Skip to content
New dazzling family trail in Royal surroundings launches hour from Birmingham
A new family attraction at the home of a Queen of England is allowing children to embrace wildlife without going to a zoo. Stunning Sudeley Castle, in Winchcombe – around an hour down the M5 from Birmingham – has launched Animal Ark that includes an augmented reality treasure hunt.
The fun trail with an interactive app features adorable animals made creatively with natural fibres that you can see in the photos below. They can be found hidden around Sudeley’s vast grounds, which is the only private castle in England to have a queen buried in its grounds and where Liz Hurley got married.
Queen Katherine Parr, the famous final wife of Henry VIII, once lived here and her tomb is in its church. But the beauty spot that’s one of the top-rated Cotswold days out on Tripadvisor has many links with the Royal family as King Charles I also made the castle his home when seeking refuge.
READ MORE: Inside glamorous castle and village where Liz Hurley got married just an hour from Birmingham
The new Summer trail winds around informative posts to find out about wildlife and even see versions of them in the grounds on an app. Children can later get up close to real-life creations of pandas, lions, orangutan and more that have been masterfully crafted from feathers, straw, bark and more in the 1,200 acre estate.
Owner Lady Ashcombe, Chatelaine of Sudeley Castle, said: “Sudeley’s Animal Ark tells the story of diminishing wild spaces and the inspiring ways we can coexist with all the other living beings that make our world magical – from elephants and lions to tree sparrows and butterflies.”
Entry costs adults £19.50, children £8.75 or free for under-3s. A family ticket for two adults and two children costs £48. Take a look at what to expect in the photo gallery below.
READ NEXT:
The new trail includes quizzes and a treasure hunt on an app with augmented reality
A lion welcomes families into the Animal Ark trail
Orangutans made from feathers are popular at the new family attraction
Elephants are made of wicker
A rhino creatively made of silver bark along the trail
The trail has realistic animals made from straw, feathers, trees and more
Interactive information about animals are dotted along the route in the alternative to seeing live animals in captivity at a zoo
The grounds at Sudeley are stunning to walk around and discover for all the family
(Image: Nigel Schermuly 07905 529 925)Sudeley Castle is the only private owned castle in England with a Queen buried in its grounds. It is that of Henry VIII’s sixth and surviving wife Katherine Parr, shown here.
Sudeley Castle owner Lady Ashcombe with her daughter and granddaughter, who have been hands-on in creating the trail
Families along the trail
The entrance to Animal Ark at Sudeley Castle
