Castle Drogo

Over het museum

Castle Drogo was built between 1911 and 1930 for Julius Drewe, the founder of the Home and Colonial Stores, who retired early and wanted a family seat above the Teign Gorge. He believed that he descended from a medieval Norman lord, Drogo de Teigne, and chose the site because of that link. He commissioned the architect Edwin Lutyens, who would have preferred to design a comfortable house, but produced a castle of granite instead.

The building took almost twenty years because of the First World War, the loss of Drewe's eldest son in 1917 and the small number of masons who worked on it. It was finished at about a third of the size originally planned, yet it combines a medieval look with modern comforts of its time, including electricity from a hydro turbine in the gorge. The chapel and bell tower were the last parts to be completed, in 1931.

The Drewe family lived here until 1974, when the castle was given to the National Trust, which was the first building of the twentieth century it acquired. Water ingress through its flat roofs caused serious damage, and a major conservation project in the 2010s repaired the building. Today visitors can see the family rooms, kitchens and service areas, the chapel and a high garden with formal terraces and circular lawns, and walk down into the Teign Gorge.

Hoogtepunten

• Last castle built in England, designed by Edwin Lutyens
• Family rooms, kitchens and chapel built between 1911 and 1930
• Highest garden cared for by the National Trust
• Walks into the Teign Gorge, with a hydro turbine that powered the castle
• Bunty House in the garden for children
• Views over Dartmoor

Vaste collectie

• Castle Drogo interior – Family rooms, kitchens and service areas show how the Drewe family lived in a modern castle, with features such as electric power and an ambitious design by Lutyens.

Opgericht

1974

Beheerder

National Trust

Toegangsprijzen & kortingen

Prices cover the castle and garden and are shown without Gift Aid; paying with Gift Aid adds 10% (adult £19.80). National Trust members enter free. Parking for non-members costs £4 for 4 hours or £7.50 for the whole day; it is free for members and Blue Badge holders.

Toegankelijkheid

• Deels rolstoeltoegankelijk
• Lift: geen informatie
• Aangepast toilet
• Gehandicaptenparkeerplaats
• Hulphonden welkom
• Tastmodellen / voelbare objecten
• Rondleidingen in gebarentaal: geen informatie
• Informatie in eenvoudige taal: geen informatie
• Audiodescriptie: geen informatie

Step-free access is available on tarmac and gravel paths, which can be steep in places, and there is a ramp to the castle entrance. Inside, the entrance hall and library are step-free, but the other rooms are reached by stairs, mostly without handrails. A buggy shuttle runs between the visitor centre and the castle when the castle is open, and a powered mobility vehicle (Tramper) can be hired between 10:30 and 16:00; advance booking is advised. Wheelchairs can be borrowed at visitor reception and in the castle. Blue Badge parking and a drop-off point are available. Accessible toilets are at visitor reception. Induction loops are installed at reception, the shop and the café, and Braille guides are available in the castle. Large-print maps, trails and guides can be asked for at reception. There are benches around the grounds and chairs in the castle. Some surfaces are uneven and there are steep drops, and phone signal is poor. Assistance dogs are welcome everywhere.

Kinderen & gezin

Erg geschikt voor kinderen & gezinnen

• Gezinsrondleidingen & workshops
• Speurtocht, doeboekje of kinderaudiotour
• Kinderwagenvriendelijk
• Verschoonruimte

Kids' trails and activities run in the grounds throughout the school holidays, and the garden has the Bunty House for children to explore. Buggy-friendly routes are available around the garden, and hip-carrying infant seats can be borrowed in the castle. Baby changing is available at visitor reception and in the castle. A family ticket covers two adults and up to three children.

Bereikbaarheid & parkeren

The castle is 5 miles south of the A30; take the A382 from Whiddon Down towards Moretonhampstead, turn off at Sandy Park and follow the signs. The approach lanes are narrow with tight corners, so coaches and motorhomes over 10.5 metres long or 2.39 metres wide are not recommended. what3words for the car park: premises.taxed.sublet. Bike racks are near the café, and the Dartmoor Way cycle route passes nearby.

Service & horeca

• Café
• Restaurant: niet aanwezig
• Museumwinkel

The coffee shop in the visitor centre serves hot and cold drinks, light lunches, fresh bakes and cream teas, with a takeaway offer and a children's menu. There is a shop, a plant shop and a small second-hand bookshop in the café. Dogs on leads are welcome except in the café, on the circular lawn and in the castle. Electric vehicle chargers (eight 11 kW points) are in the main car park.

Evenementen & zaalverhuur

Het museum heeft hierover geen informatie gepubliceerd.

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