Augill Castle

Lake District & Cumbria

A fabulous castle, with fabulous owners, in easy reach of the Lake District.

Units 17
Sleeps 2 - 4
Bedrooms 1 - 17
Pets No
Mobility Yes

Ideal for

Toddlers
Older Kids
Teens

From £190/night

Check Availability

Experience a wonderfully decadent, yet super relaxed stay in this magical restored castle, sandwiched between the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales. With grounds for little ones to explore, secret rooms to find, fabulous food, cookery classes and brilliantly friendly owners you'll have the best time - we did!

About this place

Best bits

This is a really special place – a place of laughter and easy conversation, breakfast in your slippers and feet up by the fire.
Food is a real highlight and focus – from afternoon tea to their legendary weekend dinner parties, not to mention pizza night on Sundays.
Offering more services than a B&B but less formality than a hotel, this is far from a stuffy castle-stay experience.

Top tips

Bring an open mind and a willingness to make new friends – this is a laid-back, social place.
Pack your wellies (though if you forget them, there’s some to borrow) as you can head out on glorious walks from the castle.
Augill provides everything families might need, from highchairs and cots to baby monitors and other supplies - don't stuff the car.

Plan your stay

What are the facilities like? Where can you eat? What can you do?

Play room

Outdoor play equipment

Bar

Restaurant

This place was a joy to visit, from our first spotting it, lights glowing along the long, dark windy road, to being encompassed by the warmth from the fabulous fires. Exploring the grounds proved to be enough to keep the girls occupied – in fact, we didn’t leave them.

Reviewed by Jo & family

Rooms

The 17 bedrooms are in a variety of styles (some with romantic four-poster beds); of these, eight are in the main castle. The Estate rooms and houses all have direct access to the castle’s grounds, as well as their own private terrace or garden. Estate houses also have their own kitchen.

Family options include the choice of either two separate bedrooms or interconnecting rooms. It’s also possible to hire the whole castle if you’re travelling with a big group or your wider family.

Eat

Augill offers an Italian-inspired menu Thursday to Monday with seasonally changing dishes, plus simpler options for children. Thursdays and Mondays are more casual affairs, while Fridays and Saturdays are when the castle’s famous dinner parties are held (kids are welcome, too), with food served at long, communal dining tables.

Sundays here are pizza nights, complemented by big salads and a fabulous berry and lemon tiramisu to finish things off. Traditional afternoon tea – sweet or savoury – is served every day (advance booking required).

Activities

There’s loads to do at Augill. Inside, you’ll find a library with dressing up, a pool table and traditional low-tech games, plus a private 12-seat cinema with a large DVD library. In addition, cookery classes are run for 7–14 year olds.

The extensive grounds are home to a tennis court, a playground and a tree house – and kids will just love exploring. Plus, Augill’s position means you can easily explore the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales – or beyond!

Accessibility

There are three bedrooms with step-free access, one with adapted bathroom facilities and ground- floor accessible toilet facilities.
We have our guest room file available in Braille. We have just two steps on the ground floor and can provide ramps or assistance where required. The televisions in each bedroom are capable of displaying subtitles. Our staff are always on hand to help in any way.

Show on map

Location & local area

Where is it and how do you get there?

By Road

The castle is one mile off the A685, between Kirkby Stephen and Brough. The M6 is 25 minutes’ drive away.

By Air

The nearest international airports are at Newcastle (59 miles), Leeds Bradford (77 miles) and Manchester (106 miles)

By Rail

The nearest railway station is Kirkby Stephen, four miles away.

About the owners

Simon and Wendy

We bought the castle 20 years ago as a near wreck and have dedicated our lives since to restoring it while raising our two children here. It’s still our family home today – we call it the hotel that isn’t, as it’s more like a home from home for our guests.

Owner recommendations

With both the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales right on the doorstep, there’s no end of walking, splashing, sliding and scrambling to be had.
For a little old-fashioned fun, take a steam-boat cruise on Coniston Water or Ullswater.
Winter sports lovers won’t want to miss the opportunity to ski or snowboard on real snow at Yad Moss, a 50-minute drive away.
Some easy (but rewarding) mountain climbing can be had at Cat Bells, close to Keswick.