There is a folk legend that King Edward 2 was murdered, unpleasantly, with a red hot poker inserted somewhere you don't even want to think of having such a thing. Gruesome tales have a way of making a visit to a castle very exciting. Maybe for small children but also for me. Berkeley Castle is privately owned and I am sure that pre Covid it was a lot more fun to visit. But restrictions meant that a lot of the attractions seemed to be closed. The castle didn't seem to make much of the legend either - advising me, soberly, that he was probably smothered with a pillow. Oh dear.
My temper hadn't been improved by being unceremoniously dumped on a small road by my Sat Nav, announcing "you have arrived at your destination" Which I clearly hadn't. The castle is very straightforward to find if you use the road atlas!
But it was a beautiful day, windy and bright, with a lovely view and plenty of wire sculptures to give a sense of atmosphere. I really like sculpture. The texture and that you can walk all round it. That you can imagine it being a living being. Once I reached the kitchens I felt a little more amicable towards the castle. Clearly the table and sinks were built for persons of short stature - as serving folk would surely have been in days when they probably weren't so well fed. Being the granddaughter of a cook in service, I noted the fixtures were fine for a five foot lady but if you were much taller, you would have developed a very sore back from bending all day at the sink.
The cellar has a collection of vast casks and barrels and I think that this family would not have been short of a few well earned drinks! On the whole it was a good place to visit, but I missed the very National Trust-y signs, guides and information
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