Family day out: Bodiam Castle, Sussex
My daughter spun the wheel. ‘Did I live or die?’ she asked curiously. Checking the result, she had managed to withstand the plague for the third time… a better rate than the medieval peasant she was pretending to be at Bodiam Castle.
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I, inevitably, had succumbed to the Black Death on the first spin, despite my alter ego of lady of the manor.
For my four-year-old, Bodiam Castle in East Sussex, was already proving a hit. Just one of the family-friendly activities dotted around the ruins, we moved on to discover more… before her luck ran out!
When you look at the castle, its battlements reflected in the moat, it’s the very image of a medieval castle. Turrets, arrow slits, murder holes, all surrounded by water and grounds.
Today, much of the interior is gone although the walls have been restored and repaired to give an idea of its former magnificence.
Because in its day, it would have been palatial. Built by Sir Edward Dallingridge (or Dalyngrigge) after his success in the Hundred Years war left him with influence, power and money, the 14th century structure had 33 fireplaces and glass in its windows. Positively luxurious.
Unlike life for the gong scourers. Minnie was torn between outraged disgust and intrigued fascination at the idea children might be sent in to clear out ‘blockages’ in the garderobe’s primitive sewers.
Assuming it would be caused by too much toilet paper, I had to point out just why that wouldn’t have been the case. Her jaw almost bounced off the floor.
It was just one of the many examples of the way the National Trust has made the castle quite so family-friendly.
Yes, there’s plenty for adults on medieval life, history, its place in everything from the Wars of the Roses to the Second World War, but at every corner there’s something to entertain and educate kids too.
It begins at the entrance, when you discover what your position would have been in 14th century society.
If you play by the rules for this medieval Game of Life, you can win or lose points, wealth and power as you go around – we didn’t stick rigidly to the game but even so you can dip in and out, spinning wheels and chancing your luck. We had less good fortune up against outlaws in the forest.
As you step in to the castle itself, there’s dressing up for kids too. Minnie pounced on the maid’s costume, complete with sweeping headdress veil, in training for a lady in waiting position – then later insisted on going back to try all the others as well.
The costumes aren’t always there outside school holidays but it’s worth asking as you show your ticket.
And with volunteers dressed up around the grounds, demonstrating some basic weaving and giving talks about daily life, including the order of precedence at the Great Hall’s tables, she fitted right in.
There’s also a great video, tracing the castle’s history which Minnie insisted we watch twice, and while few of the rooms are intact, you can climb up through the towers to the battlements, where we discovered another surprise.
Bats. Five species, all protected, roost in the roof and we spotted a couple of little furry bodies up in the rafters as well as hearing the squeaks of several more.
There was even a lovely story written for small visitors about Bertie the bat, who finds that his small size doesn’t stop him performing a very important job.
From the unicorn over the original solid oak portcullis to the Story of Bodiam activities in the nearby building, where you could sort metal, tile and bone from the excavations (although ‘A Knight’s Peril’ was shut), we spent hours exploring.
It’s the perfect place to let your imagination run free. As we wandered, we protected the turrets from an attack by dragons and debated whether the enormous koi carp in the moat were actually fearsome piranha. Minnie said yes, I thought there might be slightly fewer ducks if so.
One of the few drawbacks if you’re visiting Bodiam Castle with kids is the fact that all the facilities – especially toilets – are back by the car park.
It’s only about a 10-minute walk (with buggies if you need assistance) but I did feel slightly on edge that my four-year-old would declare an urgent need at some inconvenient point.
And on a very hot September day, wandering to and fro meant I probably spent slightly less time inside than I would have otherwise.
But I can hardly fault a 14th century castle for not having 21st century plumbing, however state of the art it once was. So, taking one last photo and braving the villains in the forest again, we saddled our horses (well, started the Fiesta) to finish our East Sussex adventure.
For more great family days out, check out my pick of the best UK castles with kids
Need to know: Bodiam Castle, East Sussex with kids
Entry costs from £10 for adults, £5 for children over five off peak. There are also family tickets from £15. Under-fives are free and it’s also free to National Trust members. There’s car parking for a fee or free for members.
The castle is open from 10am to 5pm throughout the year – check the castle website for precise details.
There is a tea room by the toilets (with baby changing), just before the car park. On our visit, they had the usual child lunchboxes plus some lovely ice cream but adult meals were pricy and a bit underwhelming, so it’s worth packing a picnic to have in the grounds.
In summer, there’s a refreshment kiosk opposite the castle entrance, with deck chairs and wooden skittles nearby.
If you’re visiting Bodiam Castle with kids, there’s also archery during holidays and weekends, from £3. The medieval Game of Life cost £1 and is recommended for age seven up, although you can play along even if you don’t buy the game itself.
