 Castle and bird of prey display 
Powderham Castle
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Recommendation added: 09/01/2007 14:20
By: milly123 (YSUK rating +143)milly123 has been thanked 2 times for this contribution
"Powderham Castle is in Kenton, Exeter. Hidden from the main road, it sits in a deer park on the bank of the river Exe, I decided to visit it last Summer with my 8 year old son and had a wonderful day out.
Passing through the stone arched entrance into a courtyard, the first thing we learnt was that you can only go inside with a guided tour. So, we joined a small group of strangers and followed our Guide inside. The first room was the state dining room, richly decorated in the style of the gothic revival. Ornate mahogany panelling on the ceiling and walls and gold-framed ancestral portraits immediately set the scene. The room felt like an important place where major decisions had been made and significant people entertained.
Our Guide explained that the castle, dating from 1392, was the family home of the Earl of Devon and we would therefore only see certain rooms.
Next was a small parlour. Although less grand than the first room, this proved to be the one that caught the children's attention. Invited by the guide, a young girl pulled lightly on the side of one of the bookcases. It swung aside to reveal a hidden passage that apparently led to servants' quarters. The children (and several of the adults) would have been inside in seconds, but the guide shut the door and ushered us into the library.
The tour now felt more like a treasure hunt, with much of the Guide's patter falling on deaf ears as we surreptitiously scanned bookcases and panels for hinges or levers. Almost every room had some kind of secret to reveal and it was a delight to walk through a false bookcase from the library to the music room.
Through another passageway, past displays of china and a dramatic rococo hallway, and we were upstairs. The nursery, filled with broken toys, seemed a little sad compared to the beautiful state bedroom with its grand, canopied bed, red velvet drapes and spectacular fireplace. The most exciting discovery of the tour, however, was made in the little hallway that led back to the main stairs.
Some children in the group spotted a small door in the panelling half way up the wall. This one showed a staircase leading up into darkness. “Where does it go?”, “Can we go in?” the children voiced the thoughts of the adults nicely, but our amiable guide became flustered and shut the door quickly.
“It leads to a servant's room, but something once happened there I can't speak about, no-one's allowed there now”. He walked out quickly leaving us gaping at the tantalising panel. No-one in the group was brave enough to ask for more details and the mystery remained.
Out into the grounds again and the visit was given the thumbs up by both of us. Powderham Castle is a fascinating place to visit. It's curious and exciting, and you are left with the feeling that you've had a glimpse of some of history's secrets.
The Castle is open to visitors from Wednesday 4 April until Sunday 28 October 2007 daily (except Saturdays) from 10am to 5.30pm.
The last guided tour of the Castle is at 4.30pm, and may be earlier in October due to shorter daylight hours.
The Secret Garden and Courtenay Fort are open from 10.30am to 4.00pm.
Adult £7.95
Child (5-14 years) £5.95
Family (2+2) £22.45
Senior £7.50
Under 5's FREE"
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