When we decided to spend a weekend at Butlin’s Minehead, there was one other place we knew we wanted to squeeze into the trip – Watermouth Castle.
It’s somewhere we’d wanted to visit with Elsie for quite a while, but being around 180 miles from home, it’s not exactly somewhere you casually pop to on a Sunday afternoon! Being based at Minehead put us considerably closer, so we decided this was finally our chance.
And, according to Elsie, it was definitely worth the trip.
So… what actually is Watermouth Castle?
Watermouth Castle is a bit difficult to describe because it isn’t really just one thing.
You’ve obviously got the Castle itself, but once you start exploring there’s a mixture of gardens, rides, play areas, strange little discoveries, underground areas and an entire Gnome Land thrown in for good measure.
It’s certainly not your typical modern theme park – and that’s actually part of its charm.
There are little things hidden all over the place and Elsie loved wandering around to see what she’d find next.
Although, when we say wandering, we should probably mention something fairly important…
Watermouth Castle is HILLY!
The attraction is built within a steep valley, so you’re going to encounter plenty of slopes, steps and uneven areas as you explore. If you’ve got very young children, someone with limited mobility or you’re bringing a pushchair, it’s definitely something worth knowing before you arrive.
Pushchairs are allowed around most of the grounds but can’t be taken through the Castle and Dungeon areas, so it’s worth checking Watermouth’s accessibility information before visiting if that’s likely to affect you.
It didn’t cause us any problems – other than Dad questioning his fitness levels occasionally – but it’s something we’d rather tell people before they visit!
Elsie Takes Over
This wasn’t just a normal family day out either.
Watermouth had very kindly allowed us to film during our visit, which gave Elsie the opportunity to do something she’s becoming increasingly confident at – talking to people herself.
Several members of the team took time out of their day to chat with her and answer some of her questions about Watermouth.
One person who deserves a special mention is Oscar.
He was absolutely brilliant with Elsie.
Not only was he incredibly friendly, but his knowledge of Watermouth and its history was fantastic. He shared some stories with us, answered Elsie’s questions and genuinely seemed to enjoy talking about the place.
People like that can make a huge difference to a family attraction. You can have all the rides and attractions in the world, but enthusiastic staff who actually care about the place they’re working at can completely change someone’s experience.
Oscar is an absolute asset to Watermouth Castle.
The rest of the team were equally accommodating when it came to us filming around the attraction, and at no point did we feel like we were getting in anybody’s way or becoming a nuisance with the camera.
That makes Dad’s job considerably easier!
And Elsie’s Favourite Ride Was…
With various rides and attractions dotted around Watermouth, we obviously had to ask Elsie the most important question of the day:
What was your favourite?
The answer didn’t require much thought.
THE TUBE SLIDE!
Forget complicated multi-million-pound rollercoasters – apparently all you need is a massive slide and a tube.
To be fair… she did have a point.
It’s ridiculously good fun.
And that’s probably one of the things we enjoyed most about Watermouth. It doesn’t feel like it’s desperately trying to compete with the enormous UK theme parks.
It’s its own thing.
There are rides, gardens, quirky attractions and plenty of slightly weird things to discover as you make your way around. It feels more like you’re exploring somewhere rather than simply walking from one ride queue to another.
Is Watermouth Castle Worth Visiting?
For us, absolutely.
We had a genuinely lovely day there and, most importantly, Elsie loved it.
If you’re expecting enormous rollercoasters and major thrill rides, Watermouth probably isn’t what you’re looking for. But if you’ve got younger children and want somewhere a little different, with rides, play areas, gardens and plenty to explore, we’d happily recommend giving it a visit.
Just remember…
There are hills. Lots of hills.
And if you’re visiting with a pushchair or somebody with mobility requirements, we’d strongly recommend looking at Watermouth’s accessibility information beforehand so you know what to expect.
You can find opening times, ticket information and everything you need to plan a visit on the official Watermouth Castle website.
Come Along With Us!
Of course, reading about Elsie’s visit is one thing.
Actually seeing what she got up to is another.
We filmed our day at Watermouth Castle, including Elsie exploring the park, trying the attractions and chatting to some of the people who know the place far better than we do.
You can watch Elsie’s full Watermouth Castle adventure on the Happily Ever Elsie YouTube channel.
If you enjoy the video, we’d love you to subscribe and come along on some of Elsie’s future adventures.
And if you’ve found us through YouTube – welcome to the blog! This is where Dad gets to add all the useful bits that don’t necessarily make it into the videos, along with more photos, behind-the-scenes stories and our thoughts on the places we visit.
Have you visited Watermouth Castle?
Let us know what your favourite part was – and more importantly, did your legs survive the hills?