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East Sussex | Picture Perfect Roadschooling at Bodiam Castle

East Sussex | Picture Perfect Roadschooling at Bodiam CastleScore 85%Score 85%

Closer to France than London (45miles), Bodiam Castle is certainly one of Britain’s most picturesque and magical castles. Set in a charming location close to some of East Sussex’s most beautiful villages. It attracts thousands of visitors each year either by car or even by steam train from Tenterden!

See more Roadschooling Ed-Ventures here
Having loved exploring France during our roadtrip, we’ve been amazed by their variety of Chateaus & Castles including CarcassonneAzay Le RideauChateau des Enigmes & Villandry… but the ‘Hundred Year War’ seems to have bought some of this fine French architecture to British shores…. and there’s probably no better example of a ‘picture perfect’ castle than at Bodiam Castle in East Sussex. A castle design that still reflects its Norman ancestry dating back to the times of Sir Edward Dalyngrigge in 1385

So as those guys at ‘Wales Online’ say…. why not get out with your kids and use some of British’s undoubted historical treasures to add to your growing ‘ed-ventures‘ experiences. (see the full article about our adventures here)

So how would you describe Bodiam Castle

Perfect for young adventurers! Bodiam Castle may not be as famous as fellow British Castles like Alnwick or Lincoln Castle . But perhaps it should celebrated for the centuries of ownership by the families who inhabited the magnificent inner castle. As an example, the castle played a pivotal role in the War of the Roses (on the red side!) and also the Civil War… but still retains all it’s defensive ramparts and offers a fantastic insight to life in a castle in the 1300’s via the superb video exhibition inside.

 

Not only does it offer a great tour inside including access to the ‘bat room’, ‘medieval chapel’, ‘private rooms’ and a chance to walk the battlements…. there’s also plenty on offer outside the moat including archery, historical exhibitions, a variety of educational activity boards and some glorious places for a picnic! Plus it’s motorhome friendly too!!

For hundreds of years, if you wanted to control territory in Europe, a castle was your best friend. A combination of a military fortification and the home of an important person like a king, castles served many different purposes. The earliest castles began appearing in the 9th or 10th century, but by the late 1500s they’d fallen out of use. However thanks to Lord Curzon and the National Trust, castles like Bodiam are now great places for a family day out that’s almost always a guaranteed success!
For some it meant a lifetime of saving the pennies to afford one, only to lose it within years of completion. In the case of Bodiam Castle, its original architect barely spent any of his married life within it’s walls due to his prominent role in the ‘Hundred Year War’ against the French.

For more on it’s interesting history here – click here

Look at those happy smiling faces, do you think we enjoyed it!!!

From the very moment we turned down the twisting narrow lanes into Bodiam, we’d decided we loved this quiet area of Sussex. Having seen yet another of Sussex’s historical centrepieces in Battle the day before (think Battle of Hastings!) we were hooked….

We’ve really fallen in love with this laid back part of England. Perhaps even more so now we’ve clambered along some of it’s beautiful cliffs beside the Seven Sisters (see here), scaled some of it’s castle towers at Bodiam or even got friendly with its wildlife in the Ashdown Forest !!

For those that will have seen our adventure antics across Europe… You’ll know that we encourage our girls to embrace a little adventure whilst being respectful of the danger of the environment…. However East Sussex’s ‘mother nature’ was kind to us this week providing us with a calm sea, blue sky and acres of coastal cliffs, heathlands and forests to explore.

But if you’d like to find out more about some of our adventures acros Europe….. we hope you’ll find plenty here to inspire a little ‘wanderlust’ for your next holidays. Perhaps a ‘Dune buggy safaris across Croatia’s National Parks‘ or a ‘Railway Ride of a Lifetime on the Flamsbana Express‘ in Norway…. or even something a little closer to home like ‘Sea Cliff Climbing in Pembrokeshire

bodiam castle

so where did we park the bus for the night?

Our Newsletter

Family Attraction Review

85%

Summary Ever considered exploring Europe as a family? Well, that’s exactly what we (Catherine, Richard, Lottie & Libby) have done since September 2015. Grabbing memorable family experiences in over 30+ countries… So let us help by saving you time and offering some of the BEST FAMILY ATTRACTIONS from across our journey so you can enjoy planning and creating special memories with your families.

FIT FOR FAMILIES
88%
FUN FACTOR
71%
EDUCATIONAL INTEREST
90%
COST
80%
RETURN AGAIN FACTOR
100%

About The Author

Richard

Ever wanted to pack your bags, just jump in a motorhome and go off and explore Europe as a family? Well, that’s exactly what my family has done since September 2015. Visiting 35 European countries, travelling over 54,000 miles and grabbing over 450 family experiences on the way… enjoying Bobsleigh in Norway, Climbing into Mt Etna in Sicily or Kayaking the River Dordogne.

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