点评:I visited the estate on a very hot Sunday in July with my 4-yr-old little boy and a family friend, and we had a completely wonderful experience. Entry was reduced in price for me and free for kids that day, and while we saw plenty of other visitors it almost felt as if we had the estate to ourselves. We arrived shortly after 10am, after collecting my friend from the nearby Starcross train station, and were the last out of the car park at 4pm, and from start to finish everyone we encountered was simply lovely and hugely welcoming. While we hadn't signed up for a tour ( knowing that it's tough to keep the attention of a 4-yr-old, even one who loves learning about things!) my little boy was chattering about where the portcullis would have been as we entered the castle, and a very kind guide named Andy showed him the hidden doorway and window, which delighted him.
We explored the ground floor of the castle first, then went on a lengthy walk around the grounds (including a picnic up a public footpath I think we took by mistake, then a hike up to the estate's very picturesque Belvedere Tower), then returned to explore the castle's first floor and rose garden before we left.
Maybe a tiny bit more signage (somehow we got diverted early on, hence the abortive footpath journey!) and info on the history of things (e.g. at the tower) would have made things *even* better, but actually our impromptu picnic spot was lovely (there was a wooden sculpture which was fascinating) and good cell service meant that we could look up all the other info online anyway. But honestly, the entire day felt magical, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a stimulating yet relaxing day out.
翻译:七月一个非常炎热的星期天,我带着四岁的儿子和一位朋友参观了这座庄园,体验非常棒。那天我享受了优惠票价,孩子们也免费入场。虽然我们看到了不少其他游客,但感觉整个庄园几乎都属于我们。我们早上十点刚过就到了,之前去附近的斯塔克罗斯火车站接了我的朋友。下午四点,我们是最后一批离开停车场的游客。从头到尾,我们遇到的每个人都非常友善热情。虽然我们没有报名参加导览团(因为我知道要吸引一个四岁孩子的注意力并不容易,即使他很喜欢学习新知识!),但当我们进入城堡时,我的小儿子就兴奋地问起吊闸在哪里。一位名叫安迪的导游非常友善,他带儿子发现了一扇隐藏的门和一扇窗户,儿子高兴极了。
我们先参观了城堡的一楼,然后在城堡周围漫步了很久(包括在一条我们误入的公共步道上野餐,之后又徒步登上了风景如画的观景塔),最后返回城堡参观了一楼和玫瑰园,然后才离开。
如果能多一些指示牌(不知怎么的,我们一开始就走错了路,所以才误打误撞地走了那条步道!),以及一些关于城堡历史的介绍(比如观景塔上的介绍),那就更好了。不过,我们临时找到的野餐地点也很棒(那里有一个很吸引人的木雕),而且手机信号很好,所以我们可以上网查询其他信息。说实话,这一天感觉非常奇妙,我强烈推荐给所有想要度过既充实又轻松的一天的人。