Appleby Castle

From beginning to end, this place is truly enchanting! The castle exudes charm, and the staff is incredibly welcoming. Dining here is an experience not to be missed; the food is absolutely delicious! Although the castle could use a bit of tender loving care, embracing its character only deepens your affection for this magical spot. You'll fall in love with it! We stayed in the Evidence Room, which featured a beautifully carved four-poster bed. It also had an ensuite bathroom, so we didn't have to wander across the hallway as mentioned in other reviews.

This short break was booked as an additional stay in a visit to the UK. We are very glad we booked. From immediately arriving everything was excellant, on driving into Appleby Castle it looked amazing, exactly what you expect from arriving at a castle and period home. On checking in we were taken to our room (Clifford room) and it was perfect. A period room that fit perfectly in the setting steeped in history. The views were awesome, the room was awesome with a modern bathroom across the hall. The bed was very comfortable and the house was so quiet. We booked a impromptu breakfast and dinner, very glad we did (so much we immediately booked the next days breakfast) the service was top class, the food was amazing, nothing was to much trouble and very relaxed. The second breakfast we didn't even need to order as he remembered our order. Dinner was a great experiance, meeting the owner and manager, having a drink and chat in the bar then being shown to the dining room, classical music when eating and a fire. Before leaving Peter opened the Norman keep and we had a look around. It was very interesting loved wandering around it. The whole experiance was better than expected, it began to feel like a home before we left and I would love to return during Xmas with snow on the ground. 5 stars is not enough!!!

I had booked a night here as a special treat for my wife who loves castles, I had booked early enough to get the Vipont room. On arrival all was quiet, just one person was around to tell us where to park - under the tree out front. In reception the young girl was friendly enough, I said that I had booked dinner for 6pm, oh we haven't got dinner this evening she explained. It would have been nice to have been told before we arrived!! The castle itself is fascinating, has a varied history and we wandered freely. There seemed to be no one else staying there that evening, which I found very odd. Breakfast was offered but declined, 15GBP was a bit steep considering they couldn't make dinner! All in all, we had a pleasant evening, fish and chips in Appleby by the river which was lovely. The castle really does need some TLC, and I don't mean it needs repairing, it is very old, but some human warmth and soul. I am led to believe it is for sale, however the owner needs to put some effort into getting customers through the door to enable this wonderful castle to live up to it's grandeur. So, in summary, is it worth it? Yes if you wish to stay in a castle. Would I stay there again? Not in a million years while the owner doesn't seem to care about it. It is very disappointing that a place with such potential has literally been let go to fend for itself, and I can't help but think unless there is a huge input of cash this will not get any better.

We booked a 3 night stay in No. 1 cottage at the end of August, arriving on Friday evening at 11pm after a long journey. The hotel was aware of our late arrival. We left on Saturday morning before breakfast. We tried to discuss our concerns with reception, who were less than helpful. We found a total of 2 staff on site, neither of whom were able to discuss a complaint or direct us to anyone else at all, let alone management. We followed their advice to send an email to their reservations address. We are yet to hear back. We had paid in full, in advance. Despite no refund, partial refund, or other compensation or apology, we still think we made the right decision to abandon our stay. Our favourite memories of Appleby castle will always be: The apparent spider sanctuary in the living room. The thrill ride spiral staircase, with more screws missing than present. “Shower slice” a game where you make yourself slippery wet in the shower and then try not to rip yourself open on the badly broken bath fascia as you get out. Sofa jenga - unfortunately we seemed to have arrived after this game had finished, but it seems to involve taking apart the sofa, throwing the component cushions at it and leaving them however they fall (upside down and backwards in this case). And finally, the lovely fire we couldn’t make from the old decking board and huge lump of Christmas tree from the log store. We’ll always regret not being able to poison ourselves with those fumes while we shared our tea in the 2 filthy mugs supplied between the five of us. It wasn’t all bad. We thought we didn’t have enough bedding, but the guy at reception told us it was in a cupboard upstairs. He didn’t tell us the cupboard was locked and the sofa bed was buckled anyway. So we can’t complain about the bedding - we never found it. And sharing the fewer than expected beds brought us closer as a family. We’re still wondering if that’s wine or blood by the sink. Maybe a previous guest had a shower. Anyway, I guess we were lucky to see it through all the spiders.

What a lovely quirky old place. We nearly didn’t book this due to some of the negative reviews but we shouldn’t have worried. The staff are under trained but lovely, it is old and a bit battered around the edges but it is clean and warm and comfortable. It is also NOT expensive for anyone other than those who think McDonalds is fine dinking and a Travel lodge the height of sophistication. It’s a castle, it’s historic it’s different and fun. Will definitely be back.

Booked as a birthday treat for my fella - thought it would be really cool to holiday for the weekend in a castle - we were not disappointed. Wow factor kicked in just driving up the sweeping drive. This place is located on the edge of a beautiful little village (Appleby); with a picturesque square, river walk and garden borders. This is a ‘Historic Houses’ house so expect other people mooching the grounds in the day - although light when we attended. Reception is ‘medieval’ - wood panelling, suits of armour and ‘rugs on walls’ adorn the stone walls and floors. Met by some lovely man, who (turns out) literally does everything from take breakfast orders to serve drinks in the bar. Check in was quick, showed to our room (room 12 - Hothfield); was at the end of a corridor. Own en-suite, king brass bed, wood panelling and creaking floors. Tea, coffee & bottled water provided, so too is a hairdryer and wardrobe space with hangers. No tv though, so don’t be expecting to watch ‘your programmes’. But the room does have great WiFi if you’re ‘pining Emmerdale’ and need to watch on your iPad etc. Bathroom and bedroom immaculately clean; shower functional. Towels provided. The breakfast room - just wow. 6 long tables with bench seats (medieval); wood panelling, suits of armour, shields and candlesticks with real candles. Breakfast is freshly cooked. Cranberry juice - to die for. Evening meals in a different room - wow again. The room is authentic medieval again, with lots of wood panelling, the food is freshly cooked and exceptionally tasty. Small bar, with authentic furniture and feel. Parking is provided - under a beautiful tree. You can drop off outside reception but parking is by the tree. The front door to the castle hotel is locked at all times - easy access, ring the doorbell. You might have to wait a few minutes but you’ll be let in with a smile and a warm welcome. Pay extra to see ‘The Norman Keep’ - £10. Well worth it and beautiful views for the top. The castle building has 2 flights of carpeted stone stairs to the first floor from reception (food & bar); and another 2 flights of carpeted stone stairs to the 2nd floor (bedrooms). There is a lot of wood panelling, authentic art & large mirrors - you truly feel like royalty walking down them. No suitable though if your mobility impaired - didn’t see a lift or handrails. There are cottages for rent though in a separate building annex across the courtyard. Absolutely loved our stayed. Castle - fabulous. Food - fabulous. Staff - fabulous. Medieval feel - just wow throughout.