For more things to do in Sussex with kids, check out my top picks, as well as more of the best castles in Sussex
PIN FOR LATER: BODIAM CASTLE, EAST SUSSEX WITH KIDS
Images copyright MummyTravels
This post contains affiliate links – any purchases you make are unaffected but I may receive a small commission. I paid for entry – all opinions, decisions to visit as well as medieval headdress and hat combinations are my own.
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I love attraction that go out of their way to make it educational and fun for kids. Sounds wonderful. x
Definitely – when it’s done and done well, it makes such a difference.
What a fascinating place! My son would love spotting the little bats. The National Trust do an amazing job of bringing the rich history to life in these old castles. Looks like a must see for families!
They really are great with all the activities and how well they bring it to life – the bats were very cute as well.
We love NT sites and particulalry Bodium Castle, it is close to our home so we have had many visits and their living history exhibits and dramas are always excellent. Mich x
They were fantastic – the volunteers were full of information and very happy to chat away to a four-year-old too
My daughter and I visited Bodiam in August and also had a fabulous time – the difference being my daughter is well into her twenties so there’s definitely something for everyone!
It does seem the kind of place you wouldn’t tire of.
That sounds like a really interesting place. We love exploring castles and historical houses and wondering what life was like way back when. It really helps children to get involved when there’s dressing up and activities aimed at them too! We loved Hampton Court for this! Emma (:
Hampton Court is great for that too – and I agree, it makes such a difference helping them bring it to life and getting them involved.
This sounds like a wonderful place to explore. I love that fact that the National Trust are now so geared up for families.
They do such a fantastic job, don’t they. This was pretty special even by the NT’s standards.
I lived near Bodiam for a while as a kid and visited more times than I can count. I used to absolutely love it and yet there was nothing there at all except the walls and our imaginations back in those (pre-historic) days! Nowadays despite living in the South of France I think my Frenchie kids have been at least 4 times and it’s changed so much for the better with all the activities available. I think the last time was a Christmas a few years ago when my kids met Santa in one of the ruined rooms, it was pretty magical. The National Trust is so good at inspiring kids to be interested in history, I wish French historical sites tried as hard! #CulturedKids
It really is pretty magical – even with just the walls, I suspect it’s great for sparking the imagination, although the effort they put into engaging and informing kids is just fantastic these days.
We had a brilliant day at Bodiam a few years ago when they had lots of medieval activities which the kids really enjoyed. This reminds me that we’re probably due a return trip! #CulturedKids
Oh that would definitely be worth looking out for – the archery sounded fun, but I can see my daughter loving more activities too.
Fantastic review, Cathy, so engaging and loads of little details. Love your little maid in her outfit too!
My #culturedkids post is also a National Trust building surrounded by water – Oxburgh Hall in Norfolk. We were also impressed with the facilities though I think we had more loos than yours!
Thank you! I did rather love the headdress – very happily working my way through the lovely #culturedkids posts so will look forward to yours.
What a fabulous place and I love the idea of the Game of Life. Who can resist spinning dials and learning a little bit more history while you are at it? Very clever. Always love to see demostrations of how people would have lived their lives in the now ruins. #CountryKids
Exactly – even if you’re not playing properly, it’s hard to resist having a quick spin.
This sounds like a really entertaining day for young kids. I too would be a little concerned about the lack of facilities. Kids seem to save ‘it’ up for such situations! Good tip about the picnic. I love coffee and cake at National Trust properties but as yet to be wowed by the meals #culturedkids
They really do – I was convinced we’d get to the top of a tower, up a steep stone staircase and hear a voice insisting she couldn’t wait. Actually she was really good but worth knowing!
What a great place to visit with Minnie, it looks like they really have put a lot of work into making Bodiam Castle an experience for kids and adults alike. The game of life sounds like something you’d definitely want to try your hand at, although knowing my luck I’d be out at the first board! Minnie looks like she loved exploring and trying out all the exciting activities they had on, definitely a place to go back to one day.
Thanks for linking up with me on #CountryKids.
They really have – it’s beautifully done, such a great way to bring the castle to life. And I really didn’t fare well against plague, outlaws or any other hazards!
Brilliant post! I love the disgust surrounding mediaeval toilets 🙂
The castle looks like a brilliant place to visit and bring history to life for kids.
#countrykids
Thanks – she was aghast. Not sure if the idea of children doing such a mucky job or the fact there was *no toilet paper* alarmed her more 😉
I was pregnant the last time I was here and fell in love with the place. We’ve booked a surprise birthday weekend to Kent in December for Monkey, on his birthday we have tickets for the steam train that goes close to the castle and are then taking him to see a castle with a real moat! He’ll be beside himself. Your post has reassured me that it’s as beautiful as I remember it being #CountryKids
It is so beautiful – and what a lovely weekend plan, I remember hearing the steam train go past while we were there. Have a great time.
