Theme parks · South West England
Watermouth Castle Family Theme Park
19th-century castle near Ilfracombe with a family theme park inside its grounds.
Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 4 h–8 h
- Best time of year
- School holidays (Apr–Oct)
- Family-friendly
- Limited wheelchair access
About
Watermouth Castle near Ilfracombe is the 19th-century castellated mansion turned family theme park, with rides set in the formal gardens and inside the castle itself: water gardens with fairy-tale grottoes, a vintage carousel, a small log flume, a haunted dungeon, gnomes, a working pipe organ in the ballroom and a model railway. Slightly time-warped charm; consistently a bigger hit with under-8s than its scale suggests.
Photo gallery
Heritage listing
Watermouth Castle is a building in Watermouth, near Ilfracombe, North Devon, England, designed by George Wightwick as a residence for the Bassett family in the mid-19th century and is not a true castle but a country house built to resemble one. It has been designated as a Grade II* listed building. Located near the shore of the inlet of Watermouth, near Ilfracombe, Devon, the castle houses a collection of Victorian antiques centred on domestic tools and amusement machines, a family theme park and holiday apartments.
From the Historic England List Entry under OGL v3.
Protected designations
- Site of Special Scientific Interest: Hele, Samson's and Combe Martin Bays SSSI
- Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty: North Devon
Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
Watermouth Castle is a building in Watermouth, near Ilfracombe, North Devon, England, designed by George Wightwick as a residence for the Bassett family in the mid-19th century and is not a true castle but a country house built to resemble one. It has been designated as a Grade II* listed building. Located near the shore of the inlet of Watermouth, near Ilfracombe, Devon, the castle houses a collection of Victorian antiques centred on domestic tools and amusement machines, a family theme park and holiday apartments. The Bassetts left the castle in 1945.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
Visiting
The castle is a tourist attraction open to the public by admission charge. Within the Castle, areas include Castle Treasure, Dungeon Labyrinths and The Watershow Extravaganza. Its grounds feature nine rides spread across themed areas known as Adventure Land, Merry go Land and Gnome Land.
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 51.2153, -4.0758
- County
- Devon
- District
- North Devon
- Parish
- Ilfracombe
- Postcode
- EX34 9RX
- Parliamentary constituency
- North Devon
- Established
- 1825
Sources
- wikidata: Q7974374 (CC0)
- wikipedia: Watermouth Castle (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- commons: WatermouthCastleCornerView.jpg (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is Watermouth Castle Family Theme Park?
- Watermouth Castle Family Theme Park is in Devon, South-West England, United Kingdom (postcode EX34 9RX), in the parish of Ilfracombe.
- When was Watermouth Castle Family Theme Park built?
- Built or established in 1825.
- Who owns Watermouth Castle Family Theme Park?
- Watermouth Castle Family Theme Park is owned by | designation1 =Grade II* listed building.
- Is Watermouth Castle Family Theme Park a listed building?
- Watermouth Castle Family Theme Park is officially recognised as Grade II* listed building listed.
- Is Watermouth Castle Family Theme Park a protected site?
- Yes — Watermouth Castle Family Theme Park is part of the Hele, Samson's and Combe Martin Bays SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest and the North Devon National Landscape (AONB).
- Does Watermouth Castle Family Theme Park charge admission?
- Watermouth Castle Family Theme Park typically charges admission. Check the official site for current ticket prices and opening hours.