Castle Drogo

Oh my, this castle has some of the silliest reviews I’ve ever seen on Unilocal.One visitor is dissatisfied that this building from 1911(!) is not medieval enough.
Another complains that this is not a castle (actually, it perfectly fits the definition), and that the residents did nothing of importance. As opposed to all those achievements of the vast majority of British nobleman who spent their life sitting on their ass collecting rent from tenants? At least this man worked hard to build his own fortunate as a grocer; a true self-​made man whose had-​work and ingenuity allowed him to retire by age 33 (though he never stopped working). That’s more than I can say for most noblemen.
In reality, this 20^th century castle is a beautiful building designed by one of the great 20^th century British architects, Lutyens, who is also responsible for the famous London Cenotaph. Unfortunately, flaws in the building design, relating to the use of asphalt for roofing, allowed the building to suffer nearly a century of water damage. Since asphalt was quite new at the time, nobody fully understood how it would behave over time; that it would expand and contract with fluctuations in the temperature, and that it would eventually harden and crack.
The National Trust is now lovingly restoring the building, which gives users a unique ‘behind-​the-​scenes’ look at how a castle is built. What this means in practice is that they allow you to still visit the interior, albeit partially boarded up but with displays to show you its ordinary appearance and to tell you more about the history and work in progress. But you also get to climb up the scaffolding to look down into the building, which currently has its roof removed. A unique opportunity!
Drogo was a great Easter destination for kids too. They did an easter egg hunt, and they had an indoor game for children as well, helping them to learn more about life in the castle. And no matter what time of year, you can enjoy the gardens, have a picnic or play games on the croquet lawn, or enjoy a good lunch at the café. I had a savory scone that was delicious, and my husband enjoyed a mushroom and cheddar pasta bake that was quite impressive too.
The café and gift shop are accessible even without paying the entry fee!

Designed by E. Lutyens. Drawn on a napkin when he stayed at the Clarence hotel in Exeter. It has a very exciting modern history. If you look at the kitchen it is in fact a fore-​runner of our modern kitchens. Everything has been considered.
The hydroelectric system is clever too. If you go prepared its very exciting. It’s not mediaevalIt’s a slice of someone’s aspirations God bless him.
Visit Gidleigh Park now that’s expensive! Both worth every penny!

Very unusual building.

This is not a castle, the residents did nothing of importance and it is not even that old. The best thing about our day there was the walk from Chigford, which was beautiful.
Both the entrance and the café are overpriced.

Drogo is more interesting than the National Trust gives it credit for. If you can look beyond the faux-​heritage associations, it’s a very modern design. Put together in blocks, it’s almost cubist — except it has the castle ornamentations.
Worth a look if you can ignore the typical National Trust ‘upstairs downstairs’ and ‘our glorious heritage’ rubbish.

This castle managed by the National Trust promises to be all you expect from a medieval castle when you approach its stark, grey interior. However, once you enter and start following the pre-​determined route through its bowels, you will soon realise that the interior does not deliver on the romantic medieval front, but instead seems to be composed of single elements of pomp of various different styles and ages. The rooms most interesting and pleasing to the eye have to be the castle kitchens, which contain many original or replicated utensils, and are a welcome break from the collection of somewhat tasteless tat presented in the rest of the castle. The grounds and gardens are lovely for walks, although you may not want to pay the high entrance fee just for that. While a visit to Drogo is interesting, be prepared to be disappointed if you are looking for a medieval experience.