Castle Drogo
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Hidden in the Devon countryside is the last castle to be built in England,
It was built by Julius Drewe as a family home and in recognition of his newly discovered family history.
Designed by one of the most influential architects of the 20th Century, Edwin Lutyens, with construction starting in 1910 and completed in 1930.
Almost as soon as it was finished, it started to leak from the flat terraced roofs, and at the time of visiting was coming to the end of six years of restoration work which has been done to hopefully keep it leak free for the next 100 years.
It's owned by the National Trust, who have also restored the original hydropower plant that was built in 1927 to power the castle and now also powers the visitors' centre; you can get a guided tour of it at different times throughout the year.
The main roads to get there aren't the easiest to navigate as you have to drive along some narrow lanes and passing places can be tight, though if your visiting anywhere off the main roads in Devon you are bound to find yourself going down a lane at some point and there are many interesting places to visit off of these back lanes, so don't let it put you off visiting.
Between the Castle, gardens and walking tracks, you could spend a whole day here, though the castle itself isn't really that big so should only take you around an hour to look around it.
It's an interesting building architecturally and many items of furniture were also designed by the same architect.
The gardens are filled with an array of colourful plants and flowers and have hidden spots that the kids will enjoy exploring.
At the visitors' centre, you'll find a good selection of plants for sale many of which are used in the surrounding gardens and a well-stocked gift shop with many responsibly sourced and environmentally friendly products.
If you're a bit peckish when you visit, there is a cafe that sells snacks and light meals.
It's a good place to visit and enjoy the Devon countryside located on the north edge of Dartmoor with miles of walking tracks to explore.
#castles
#child_friendly
#family
#family -attractions
#nature
#near_exeter
#outdoor
#things_to_see
#tourist_attractions
#tourist_sites
#walks
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72125 - 2023-01-26 01:58:10