, our visit for four (two adults, Sir Bobbalot, and Nanny) cost just under £40 … not bad compared to other attractions. By the end of the day, we all agreed it was well worth it!
The Adventure Begins We parked up in Silver Street and made our way under the gatehouse, pausing for our first selfie of the day with Aethelfled … because what’s a day out without a selfie?
Then, we strolled through the park and up the slope to the entrance, where the wind was really making itself known. If you look closely, you can even see Rapunzel’s hair blowing wildly in the breeze!
Nanny and I went on ahead while Sir Bobbalot made a quick dash back to the car … he’d forgotten his helmet! (A knight must always be prepared.)
Once fully kitted out and ready for adventure, our favorite knight and his noble steed (aka Martin) caught up, and we were off to uncover the mysteries of The Great Storybook Escape!
Into the Castle Armed with activity sheets and maps, we stepped into the ancient courtyard, where our first challenge awaited: finding something that belonged to Jack. It wasn’t long before we spotted a beanstalk creeping up against the medieval wall passage … perfect for a knight in shining armor (or at least a very cool helmet).
From there, we made our way across the courtyard and down into the dungeon …
… where we obviously had to test out the stocks!
Suiting Up in the Armoury Next stop: the armoury. And let me tell you, we could have stayed there all day!
There was dressing up galore …
… and a whole array of medieval weaponry to try out. Don’t worry, all under strict supervision … no actual battles broke out!
Games, Treasures, and Parapet Patrol After finally dragging ourselves away from the armoury, we took a break for a game of Nine Men’s Morris before checking out a section of the Staffordshire Hoard …
The gold artifacts were stunning, but Sir Bobbalot was far more interested in a giant game of snakes and ladders. (Fair enough!)
Then, it was time to cross the parapet …
… standing guard and warding off imaginary enemies along the way!
After all that excitement, we explored a newer part of the castle before heading off for some much-needed sustenance …
A Feast Fit for a Knight Lunch was at our local garden centre … because adventuring works up an appetite!
And since no day out is complete without one final burst of energy, we stopped at the play park to let Sir Bobbalot blow off some steam …
We wrapped up our adventure with one last challenge: meeting some giant cockroaches! (Yes, really).
All in all, it was a fantastic day … history, adventure, and a little bit of everything in between. Safe to say, Sir Bobbalot slept very well that night!
🏰🏰🏰🏰🏰🏰🏰🏰🏰🏰🏰🏰🏰🏰🏰
In the interest of honesty and transparency I just want to let you know that I tried something a bit different with this post.
I wrote it myself, as normal, but thought I’d just run it though Chat GPT, an AI Chatbot, to see what it would do with my writing.
I asked it to make the post engaging and friendly and I quite like what it did with it … what did you think? Did it
sound different?
It’s not something I’m planning on doing regularly but I felt I ought to at least try and keep up with the times 😜
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