Donnington Castle tours booked up

Bookings for July tours of 14th century castle snapped up in seven days by history enthusiasts

FREE tours of inside Newbury's Donnington Castle, scheduled to take place over one weekend next month, have proved so popular that all available places have been snapped up within a week.

The gatehouse of the 14th century castle, which is usually always locked, is to be opened to members of the public on July 16 and 17 by its owners, English Heritage, to celebrate the 2011 Festival of British Archaeology, which runs from July 16 to 31.

All 160 available places for hour-long tours of the castle have now been booked, according to the information and bookings officer for West Berkshire Council, Emma Crawley.

The council's archaeological officers have organised and will lead the free of charge tours.

“We pretty much expected it," said Miss Crawley. "It's something local people wanted to do and see.

“We do have a reserve list, in case anyone booked drops out," she said, adding that no extra tour dates were currently being planned.

As the castle is one of the most historical sites in West Berkshire, which played a key role in the Civil War, the tours will show extensive star-shaped earthworks constructed to fortify the site during that period.

The gatehouse, with steep stairs and low ceilings, is all that remains today.

Visitors who were lucky enough to obtain a place on the tour will be able to view the ground and first floor and explore the castle's origins, appearance and inhabitants, and learn of local myths.