Hallowscream!

Wray Castle has been a hive of activity this week. On Monday we hosted the South Lakes Orchard Group's annual apple pressing day. Rob and Andy brought a selection of locally grown apples and made some amazingly delicious apple juices for everyone to try. We were lucky enough to be left a bottle of juice at the end of the day, which we have been supping in between tours and helping out with the craft activities!

Yum Yum freshly pressed apple juice!



The presser in action!

As well as apple day, this week at the castle has been Halloween themed. Visitors, both young and old have enjoyed making witches and wizards hats, scary masks, creepy spiders and Halloween lanterns. We have also been entertaining visitors after hours with ghostly story telling sessions. Richard and Luke have been a great double act, both dressed in appropriately scary costumes and regaling guests with stories of skulls, severed hands and haunted tea pots! In the cold Autumn evening, victims-I mean, of course, visitors, found themselves in the dimly lit gothic hallway of Wray Castle and were greeted by the ghastly Black monk of Furness-Abbey and a young Undertaker's apprentice who took great pleasure in measuring guests for their coffins! 

Wray Castle's resident undertaker!



One of our most popular activities has been the broom stick making. When Richard the Ranger volunteered his skills to do this back in May I am not sure he quite realised what was in store for him!

Have you ever wondered what it would feel like to make over 100 broom sticks in 5 hours?? Well Richard no longer needs to ponder that question as he has spent two days at the castle this week doing exactly that! On Monday it seemed like a one man production line, but luckily reinforcements arrived as their were some very keen would be witches and wizards all eager to make their own broom stick.

Richard hard at work. Only 55 more to go!

A happy 'witch' with a rather large broom stick!

This is our last week of 7 day opening; but we are going to be open on weekends all the way up until the 23rd of december. There will be lots more craft activities and a giant christmas tree to decorate, so do come along and have some fun!

Be prepared to be scared!

                HALLOWEEEEEEEEN!

When you have a mock gothic castle with spooky towers, creaking doors, dark passages and a clattering* of jackdaws it is not hard to get into the halloween spirit. With the nights drawing in and a crescent moon rising over the castle it is certainly a creepy place to be. So, what could be scarier than ghost stories, told as night falls around Wray Castle? Anyone with a nervous disposition (me!) may want to avoid this, but if you are over 12 and think you are brave enough then come and join us for our spine-chilling story sessions on Monday the 29th, Wednesday the 31st and Friday the 2nd. Starting at 5.30 pm. To get you in the mood, listen to one of our special 'Halloween sounds' on Audioboo.

Keep your eyes peeled for witches and wizards!

For the whole week from Saturday the 27th of October until the 4th of November, we will also have a variety of craft activities for all the family to get involved with. You can try your hand at broom stick making, witch/wizard hat making, spider making or simply enjoy dressing up in our scary halloween costumes.

You may spot some bats flying around the castle as dusk approaches.

There's also lots happening out in the grounds at Wray Castle too, you can join a guided walk around the estate, try out our giant rope swing or build yourself a den in our activity area. On Monday the 29th we are also hosting Apple Pressing Day, so come and see fresh apple juice being made before your very eyes!

For more information on any of our activities, please see our website
http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/wray-castle/things-to-see-and-do/events/ or email wraycastle@nationaltrust.org.uk or go to our Wray Castle Facebook page

(*that's the official collective noun for Jackdaws!)