2024 Activities
Meet the Medieval Pilgrims
The Castle’s own pilgrims will be making their way from St Mary’s Chapel in Jesmond Dene to the Castle, entertaining passers by on the way, and then telling tales and enjoying their well earned dinner at the Castle afterwards! Join them for some medieval fun!
February Half Term Activities
Check out all the goings on at Newcastle Castle in the February Half Term. Knight School, Family Craft Activities, Archery and a visit from the Barber Surgeon…
May Half Term Activities
This half term, we’ll have two of our Castle characters joining us as well as family craft activities! All free with your annual pass to Newcastle Castle this half term holiday. Pop in an say hi to Matilda the Barber and Mary Bruce, and try some family craft activities in the Black Gate with Kathy.
Sunday 26th February
Spinning a Yarn (Harbottle Suite learning room) 11am – 4pm
Meet our experts who will show spinning wool and flax with a drop spindle or spinning wheel, or explaining how medieval clothing was actually made from the materials they had to hand!
Friday 24th February
Family Crafts (in the Harbottle Suite learning room) 11am-4pm
Join us for some free family friendly crafts: make a medieval spoon puppet or try your hand at brass rubbing.
Family Trail (around the Castle, pick up your sheet from reception)
Throughout the half-term we’ll have a family friendly trail activity around the Castle. Just pick up a sheet at reception and solve the clues as you go round, finding out more about medieval fashion as you go!
Spinning a Yarn (Harbottle Suite learning room) 11am – 4pm
Meet our experts who will show spinning wool and flax with a drop spindle or spinning wheel, or explaining how medieval clothing was actually made from the materials they had to hand!
Guided tours (starting under the arches of the Black Gate) 11am, 12pm, 2pm, 3pm each day
Join some of our experienced and knowledgeable guides for a guided tour of the old Castle Garth – as the area within the Castle Walls used to be called. Find out all about the hidden history beneath your feet!
Thursday 23rd February
Family Crafts (in the Harbottle Suite learning room) 11am-4pm
Join us for some free family friendly crafts: make a medieval spoon puppet or try your hand at brass rubbing.
Family Trail (around the Castle, pick up your sheet from reception)
Throughout the half-term we’ll have a family friendly trail activity around the Castle. Just pick up a sheet at reception and solve the clues as you go round, finding out more about medieval fashion as you go!
Spinning a Yarn (Harbottle Suite learning room) 11am – 4pm
Meet our experts who will show spinning wool and flax with a drop spindle or spinning wheel, or explaining how medieval clothing was actually made from the materials they had to hand!
Guided tours (starting under the arches of the Black Gate) 11am, 12pm, 2pm, 3pm each day
Join some of our experienced and knowledgeable guides for a guided tour of the old Castle Garth – as the area within the Castle Walls used to be called. Find out all about the hidden history beneath your feet!
Meet our Peasant! (Castle Keep) 11am – 3pm each day
It’s not all about knights and ladies just because it’s a castle you know? Come and meet Steve, our lowly serf, and find out more about life on the land in medieval England. He might be an oppressed mass, but he’s very friendly!
Wednesday 22nd February
Family Crafts (in the Harbottle Suite learning room) 11am-4pm
Join us for some free family friendly crafts: make a medieval spoon puppet or try your hand at brass rubbing.
Family Trail (around the Castle, pick up your sheet from reception)
Throughout the half-term we’ll have a family friendly trail activity around the Castle. Just pick up a sheet at reception and solve the clues as you go round, finding out more about medieval fashion as you go!
Spinning a Yarn (Harbottle Suite learning room) 11am – 4pm
Meet our experts who will show spinning wool and flax with a drop spindle or spinning wheel, or explaining how medieval clothing was actually made from the materials they had to hand!
Guided tours (starting under the arches of the Black Gate) 11am, 12pm, 2pm, 3pm each day
Join some of our experienced and knowledgeable guides for a guided tour of the old Castle Garth – as the area within the Castle Walls used to be called. Find out all about the hidden history beneath your feet!
Tuesday 21st February
Family Crafts (in the Harbottle Suite learning room) 11am-4pm
Join us for some free family friendly crafts: make a medieval spoon puppet or try your hand at brass rubbing.
Family Trail (around the Castle, pick up your sheet from reception)
Throughout the half-term we’ll have a family friendly trail activity around the Castle. Just pick up a sheet at reception and solve the clues as you go round, finding out more about medieval fashion as you go!
Spinning a Yarn (Harbottle Suite learning room) 11am – 4pm
Meet our experts who will show spinning wool and flax with a drop spindle or spinning wheel, or explaining how medieval clothing was actually made from the materials they had to hand!
