Compton Castle

Although only 4 rooms open to the public, the history and we'll maintained gardens make a visit worth while.

A National Trust property, tucked away down a narrow lane; but well worth the effort to get there. There is a small amount of free parking outside of the grounds Although it's referred to as a "castle" it's actually a fortified Manor house that started being constructed in the 1600s, and was allowed to go to ruin. Part of the roof, floors, stairs and some walls were reconstructed in the early 1900s. It's worth noting that parts of the property are still lived in, and as such, a number of rooms and stairs are off limits to visitors. There was an earlier property on the site, but there's no indication of where it might be; and no-one has been able to determine anything about the size and shape or even when it was constructed. On the day that we visited, a volunteer, dressed in an appropriate costume for the 1600s was available to provide details of the various families that have owned and lived in the house. This was especially interesting and really brought the whole thing to life. There are a couple of spiral stone staircases to get to the first floor; these are very narrow, and may be unsuitable for some of those with mobility issues. A previous owner had served on HMS Squirrel, and a number of small stuffed squirrels have been carefully placed around the property for younger visitors to find; which was clearly very popular! The volunteers have also arranged for a number of costumes to be set aside for visitors to use, in order to help get into the sense of what life was like. These were being used by young and older alike, and certainly made a difference. All in all, a very pleasant and informative few hours. Highly recommended!

Essentially, it's a very old fortified mansion, extensive family history with a few rooms open. Extensive family history, with engaging staff, but don't plan more than an hour max here. Parking very limited, no catering on site, limited scope for taking your dogs. There is a tea room just up the road which is a bit Fawlty Towers

A lovely couple of hours spent there, very informative and really lovely staff. if you go in nice weather there are picnic tables to use in a beautiful setting, there is a nice little cottage in the car park opposite where we had tea and scones, I would have loved to have bought a little wooden squirrel from the castle, maybe a thought for the national trust.

Pleasant enough place , too small foe a long stay, interesting history