My name is Kelly and I’m addicted to Castles…so much so that I may need to change my blog name to Around the World in 80 Castles…actually maybe I should start a new blog all about castles…focus Kelly focus…fancy a little snoop around Rockingham Castle and Deene Park.
I love castle hunting…I’m going to add this to my interests section on my cv…while some folks hunt Lions and Elephants (I hate those people)...I hunt out great little castles in the rolling wet English countryside…it was August bank holiday weekend so of course it rained (and yes I’m only writing about it now!).
My first stop was Rockingham Castle which strangely enough was where I bought my car from…Rockingham not the castle itself. Parking up, I strolled to the entrance of the castle…thinking it was pretty darn cute….
…but my tummy was rumbling and you can’t go castle hunting on an empty tummy so I ventured into the castle cafe for a gluten free feast…Rockingham Castle actually really rocks when it comes to gluten free food…gluten free bun with pork and apple filling, gluten free carrot cake and all washed down with a giant cup of green tea inside the cutest little tea room.
Refueled and with a spring in my step…cake gives me a jolly ol’ spring…I ventured around the courtyard admiring the buildings…
and all the doors and windows…the blocked in windows are due to the old window tax…yes you used to get taxed on how many windows your home had!
Venturing inside and out of the rain, I may have managed a little snap inside…you can’t take photos inside most of the properties which is a bugger really…but I get super excited when a property does allow it (like Burghley House…a bloggers dream!).
^^They use these weapons on bloggers trying to take a sneaky photo or ten inside…just kidding or am I?
The inside of Rockingham Castle is impressive and definitely worth a visit if you’re in the area. Popping back outside, I dug out the soggy umbrella and took a few photos of the rolling English countryside…
…a church…how lovely it must be to say you have a church at the end of the garden!
The gardens were still looking lovely in all that drizzle…
…and I managed to take an obligatory shoevenir shot…my tummy muscles got a bit of a work out trying to lift my legs up to take this photo!
^^and yes that’s my summer tan…pale is interesting! and yes it’s possible to be this blue…I go purple in winter just like Barney!
I’ve got a thing for bobbly bushes now…they seem to be popping up in all the stately homes all across the land including Audley End House. Just wondering if there is a guy that makes your bushes go bobbly – how much does he charge and what does he puts on his business card…is he a bush bobbler…so so many questions!
Thinking that nothing could top Rockingham Castle…I mean look how pretty this castle is…
…I drove to Deene Park
^^Hands down the most beautiful castle setting that you could ever wish for and I hadn’t even left the car park and I was already smitten. Castle, sheep and a weeping willow…perfection!
Until the sheep tried to eat me …just look at those two on the right hand side running towards me…they look like they’re about to swallow me whole…I ran over the farm vibrator as quickly as my chubby long legs could carry me (the cattle thingy so that the animals can’t escape).
But not before taking a photo of a church which was playing hide n seek in the trees…churches truly suck at this game.
It was a hard decision to make…
…but I decided to go to see the house first before indulging in another cup of tea!
Just how cute is that exterior…I just want to live here!
The moment that I walked into the courtyard, I just had one of those breathless moments where you just look around and go wow….a couple walked towards to me and said, “it’s just incredible isn’t it”…yes yes yes…and then we all burst into giggles…it was like stepping into a very soggy fairy tale…okay get ready to see a million and one photos of the courtyard…
…more…
…and more…
…you haven’t begged for mercy yet so will keep going…
…more you said…
..are you suffering from castle fatigue yet…
…RSI from scrolling though the pics…
…what’s the time Mr Wolf…time for me to stop posting pics from the courtyard…you survived…make yourself a cup of tea and collect £200 as you pass Go!
Strangely enough I thought I might be disappointed with the interior as the exterior was just so blooming wonderful however the interior blew my socks off as well. This is definitely my favourite stately home in England now and I can’t wait to return again next year for a picnic in the gardens!
Deene Park is located in the deepest darkest Northamptonshire and you wouldn’t believe it but I meet a New Zealander whom was one of the guides and lives inside the house…he was from Wellington so we had a natter and then he explained about the history of the property…the weirdest but most fabulous thing ever and just proving that us Kiwis really do get around and there are quite a few of us hiding in the shires…possibly with large hairy feet!
You definitely would need to have a car to get to Rockingham Castle and Deene Park if you plan to visit. Located between the two is the English Heritage property, Kirby Hall so you could visit all three in one day if you wanted too.
I used my Historic Houses Membership card at Rockingham Castle (£10.50 entry to the house and gardens) and Deene Park (£9 entry to the house and gardens) and got free entry into both properties – I can’t recommend this membership highly enough, my castle obsession could bankrupt me however this membership has saved me so many pretty pennies.
They say you shouldn’t look back but when this is the view then you should definitely look back one more time!
What’s your favourite castle? Who is up for a road trip to Northamptonshire now?
xx
If you liked this post on Castle Hunting in England: Rockingham Castle and Deene Park then why not come and join me on Twitter, Google+, Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest – I won’t bite!
