Broughton Castle

Broughton Castle is one of those places that stops people in their tracks: a proper medieval castle surrounded on all sides by a wide, water-filled moat, with a bridge crossing to the gatehouse and Cotswold stone towers beyond. It has been in the same family, the Fiennes family, Lords Saye and Sele, since 1451, and that continuity gives it a genuinely lived-in character that polished heritage visitor attractions cannot replicate.

Inside the castle there are medieval and Tudor rooms with period furniture, tapestries and family portraits. The castle has a Civil War connection too, as the Fiennes family supported Parliament and held secret meetings here before hostilities broke out. Outside, the walled garden is lovely to walk through in season, and the moat with its bridge and gatehouse makes the approach one of the most photographed in the county. There are no purpose-built children's activities or dressing-up provided, but the setting itself, the drawbridge, the towers and the moat, tends to capture children's imaginations without any help.

It suits primary-age children and older who can appreciate the history and the atmospheric rooms. The limited opening hours mean planning carefully, but it is a genuinely special and unfussy visit as a result. Bring a picnic and allow time to wander the grounds.

Good for: history, outdoors, fairytale. Ages: 5–7, 8–11, 12+.