CASTLE VISITS TO 'KEEP' ALL THE FAMILY ENTERTAINED

From Norman earthworks to royal palaces, English Heritage cares for more mighty strongholds than anyone. And these days, writes MATT NIXON, you don't need to lay siege to get inside... our brilliant free family passes offer entry to more than 100 fortifications

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From Norman earthworks to royal palaces, English Heritage cares for more mighty strongholds than anyone.

And these days, writes MATT NIXON, you don't need to lay siege to get inside... our brilliant free family passes offer entry to more than 100 fortifications the evacuation. Today families can explore them, while youngsters can enjoy the siege warfare play area and test their skills as they squeeze through tunnels, scale walls, and fire the mighty trebuchet.

CLIFFORD'S TOWER, YORK

The oldest surviving part of York Castle, northern England's greatest medieval fortress, Clifford's Tower also contains something of a technological marvel that helped change the world for the better. Will Wyeth explains: "This has the world's first ever flushing toilet, built for Henry III in the mid 13th century, which visitors can now see for the first time in 400 years." The tower's crowning glory is its timber roof platform, giving access to 360-degree panoramas over the stunning city of York and further afield. Take a seat on one of the audio benches and listen to dramatic stories about the 1069 uprising against the Normans, the efforts to repair the tower during the reign of Richard III, and a destructive explosion that seriously damaged the castle and tower in the 17th century.

As you make your way around the tower, you'll be immersed in the sounds of the past. Be transported to a busy 14th-century kitchen, listen to medieval gossip and hear the destruction of the Norman wooden keep.

BOLSOVER CASTLE, DERBYSHIRE