Once upon a time when the the sound of lambs carried on the spring wind and the air was sweet with daffodils. Two princesses skipped up the hill to the castle. Their tiaras twinkled in the sunlight and they knew that today was going to be a wonderful day…
Last year at PhotoBaby, we hosted our event ‘When I Grow Up’ to raise funds for Unique Kidz and Co. Lily and Amelia raised the most funds, and as a thank you for their fundraising efforts we promised them an extra special treat. We arranged for them to have a day experiencing whatever they hope to be when they grow up. Lily and Amelia have set their sights on being princesses, so we asked the wonderful Wray Castle if we could pay them a visit.
Wray Castle is a National Trust property situated at the top of Lake Windermere. The castle’s content is devoted to children and for those aged ten and under, this property is a paradise.
Upon arrival and the girls were giddy at first glance. With it’s battlements and turrets, Wray Castle does not disappoint. And this really is a castle that you can play in, we entered the first room and the girls couldn’t believe their eyes. This huge space was filled with giant soft bricks of all shapes and sizes and half a dozen industrious children were building a series of towers and fortresses.
The princesses set to work and with the help of their excited Daddy’s, built a very satisfying structure that was easily twice their height.
Then with their castle built it was time to move on to the next room, we ventured upstairs to the dressing up and story rooms. And as I’m sure all princesses do, the girls changed for the occasion. Blue dresses were required for story time.
Before we knew it, it was all change again and we were off to visit Peter Rabbit and his friends. The princesses were very busy gardening, cooking, hatching eggs and building more towers.
With all this activity, their royal tummy’s were soon rumbling and it was time for some lunch. Wray castle has plenty of space for picnicking and also has a cafe with a great selection of coffee and cakes.
We sat outside and enjoyed the view, and I thought their coffee was rather good.
Once tummies were filled and batteries recharges, it was time to visit the gift shop and get the princesses a treat. The shop is well stocked and the girls had a good range of pocket money treats and mini cuddlies to choose from. They left with satisfied smiles and a dinosaur egg tucked under one of the princesses arm’s and a little kitten under the other.
Now for some outdoor exploration and the princesses skipped hand in hand down towards the lake. We waved at passing boats, skimmed some stones and fed the very friendly ducks.
And then we ventured into the wood which is packed with dens and a series of obstacles for the children to negotiate.
The weather had left some of the obstacles too damp and slippy for the princesses to try that day, but they had a wonderful time exploring the dens and the tunnels and trying out the tyre swing.
Then all too soon, their last ounce of energy was gone. We escorted the princesses back to their chariot and they snoozed all the way home…
Where they lived happily ever after.
The End
Thanks for reading! I’m a baby and family photographer with a gorgeous studio in Lancaster. We savour our memories in our photographs and I’m a firm believer that days like this one above are what life is all about. Eleanor x
