Wish you were.. HERE?

0 Comments | Sunday Mirror, Nov 15, 2009 | by Anonymous

A night in a castle..

Where and why

Fancy being king or queen for the weekend? There are dozens of historic castles that have lowered their drawbridges to paying guests. And you won't need a title to be treated like royalty...

1. Hazlewood Castle, North Yorks

HAZLEWOOD has been a landmark in North Yorkshire since the time of the Domesday Book. A War of the Roses battle was fought nearby and there are priest holes and secret tunnels.

The hotel is surrounded by 70 acres of parkland, perfect for strolls after dinner in the Anise restaurant that overlooks the lawns. There are 25 bedrooms and suites, nine in the main castle and the remainder in the courtyard and keep. All are grandly decorated, but beware, there are resident ghosts!

Wake-up call B&B from pounds 77.50pp when two share. Go to www.hazlewoodcastle.co.uk

2. Amberley Castle, W Sussex

HOLLY Willoughby was married at this 900-year-old castle with its two-ton oak portcullis. You might even see the resident ghost, Emily, who is said to have been a luckless maid ruined by a bishop!

Wake-up call From pounds 82.50pp when two share. Go to www.amberleycastle.co.uk

3. Thornbury Castle, Gloucs

HENRY VIII and Anne Boleyn romped in the Duke's Bedchamber before their celebrity lifestyle put too much pressure on their marriage. It's the only Tudor castle in England to have become a hotel.

Wake-up call B&B from pounds 95pp. Go to www.thornburycastle.co.uk

4. Bodelwyddan Castle,Wales

A GRADE II-listed Victorian castle that's 10 minutes from the seaside town of Rhyl, and half an hour from Llandudno.

Wake-up call Two-night Turkey and Tinsel breaks late November and early December cost pounds 96.07pp for two nights' half-board. Go to warnerleisurehotels.co.uk