Make Kids' Fairy Tales Come True in Northumberland

Ahead of National Tell a Fairy Tale Day (February 26), castle discovers that a third of children have never played prince or princess in a real castle.

Langley Castle, England’s true fairy-tale castle and the one brimming with authentic features that can truly fire up a child’s imagination, is preparing to sprinkle the magic for a new cohort of young princesses and keen young knights in 2025.

And that is SO needed, as a third (33%) of those who answered a Langley Castle independently commissioned research survey said that their child or grandchild had never had the opportunity to play princess or prince or knight during a castle hotel stay.

At Langley Castle, near Hexham in Northumberland, it’s easy to do that. It has battlements to gaze from.  Princess dresses float perfectly down the stunning staircase that leads from a Drawing Room in which chandeliers sparkle and knights in suits of armour shine.  There is an underground tunnel heading out from the cupboard under the stairs which goes who knows where. 

Langley Castle has a spiral staircase, specially designed to thwart any invaders who could not wield their sword in their left hand.  The hole through which boiling water or oil would have been poured on invaders is still in evidence.  There are 12 garderobes to admire, reminding young imaginations that this was a castle built to be under siege for extensive periods.

Relatives of royals have lived here and owned the castle. It was built, in 1350, by one of Edward III’s most trusted knights, Thomas de Lucy.

Literary royalty, in the shape of J K Rowling, has visited and the similarities between what young princes and princesses will find at Langley Castle, and what they may read about in her books, are remarkable.  

With a chapel on the battlements, four-poster beds, raised window seats set into seven-feet thick walls and lots of nooks and crannies, this is a castle that can set young imaginations alight.  Arriving, unpacking the suitcase and reaching instantly for the princess tiara is a must, unless it’s a plastic sword the youngster wants to grab, or even a lightsaber!

“Langley Castle has all that a parent could wish for, if they want to provide their children with an extraordinary experience and entrée into a true land of make-believe,” says general manager, Mohamed Serag.  “My own children were mesmerised when they first saw the castle and that same awestruck look appears on the faces of even much older princes and princesses who arrive here and sweep up our spectacular drive to the castle’s door.”

In the case of adults, the princess dream can still be lived.  Langley’s survey found that 29% of British adults have never slept in a four-poster bed and 42% have never stayed in a true medieval castle hotel.  Those that have, may well be the many hundreds of eloping couples who have enjoyed weddings for two at Langley Castle and fully lived the fairy-tale dream, or those who have had the means to enjoy much larger fairy-tale weddings here, from the classic to the grand Indian occasion.

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, not to mention half-term, there is every opportunity for Langley Castle to create a few honorary princes and princesses in the coming weeks.  The awareness day of National Tell a Fairy Tale Day takes place on February 26.  There’s time for a fair few lucky kids to have a great fairy-tale experience to relate by then, if their parents decide there’s no replacement for a step into a fantasy world.

But fairy-tale stays are not just for February!  Head to www.langleycastle.co.uk to find the accommodation experience or day-time drop-in opportunity, be that a meal or afternoon tea, that will provide that for your young royalty in 2025.

Notes to Editors

Families staying at Langley Castle can choose from accommodation inside the castle, in a Feature or Deluxe Room and with children’s beds provided, or in a Castle View room in the grounds, in Castle Lodge or in the new self-catering Toll Bar Luxury Villa, which has accommodation for two adults and two children.

In-castle accommodation, in Feature and Deluxe rooms, costs from £275 per room per night, inclusive of hearty Northumbrian breakfast.

Castle View accommodation is priced according to whether a suite or room is chosen, with rooms costing from £195 per room per night for bed and breakfast.

Castle Lodge rooms cost from £155 per room per night for bed and breakfast.

Toll Bar Luxury Village, which is a two-bedroomed property for two couples, or a family of two adults and two children using the two rooms, costs £375 per night.  Guests staying in this accommodation are able to ‘castle hop’ and make use of the castle facilities for relaxation in the glorious  Drawing Room and for dining (either in the Drawing Room or 2AA Rosette Josephine restaurant), if they wish, even arranging to have breakfast in the castle, if they do not wish to cook.  

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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.