DONNINGTON CASTLE: A romantic ruin perfect for families with autistic kids
Updated: May 13
Our autistic children just loved clambering over this ruined royal castle and picnicking in the sun.
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Why did we visit DONNINGTON CASTLE with our autistic kids?
We visited Donnington Castle (now maintained by English Heritage) with our two autistic children as part of long weekend in the local area. It is around 2 miles outside Newbury, and was only a 10 minute drive from East Ilsey - where we were staying in a converted barn.
Although it is little more than a ruin, Donnington Castle has a fascinating history and more to offer than we realised. Read on to discover what we enjoyed about our sunny bank holiday morning visit to the castle.
Donnington Castle's Royal Connections
Donnington, which was once an imposing castle, was built in the late 14th century by Sir Richard Abberbury, a soldier, courtier and diplomat who served the Black Prince and his son Richard II. Like many grand residences it has a chequered past, and boasts a royal connection with King Henry VIII who seized the castle in 1512 and granted it to his future brother in lay, Charles Brandon. Ownership passed to Edward the VI who in turn passed it on to his half-sister, the future Queen Elizabeth 1. Henry VIII visited Donnington at least once, in 1541. Edward VI stayed there briefly, holding a meeting of the privy council there in September 1552, and his sister stayed there as queen once in 1568.
The castle was eventually destroyed by order of the Parliament in 1646 after a 20 month siege during the English Civil War - it's hilltop position was consider to be akey strategic position - now all that remains is the castle gatehouse and some of the ruins' foundations.
For more information on the castle's fascinating and sometimes bloody history visit the English Heritage website.
Donnington Castle's stunning location
If you make it up the hill to the ruined Donnington castle you will be rewarded with stunning views over the Berkshire countryside. It's carpark is situated at the end of a long single lane track, and from there visitors must climb a steep, rocky hill to the castle gatehouse - which is all that remains standing. Once at the top the ground is uneven and care must be taken while exploring the site, particularly in wet or windy weather.
The walk up this steep hill was a challenge for the boys, however it rewarding to see their real sense of achievement when they made it to the top. The view across the Kennel Valley was just beautiful, and despite comprising mostly of ground works the footprint of the castle still retained unique atmosphere, like stepping back in time. It was great to stand quietly in the centre of the space and imagine what it would have been like in Tudor times, with all the royal splendour and pageantry of state.
Unfortunately due to its position at the top of the hill Donnington Castle is not a physically accessible venue, there are no level paths for example and we did take our buggy up to the top but it probably wasn't the best decision!
Donnington Castle is gloriously relaxed!
Donnington Castle has essentially been abandoned to the elements, although English Heritage are responsible for maintaining the site's safety (which appears to be on a light touch basis). This means that while the gatehouse is permanently closed, the castle ruins are yours to explore with no staff around or rules to follow. There was something very liberating about allowing the children to just run and play, jump and shriek free from the stuffiness that can sometime cloak heritage properties.
The down side is that there is no cafe or other facilities on site, including toilets, just an information board at the base of the hill. A smallish car park is provided but this is not clear from signage, and led to some confusion on our part.
Donnington Castle is popular with families
It was clear that Donnington Castle is a popular local site, with a real mix of visitors - including plenty of families.
Most people on site had come prepared to enjoy themselves and there were lots of families spread around, relaxing on rugs and enjoying a picnic together out of doors. We didn't feel conspicuous at all, often we feel like the loudest family on site, but there were plenty of other kids having fun and being outdoors meant much of their exuberant noise was lost to the wind and the sky.
Our boys made short work of all the snacks I'd brought, keen to get back to playing kings and baddies - which left J and I to enjoy our food at a slower pace and enjoy a rare moment of peace just sitting together in the sun.
Donnington Castle is free to visit
With ticket prices a real barrier for families these day it was great to discover that Donnington Castle ruins were free to visit, however there was a small charge for parking.
The car park is small so parking is not guaranteed. While we were able to find a park it is hard to say what availability would be like during the summer. Alternatively you could park at the far end of the lane by a recreation field with playground, and walk up the lane.
For more information on visiting the castle please go to:
Final thoughts on visiting Donnington Castle
We really enjoyed our visit to Donnington Castle. There was plenty for us all to enjoy, I found it very relaxing to sit in the grounds and just gaze across the hills to the valley below. The boys particularly benefitted from the chance to meet their sensory seeking needs, jumping off the walls, clambering into interesting sunken spaces and crawling through window gaps and arches.
In the end it was hard to get them to leave, and they only gave in when we agreed to walk down the far side of the hill towards the woods at the bottom. They had great fun running down the steep slope, 'getting lost' in the trees, and having to use their exploring skills to find their way back to the car park. It was a great way to finish our adventure, we would definitely come back to these enchanting castle ruins.
If you are in the area and have an hour of so spare I would highly recommend stopping by the castle for a visit, especially as its free! Whether you run wild like the boys, or sit quietly in contemplation - the medieval spirit of Donnington will find its way into your heart.
Happy Travels x
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