DONNINGTON CASTLE: A romantic ruin perfect for families with autistic kids
- sunshinelayla
- Mar 21
- 4 min read
Updated: Jul 28
Our autistic children just loved clambering over this ruined royal castle and picnicking in the sun.
DONNINGTON CASTLE
Newbury, England
We visited Donnington Castle (now maintained by English Heritage) with our two autistic children on a sunny bank holiday morning. The ruins were just 2 miles outside Newbury, only a 10minute drive from East Ilsey - where we were staying for a long weekend.
If you are in the area and have an hour of so spare I would highly recommend stopping by for a visit - whether you run wild like the boys, or sit quietly in contemplation - the medieval spirit of Donnington will find its way into your heart.
For more information on fun family activities in Newbury, Berkshire, read my post Autism friendly activities in Newbury here.
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.
Were the staff at Donnington Castle friendly and welcoming to us and our autistic children?
The castle ruins are exposed to the elements and the gatehouse is not open for entry. The site is managed by English Heritage on a light touch basis - there were no staff or facilities on site the day that we visited.
Was Donnington Castle accessible? Have the additional needs of autistic children been specifically considered?
Due to its location this is not an physically accessible venue. It is situated at the end of a long single lane track. 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.
What were the facilities at Donnington Castle like (especially for people with hidden disabilities)?
Donnington Castle does not have the usual facilities. There were no toilets or cafes, only 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.
Most people on site had come prepared and there were lots of families spread around, relaxing on picnic rugs and enjoying a picnic together out of doors. 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.
Did we have to queue during our visit to Donnington Castle? Was it busy?
Visitors make their own way via one of two routes up the hill to the castle ruins so there is no queuing. Although there were handful of families on site making the most of the sunny May weather there was plenty of room to spread out so it did not feel overly crowded.
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.
Does Donnington Castle offer a concessionary or carers' entrance ticket?
Entry to Donnington Castle is free, there is a small charge for parking.
For more information on visiting the castle please go to:
FINAL THOUGHTS
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 hils 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.