Guided tours (starting under the arches of the Black Gate) 11am, 12pm, 2pm, 3pm each day
Join some of our experienced and knowledgeable guides for a guided tour of the old Castle Garth – as the area within the Castle Walls used to be called. Find out all about the hidden history beneath your feet!
Meet our Peasant! (Castle Keep) 11am – 3pm each day
It’s not all about knights and ladies just because it’s a castle you know? Come and meet Steve, our lowly serf, and find out more about life on the land in medieval England. He might be an oppressed mass, but he’s very friendly!
Monday 20th February
Family Crafts (in the Harbottle Suite learning room) 11am-4pm
Join us for some free family friendly crafts: make a medieval spoon puppet or try your hand at brass rubbing.
Family Trail (around the Castle, pick up your sheet from reception)
Throughout the half-term we’ll have a family friendly trail activity around the Castle. Just pick up a sheet at reception and solve the clues as you go round, finding out more about medieval fashion as you go!
Spinning a Yarn (Harbottle Suite learning room) 11am – 4pm
Meet our experts who will show spinning wool and flax with a drop spindle or spinning wheel, or explaining how medieval clothing was actually made from the materials they had to hand!
Sunday 19th February
Family Crafts (in the Harbottle Suite learning room) 11am-4pm
Join us for some free family friendly crafts: make a medieval spoon puppet or try your hand at brass rubbing.
Family Trail (around the Castle, pick up your sheet from reception)
Throughout the half-term we’ll have a family friendly trail activity around the Castle. Just pick up a sheet at reception and solve the clues as you go round, finding out more about medieval fashion as you go!
Spinning a Yarn (Harbottle Suite learning room) 11am – 4pm
Meet our experts who will show spinning wool and flax with a drop spindle or spinning wheel, or explaining how medieval clothing was actually made from the materials they had to hand!
Saturday 18th February
Medieval Fashion Show! (in the Great Hall of the Keep) 11am-4pm
Come to the Castle on the first day of the half-term and you’ll meet some amazingly dressed medieval characters getting ready for the big medieval fashion shoot! Fabulously flamboyant costumes and people will be on show throughout the day, and you can come and cheer them on the cat walk!
Family Crafts (in the Harbottle Suite learning room) 11am-4pm
Join us for some free family friendly crafts: make a medieval spoon puppet or try your hand at brass rubbing.
Family Trail (around the Castle, pick up your sheet from reception)
Throughout the half-term we’ll have a family friendly trail activity around the Castle. Just pick up a sheet at reception and solve the clues as you go round, finding out more about medieval fashion as you go!
Creepy Crafts
We’ll have some spooky family friendly crafts on the go in the October Half-Term. Decorate the halls of the Castle Keep with roosting bats or make a terrifying mask to haunt the corridors with. Just pop into the Harbottle Suite on the second floor of the Black Gate and say hello to our volunteer.
Castle Garth Tours
11am, 2pm and 3pm each day
Meet our guide under the archway of the Black Gate and they will take you on a tour of the Castle Garth - learn the fascinating hidden history buried beneath modern Newcastle, and find out about taverns, prison pits and ancient burials.
Included in ticket, but donations welcome
Castle Keep Tours
Monday 15 August and Thursday 18 August
One of our enthusiastic and knowledgeable volunteers will be delivering guided tours of the Castle Keep lasting approximately 45 minutes. They’ll set off from the reception area in the Castle Keep at 11am, 1pm, 2pm and 3pm, and are included in the ticket price.
11am, 1pm, 2pm, 3pm Castle Keep reception area
Costumed Character Tours
Every Sunday in the Summer Holidays, starting at 11am, 12pm, 2pm, 3pm
Join one of our costumed Castle Characters for a fun guided tour of Newcastle's Castle Keep, with tales of those who have lived (and died) within these walls. Royals, rogues, reivers and more. Meet in the Lower Hall of the Castle Keep.
Knight School
Every Saturday in the Summer Holidays, 11am - 4pm
Join one of our noble squires in the Great Hall of the Castle Keep for an adventure for all budding knights! Learn the fine arts of swordplay, chivalry and nobility - he might event let you have a go trying on the knight's armour!
Tour Tuesdays
Every Tuesday in August, we will have guided tours of the Castle Garth delivered by one of our knowledgeable and enthusiastic volunteers. These are included in the ticket price, and will be starting at 11am, 1pm and 2pm each Tuesday. Just meet your guide beneath the Black Gate arch and they’ll show you some of the hidden history beneath Newcastle’s streets.
11am, 1pm, 2pm. Beneath the Black Gate arch.
Grumpy Guards
Every Wednesday in the Summer Holidays, 11am - 4pm
Come meet one of Newcastle Castle's grumpy guards (don't worry, they're lovely really), and learn about the soldiers who protected the Castle in medieval times. Try on armour and handle weapons, practice archery, sword training and drill. You can even learn some medieval games to pass the time on guard duty.