Powderham Castle

About

There is so much to see and do at Powderham Castle you will be pushed to fit it all in to one day, but don’t worry as you can come back on another day for FREE!*

For the very first time since Powderham opened to visitors in 1957, the tour routes and the tales told of Devon’s 600-year-old family home are changing.  After years of study and with input from Universities of Exeter, Plymouth and Pennsylvania, Charlie and AJ (the new Earl and Countess of Devon) are excited to launch this fresh telling of the ancient and unique Powderham story.  

This season, visitors to Powderham will be offered a choice of two distinct and very different tours, both within a single ticket price.    

On the Castle tour you will see the many majestic rooms and hear fascinating stories about the Courtenay family as told by our knowledgeable and engaging guides. The tour lasts an hour and all of our guides adapt it to suit their audience, so it is an entertaining experience for all!

The State Room Tour guides guests through the gardens, the grange and the grandest rooms of the Castle – the public face of Powderham.  Visitors explore chronologically Powderham’s illustrious architectural history, from its medieval foundation, through Civil War sieges, Georgian, Rococo and Regency expansion, to its dramatic neo-Gothic culmination.  All of this via secret doors, long libraries and even a hidden ballroom.

The Upstairs/Downstairs Tour offers a different view – Powderham as a private home of the Courtenay family and their staff for over 600 years.  Charlie and AJ invite visitors into never-before-seen family bedrooms, and offer a host of intimate and personal insights, spooky stories, and winding staircases used for generations.

Outside there are acres to explore and discoveries to be made. Visit the Walled Garden, Play Area & Pets Corner (and take part on our nature trail on the way) home to our friendly Powderham pets and adventure play area (including our Courtenay Fort!). A donkey, pot-bellied pigs, goats, guinea pigs, chickens, sheep, and stick-insects, to name but a few, live here in a blissfully happy environment and enjoy the company of visitors, children and adults alike.

Head to our American Woodland Garden (open between 1st April – 1st September) to enjoy a scenic picnic and explore this haven of peaceful tranquillity, adorned with exotic trees and a gothic summerhouse/folly.

Take in the sights of the Castle’s natural rugged beauty on our tractor trailer rides around the grounds of Powderham. Get close to our 600 Fallow deer as well as lots of other wildlife or simply take time to relax and enjoy the stunning views.

Pay a visit to the Powderham Forge, regenerated to its former glory by our new award-winning blacksmith, Andrew Hall. As a fully working forge you can see the blacksmiths at work using traditional skills and techniques.

For a spot of lunch, have a bite from the Courtenay Café offering a range of light lunches, refreshments and delicious cream teas, as well as vegetarian and vegan options! We can seat up to 25 inside the Café with additional seating in the Coach House as well as outdoor seating so that visitors can enjoy the West Country sunshine!

And don’t miss our family fun in the school holidays – from Easter activities to spooky school at Halloween there’s something for all visitors during every season! With a Powderham Season ticket you can enjoy unlimited admissions to the castle, plus all of our extra activities for free!

*Free return valid for 7 days. Children can take part in another themed session on a Free Return ticket for only £3.00.