The Castle Hotel

This is only a review of the grounds, not the hotel. There’s still quite a bit of the original castle to see, even though much of it was demolished. The grounds are walkable, and the peacocks strutting about were fun to watch. Much of the old castle can’t be accessed anymore, but it’s still well worth a walk around. We were disappointed there was nowhere to sit except by the cafe, so keep the lack of seating in mind.

The no-dogs policy is ridiculous. We sat outside with our two dogs, toddler and pram, and ordered food and drinks. The drinks came, then ten minutes later we were told dogs weren’t allowed, even outside. We were the only ones sitting out there. When we asked to cancel the food, they said it had already been prepared, so they couldn’t. They boxed it up and put half our soft drinks in takeaway coffee cups. We had to walk to the car carrying a toddler, a dog, the pram, two drinks and the food because they told us to leave. Then we got to the car and found there was no cutlery. So annoying!

We all had plenty to eat from the Monday Club deal, three small dishes for £10. There were two adults and three kids aged 5, 8 and 11 in our group, and we even left some chips because we were full. Everything we tried was delicious and well worth the money, with generous portions for a Weatherspoons. Monday pints were cheap too. The building is beautiful and quirky, with lots of tucked-away dining rooms, statues and a plaque on the entrance floor. The outdoor seating had a lovely view, and the ladies’ toilets were gorgeous. We finished our drinks in the lovely beer garden and all loved it. Highly recommended!

The staff were delightful, and the pub’s setting is gorgeous, with views across the surrounding area and a huge outdoor terrace. I was really impressed with this Weatherspoons. It was the best presented breakfast I’ve ever had in a ‘spoons, and the cooking was just as good.