May half-term fun at Castle Drogo

This half-term there are lots of family events on at Castle Drogo including crafty castle capers, a bird detective trail and meet the builder’s day.

On Saturday 3 June from 11am-4pm Castle Drogo will be giving visitors the chance to get hands on and learn more about the ongoing building work to make the castle water tight.

In 2013 one of the largest projects ever undertaken by the National Trust began at Castle Drogo. The castle has suffered major structural problems ever since completion which has resulted in serious leaks and water penetration throughout the building. If extensive conservation was not carried out, the castle would eventually have become inaccessible and this national treasure would have been lost forever. The project involves installing a new waterproof system on the roof, refurbish the 913 windows and replace over 60,000 metres of pointing.

During the ‘meet the builders day’ visitors will get the chance to talk to some of the building specialists who are currently working on the castle. There will be displays, demonstrations and activities throughout the day including the chance to have a go at pointing a wall and putting together a window.

There will be some very special behind the scene tours up onto the building site throughout the day (£5 per person, first come, first serve). Places on these tours are limited and height and age restrictions apply, visitors will also need to wear stout cover footwear if they are interested in taking part.

The viewing tower will be open on the day (subject to weather, restrictions apply) giving people the chance to look down onto the roof and see the building work taking place.

Visitor Experience Manager, Rebecca Glover, says: ‘This is a fantastic opportunity to learn more about what is going on at Drogo at the moment and to meet the people who are involved.’

On Tuesday 30 May, 11am-4pm children can take part in crafty castle capers (a small charge applies) and from Saturday 27 May-Sunday 4 June, 11am-4pm children can follow the trail through the garden learning about what birds have made Castle Drogo home (£1, includes a badge as a prize).

Image: Meet the builders by Paul Moody.