03/19

Picton Castle

Last month, whilst our house was in a state of disrepair (that's a story for another time), we ventured to Bluestone for a few days and whilst there, on one particularly chilly but sunny day, we stopped off at Picton Castle. There's something even more poignant about getting away from everyday life when your house has become something other than the safe, warm sanctuary you're used to, so this particular day felt especially freeing. The school term meant the grounds were silent, bar the occasional birdsong or babbling of the brook so we set off to explore.

One unhappy child quickly perked up 10 minutes in after discovering the boardwalk, a wooden trail that leads through the undergrowth, over streams, past the park and under a manmade teepee—we'd never seen anything like it, spanning what felt like miles, and we all had so much fun with it. The muddy, uneven ground beneath made it all the more exciting, as we bet on who would be the first to slip and fall in (thankfully no one did, but I clutched onto Archie for dear life most of the way round).

Once we'd found our way off of the boardwalk, we ventured through the woods, the kids excitedly shouting to us after discovering each fairy house (and the town hall!) that they'd come across, adamant they'd just seen a fluttering amongst the flowers. We climbed trees, fought with sticks and came across a secret greenhouse hidden within the courtyard where we chased and hid amongst overgrown plants and made up stories about who would live there (it was such a gorgeous little haven, I wish I had one in my own garden).

It was pure chance that I stumbled across a Picton Castle online, a place that happened to be 15 minutes away from where we were staying, and it was the perfect place to spend a sunny Winters morning; we'll definitely be visiting again next time we're in Wales and can't wait to explore again when the climate is a little warmer (and when the castle is open for exploration too).