Oh wow this looks amazing! It looks like there is so much to do there. Our local castle is a great place to explore but it is essentially just ruins. I love the all the activities – what a brilliant day out – and the prices were less than I was expecting too #CountryKids
I do love castles, even the ones where you’ve got a few stones and have to use your imagination, but they have done such a great job bringing it to life here.
I am loving her outfit – such grace! Sorry you were consumed by the plague so quickly, sounds like an excellent day out for all ages.
She did pull off a headdress very effectively – a very fun day despite my early demise 🙂
#culturedkids
As you know, we visited here in the summer – it really is a beautiful place. Your write-up and photos do it such justice, it’s great to visit and also there is so much for the kids to get involved with there #culturedkids
Thank you! It is such a lovely place
What a beautiful castle. Your photos are amazing. I love the dressing up! #countrykids
Thanks! It was a really fun day.
I have a fair few NT places we want to visit and this is on top of my list.Castles hold so much history and mystery, you just want to be taken back to medieval times to see how people lived.
They are fantastic, I can never get enough of wandering around and marvelling at that way of life back then.
And it’s no wonder it’s a hit! That castle just looks like a proper fairy-tale-castle straight out of a Hans Christian Anderson story 🙂 So beautiful. I’m going to put that on my list of castles-to-visit 😉 #countrykids
It’s one of my favourite that I’ve visited recently – hope you get there too.
I’ll have to go back there with the kids – the dressing up and games sound right up their street. I visited on a hen weekend, when we were staying in shepherd’s huts nearby. The bride’s sisters had arranged for a buxom wench to talk to us about life in the bedchamber at Bodiam, for married ladies! I was impressed the castle staff were able to do this for a special occasion (though there were a few parents who had to drag their young kids away from our group, as the content of the talk was strictly adults-only!) Thanks for joining in with #CulturedKids
That’s such a great activity for a hen do – I hadn’t realised you could do something like that. Definitely a great one for kids too but shepherds’ huts and a wander around sounds lovely.
I love a castle with a traditional moat. The Plague game sounds fun too. Isn’t it wonderful when attractions like castle really get into the heads of our children and capture their imagination while making their history real?
It does make it feel like a *real* castle that way – and they have definitely worked out how to engage kids which is wonderful.
I love Bodiam Castle! It seems like you had a fab day and took full advantage of everything on offer! I agree, the toilets are slightly awkward and I have not been since toilet training my youngest! #CountryKids
We really did have a fabulous time – I think there’s definitely a year or so when it would be tricky with younger kids, but as we were warned at the entrance and had to head back to the cafe for lunch, we were actually fine (if very mildly stressed, in my case!)
Another great review Cathy, and another place I need to visit! It does look like a ‘real’ caste with the turrets, arrows etc and I love all the family friendly activities and events they run. Good old National Trust! #countrykids
Thanks! Yes – I do like proper battlements and twiddly stone bits to make me feel like it’s a real castle.
Ahhh we visited Bodiam a couple of weeks ago! Absolutely fantastic for kids of all ages, especially at this time of year! Great post #CountryKids
Thanks! Isn’t it wonderful – and so brilliant with kids.
This sounds fantastic! A beautiful looking castle (even if some of it had been rebuilt) and I just love how they have catered for kids. A really fun way to learn about the challenges of Medieval life and get dressed up too – bonus! #culturedkids
It still seems very authentic so I think they’ve done what’s necessary to stop it falling down but without getting rid of all the time-nibbled edges.
What an amazing place to visit! I love the ideas of seeing bats. My son loves them and I can only imagine how excited he would be to see them in real life! #countrykids
It was such a beautiful castle – we only got a glimpse of the bats (a furry squeaky shadow up in the rafters) but I was pretty excited!
Bodiam Castle is on my list of places I want to visit- it looks like such an interesting place to explore and I love all the signs that explore what medieval life would have been like depending on your birth. The dressing up sounds like a lot of fun too! 🙂 #countrykids
So much to discover and it’s really fun to get so involved.
This is amazing! I would love to visit one day and reading your post is making me ‘homesick’ – as I’ve only been back in NZ for one week and I’m struggling to adjust after nearly a month of travelling around seeing family and friends in the UK. I love all the information at the castle and the opportunities to take part in activities and learn about ‘how life was’ in such a creative way. A great blog post and photos.
Thank you! And I can imagine it’s quite a switch back after your travels – I hope you get there one day though.
Wow! That really sounds like an interesting place to visit. I would love to go there one day. Your photos are beautiful.
#countrykids
Thank you! It was a fantastic day out.