Warwick Castle

What a wonderful day out! 

We have been Merlin Pass holders for a couple of years now and, although we have been to Warwick a few times, now seemed the ideal time for the kids to go. Chloe (2) is obsessed with Princesses and George (4) loves swords and battles - here was the ideal place. 

We are also big fans of Julia Donaldson, so the Zog trail was a definite bonus. 

We arrived at the Castle around 11 and after having our temperature checked, we headed through and was instantly met with the Zog trail. The trail is split up into 5 sections (the different year groups from the story), section one is learning how to fly and there is a photo opportunity where you can sit on Zog’s back. You can then stamp your booklet to say that you have completed that section. Section two is learning to roar, with interactive stepping stones which triggers roaring from different dragons. Year 3 was learning to breathe fire, with stepping stones that squirt water towards the dragon. Our favourites were Year 4, where there was an obstacle course to capture the Princess and Year 5 where we went to Knight School with Sir Galahad - where they were given their golden stars.

As well as the Zog trail there were lots of other things to see, including the Horrible Histories maze, the beautiful gardens with roaming peacocks and the trebuchet. There were lots of actors walking around, Chloe was thrilled to meet a Princess and George had the opportunity to ask the Knight different questions.

Although we had a fun filled day, we were disappointed by some of the signage. The one way system wasn’t very well signposted and there wasn’t a timetable for the events. One of the actors told us about an archery show and a sword fighting display, that we missed. You had to be in the right place at the right time. We also missed the Birds of Prey display and were unable to see the enclosures. 

As we were Merlin Pass holders, today was free for us. I am glad that we went, however I didn’t feel that it was good value for money. 

On our way home, we popped to St Nicholas Park, which was only 5 minutes drive away. It was beautiful. A superb park with two mini golf courses (one cheaper than the other due to the additional features), a sand pit, splash park/paddling pool, a mini fairground, cafe and playground. The fairground had a roller coaster, ferris wheel, bumper cars and much more. Rides worked out at just under £1 per ride or £1.50 for the rollercoaster. We will definitely be visiting here again when we have more time.