Northumberland Tour Numbers Soar Thanks to Kids’ History Crammer

Langley Castle Hotel, located near Haydon Bridge in Northumberland, has seen a boom in demand for its daily Battlement Tours, quadrupling its anticipated numbers on some days, as guests and non-residents prove hungry for more details of Langley’s ‘Hairy History’.

The upswing follows Langley Castle recognising the need for the edu-staycation experience and reaching out, to give kids a helping hand with their history studies, by packaging its own remarkable history in an exciting ‘Hairy History’ downloadable booklet.

This opens by covering Before Langley (BL) Roman times, as Langley’s seven-feet-thick walls are thought to, at least in part, have been formed from stones taken from Hadrian’s Wall.  It goes on to explore many Key Stage topics, in an edgy and engaging way.  Medieval punishment, the Black Death, the Gunpowder Plot and the failed Restoration of the Stuart monarchy all find their place in Langley’s history crammer.  

‘Hairy History’ has been available at Langley Castle’s website since July and there has since been a remarkable increase in the number of people hungry for more history on the castle’s daily Battlement Tours.  These involve a guided tour of the 1350 castle, from top to bottom, as a guide highlights architectural features and explains about the castle’s more turbulent times.

They also see guests enjoying a view over to Hadrian’s Wall from the awe-inspiring battlements, where the chapel is the location for viewing a video about the castle’s history.  This chapel was consecrated with the special permission of Pope Leo XIII, who also features in ‘Hairy History.’

With just a small tour charge for non-residents and no charge for residents, there is every reason for families and individuals to use this experience in conjunction with ‘Hairy History’.

“We’re delighted that our history-focused offering is so immensely popular”, says Langley Castle’s executive general manager, Margaret Livingstone-Evans.  “We threw ourselves into  ‘Hairy History’ knowing, the minute our Battlement Tours could run again, once social distancing rules relaxed, it would be the perfect tour accompaniment and the basis of a brilliant and fun family edu-staycation experience.  We never imagined we would boost our Battlement Tour numbers to such an extent, however, but have a sneaking suspicion that ‘Hairy History’ is just as popular with adults as with kids!

“It’s been amazing to see how much people want to soak up our 671 years of history and explore our truly authentic English castle hotel.  Maybe the pandemic has made people keen to embrace the past or maybe parents do just see the encouragement of learning, especially in more fringe subjects like history, in which learning-time may have been reduced, as really important.  Either way, we are delighted to give people a dive into bygone times.”

To download ‘Hairy History’ or find out more about the Battlements Tours, head to www.langleycastle.co.uk and the ‘About’ section.

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Editors notes

Langley Castle, built in 1350, is located in Langley-on-Tyne, Northumberland and is one of the few authentic, fortified medieval castles in England. It has a rich history, with strong links to Jacobite rebellions, is located just a stone's throw from the World Heritage Site of Hadrian's Wall and boasts features including battlements, seven-feet-thick walls, window seats set into the walls and the best example of medieval garderobes in Europe. It is one of the most exquisite wedding venues in the north and also offers a wide range of options when it comes to exclusive use, with the castle being available for weddings, family celebrations, Bar Mitzvahs and Bat Mitzvahs, D&D-style events and a wide variety of corporate functions.