Innovative and award-winning Langley Castle, has launched a brand-new stellar experience – Castellations and Constellations – combining star-gazing experiences and history in a highly compelling way.
The bookable experiences capitalise on the castle’s location within the Gold Tier International Dark Sky Park of Northumberland. They also allow it to now offer a brilliant cluster of star-gazing experiences, to suit all budgets.
Castellations and Constellations is a ticketed star-gazing experience, available to non-residents as well as residents, taking place from 6pm to 9.30pm, on September 22, October 21 and 27 and November 2. At each event, stargazing activity will be led by astronomer and photographer, Simon Rowland, an expert and Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society.
Simon will interpret what is viewable in the skies above, from the atmospheric vantage point of Langley Castle’s medieval battlements. Regular sights are the Northern Lights and the Milky Way, whilst the International Space Station has also been photographed flying overhead.
Ticket-holders will also be treated to a Battlements Tour by night – learning about the rich history of the 1350 castle, with all of its nooks, crannies, winding staircases, defence systems and 12 garderobes that are regarded as the best examples of medieval loos in Europe!
The experience has early-bird pricing, to June 30 2023, of £20 for adults, £12 for children, £50 for one adult and three children, or £55 for two adults and two children. It can be booked by calling 01434 688888.
Another new experience, available from October 20 to November 5, is a Stargazing Afternoon Tea (£25.50 per person). With darkness falling in the late afternoon, there is a chance for those who love delicious sweet and savoury treats to enjoy a yummy dietary indulgence, before heading outside and seeing what they can spot in the dark skies above Langley Castle, on a self-guided basis.
Langley Castle’s full Starry Knights stargazing and accommodation extravaganzas will still be scheduled each month in late autumn/winter, with an October 31 date almost full already.
These hugely popular star-gazing experiences cost from £380 for a room for two, inclusive of three-course meal in the 2AA Rosette restaurant, plus a trip, by luxury minibus, to the world-famous Kielder Observatory, to learn more from the team of astronomers there. On return to Langley Castle, guests are treated to a warming snifter and cheeseboard, to round off the night in style.
The new star-gazing cluster of things to relish at Langley Castle, will add yet more reasons to head close to the Anglo-Scottish border. The castle, a Silver winner in the Visit England Awards for Excellence 2023 Resilience and Innovation category, is known for continually delighting prospective customers with exciting and different experiences, each with Langley Castle’s hallmark of quality. Its new experiences should create just as many memories.
Executive general manager, Margaret Livingstone-Evans says, “We are excited to have even more star-gazing experiences to offer to tourists and local residents alike and are delighted to be teaming up with Simon Rowland in the delivery of Castellations and Constellations.
“We believe these star-gazing events will be hugely popular, thanks to the appealing combination of topics covered, their availability for non-residents and their pricing. Where else can you stand on the battlements of a medieval castle – deemed the most authentic fortified castle hotel in England – and say that you have seen the Northern Lights or Milky Way, in some of the darkest and best star-observing skies in the world?”
Image by Si Rowland