Scotney Castle with kids – a winter day out in Kent

Its crumbling towers reflected in the still water, the first view of a 14th century moated castle is enough to make even a six-year-old stop and pause – and that’s only the beginning of what you’ll discover at Scotney Castle with kids.

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It might have been midwinter but the skies in Kent were cloudless and blue, and we were determined to make the most of a weekend staying with friends by heading out to explore. There’s an unexpected number of National Trust properties in Kent but Scotney Castle won out with so much to do: not one but two buildings to explore as well as a natural play area, den building, gardens, and an impressive 780 acres of woodland and parkland.

Even on a chilly January day, we spent almost four hours looking around – with a few strategic stops indoors, starting with the 19th century Victorian country house, built from honey-coloured sandstone quarried from the grounds of the old castle itself.

Positioned on higher ground, it was designed to overlook the old castle – the Hussey family who lived in the manor decided to deliberately ruin the remains of the medieval castle for more picturesque views!

With timed tickets to get entry into the house, we decided to head inside first to explore the ‘new’ building which dates from 1836 – it still makes me smile to think of an almost 200-year-old manor being considered new.

For now, the upper floor is closed due to conversation work, but the rooms on the ground floor remain open, frozen in time.

Unlike some other National Trust properties, there are no family trails around the house so we played our failsafe game, ‘what would you like to take home’ as we wandered around the rooms – my own fantasy collection included a globe, a fish-shaped candlestick, some Chinese lions and a rather lovely set of silvery gilt china.

For more of the best castles in Kent with kids, check out my top picks

By the time we moved from the wood-panelled living areas and dining room to the kitchen, we were transported to the more recent past with a gorgeously retro collection of kitchenware – not least some Le Creuset dishes in the original volcanic orange, which I remember from my own childhood and which my mum still has.

In the library, look out for the secret door concealed as a bookcase too, although with three girls aged four to eight, we wandered round at a fairly fast pace – the news that former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher used to stay in an apartment here during her time in office is more likely to capture my imagination than theirs.

Outside, the path leads down to the old castle past the quarry garden, source of the stone for the house – closed in winter as the steps down become too dangerously icy, we’ll have to head back to see if we can spot the footprint of an Iguanadon still visible there.

Then through the trees and bushes – Scotney Castle is famous for it azaleas and rhodedendrons – you get the first fairytale views of the castle reflected in the water. I’ve never gone around ruining castles for the effect myself, but in the still peace of a winter’s day, I couldn’t help admitting it’s effective.

Only the ducks dabbling on the moat stopped it looking as if it had been frozen in time. Sleeping Beauty’s castle in miniature perhaps?

Crossing the bridge, there are plenty of real-life secrets to the castle, including a hidden priest hole, tucked away inside a cupboard.

For Father Richard Blount, concealed here for seven years from Queen Elizabeth I’s agents by the Catholic Darell family, it proved a quite literal life-saver – finally keeping him out of sight for a week as the house was searched before he made a dramatic escape across the freezing waters of the moat.

Today, there are still a few oddments of furniture including an old-fashioned hip bath, to bring the rooms to life as you wander up and down the wooden staircase, imagining the generations who touched its carved posts since it was built in around 1378.

The oldest records go back to 1137 when the estate was owned by Lambert de Scoteni, who gave the castle its name.

Wandering along the paths to the natural play area, the view must barely have changed for centuries, with snowdrops blooming under the trees and sheep grazing in the parkland – spot the ha-ha as you walk, the ditch which keeps the livestock away from the house’s gardens without spoiling those picturesque vistas.

For more ideas of the best places to see snowdrops, check out these National Trust properties

At the end of the path lies a newer addition, the Badger and Pepper play area, named after one of the owners’ dogs.

As well as a mud kitchen, play house, climbing frame, wooden drums and chimes, the highlight of the natural playground for our mini visitors was a series of open guttering and dozens of tennis balls to roll down the slope – like a giant marble run.

The three girls in our group made a beeline for that, experimenting with the balls, the different sections and exactly where to put the bucket to catch them until all the adults finally pleaded frozen feet and insisted we moved on.

There are no specific activity trails for the ground either, although you can pick up a booklet of 50 things to do before you’re 11 3/4 at the entrance and there are family activities throughout the year, as well as a den building area to tick at least one off.

With our own feet turning to ice, we decided to skip the ice house as well and detoured to the second hand bookshop to defrost and browse.

The sun shining through the windows had transformed one corner into a very cosy spot to flick through potential purchases – donations made, I persuaded Minnie that we couldn’t stay there all afternoon reading them (shame!).

After a quick peek into the walled garden – not at its best in January: check out this post from My Travel Monkey for a taste of the castle with its flowers in bloom – we left the castle to its winter slumber.

In summer, I can imagine lounging for hours on the grass, gazing at the flowers and eating ice cream (admittedly my six-year-old still had ice cream, maintaining it’s never too cold for a Cornetto) – but if you’re wondering what to do on a winter’s day in Kent with kids, Scotney Castle should be on the list.

For more ideas of things to do in Kent with kids, check out my top 30

Scotney Castle with kids: Need to know

Tickets to Scotney Castle, Kent cost from £17 for adults and £8.50 for kids.

Parking needs to be prebooked as space is limited. It’s worth getting there early, as the car park was already filling up at around 11am on a Sunday in January.

Scotney Castle opening times vary throughout the year, but click here for the full list. The last timed entry to the house is one hour before the advertised closing time, and you’ll need to get a timed ticket from reception on the day of your visit.

These are first come, first served and can’t be prebooked so may run out on busy weekends and bank holidays. Entry slots run every 15 minutes with volunteers in the rooms to answer questions.

Scotney Castle walks – there are guided walks of the estate which begin from February half-term (none during the winter), as well as a two-mile parkland trail. There are also buggy-friendly paths around the garden, although there are a few steep slopes to and from the castle.

For other Scotney Castle events, including family activities, click here.

There is a cafe with kids’ lunchboxes and hot food (including one pot stews, hot sandwiches and soup in winter!) plus bottles and baby food can be warmed up here. There are indoor and outdoor tables, although expect queues at lunchtime.

If you fancy a picnic, there are also picnic benches on the lawn opposite the mansion house (or just grab a patch of grass to go with your meal)

Scotney Castle also has baby changing facilities in the toilets near the entrance.

The Scotney Castle postcode is TN3 8JN for satnavs (follow the brown signs as you get closer) and the castle itself is in Lamberhurst, Tunbridge Wells, Kent.

For more of the best castles in Kent with kids, check out my top picks

PIN FOR LATER: SCOTNEY CASTLE WITH KIDS

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links – any purchases you make are unaffected but I may get a small commission. I paid for my own entry to Scotney Castle and membership of National Trust. All opinions are my own, although I don’t agree with my daughter’s one that it’s never too cold for ice cream…

Images copyright MummyTravels

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