Seasonal fun with English Heritage in the West Midlands

Saturday 4 & Sunday 5 December 2010
Witley Court & Gardens, Stokesay Castle & Goodrich Castle

The festive season gets into full swing at English Heritage’s sites throughout the West Midlands on Saturday 4 & Sunday 5 December, with fun trails for children and a chance for adults to try out some of the finest Christmas tipples, jams and chutneys!

At Witley Court and Gardens, near Worcester, young visitors will be invited to hunt around the holly and ivy in the gardens to find a series of hidden presents, each of which reveals a secret clue; when they have collected all the clues, they can return to the seasonally-decorated education room to claim a delicious small treat! Once there, they can enjoy a number of fun activity sheets, including colouring and dot-to-dots, before mum takes a look at the wide range of gift ideas available in the shop!

The site is open from 10.00am to 4.00pm over the weekend (and Wednesday to Sunday throughout the winter), with admission prices of £6.00 for adults, £5.10 for concessions and £3.00 for children, or £15.00 for a family ticket (two adults and up to three children). For more details, please call 01299 896636 or visit www.english-heritage.org.uk/witley

Help is being sought from visiting children at Goodrich Castle, near Ross-on-Wye, for an elf who has lost his colours! One of Santa’s little helpers has lost all the colours from his costume, and only by finding all the missing colours on clues hidden around the site will he be ready in time to pack Santa’s sleigh! A small chocolatey treat awaits those who come to ‘elp the elf!’ The cafe will also be serving a selection of festive fare, including turkey and cranberry toasted sandwiches, mince pies, Christmas cake and warming beverages – perfect to warm up after visiting the site.

Goodrich Castle is open from 10.00am to 4.00pm over the weekend (and Wednesday to Sunday throughout the winter), with admission prices of £5.50 for adults, £4.70 for concessions and £2.80 for children, or £13.80 for a family ticket (two adults and up to three children). A £1 car parking charge applies, refunded on admission. For more details, please call 01600 890538 or visit www.english-heritage.org.uk/goodrich

At Stokesay Castle, near Ludlow, it is Santa who is looking for assistance in finding his reindeer, who have naughtily run off and hidden around the castle! Children who track down all of his reindeer will collect a letter from each to decode a cryptic Christmas message, which they can exchange for a treat when they return to the shop!

Stokesay Castle is open from 10.00am to 4.00pm (open Thursday to Sunday throughout the winter), with admission prices of £5.50 for adults, £4.70 for concessions and £2.80 for children, or £13.80 for a family ticket (two adults and up to three children). For more details, please call 01588 672544.

Kenilworth Castle, in Warwickshire, is also hosting a season of festive events running on Saturday 27 & Sunday 28 November, Saturday 4 & Sunday 5 December, Saturday 11 & Sunday 12 December. Visitors to Kenilworth Castle can meet historic re-enactor, Kevin Hicks in various guises, from Victorian storyteller to World War I soldier, as well as enjoying a festive trail around the site.

Kenilworth Castle is open from 10.00am to 4.00pm with admission prices of £7.60 for adults, £6.50 for concessions and £3.80 for children, with a family ticket available (two adults and up to three children) for £19.00. English Heritage members get in free. There is a car parking charge at Kenilworth Castle, redeemable against admission.

For more details, please call Kenilworth Castle on 01926 852078 or visit www.english-heritage.org.uk/kenilworthcastle

ENDS

For further media information, please contact: Jay Commins PRO – English Heritage Tel: 0113 251 5698 Mob: 07810 546567 Email: jay@fim.org.uk