Jousting at Belvoir Castle

Went out for the day yesterday and visited Belvoir Castle, which is between Melton and Grantham. We'd often spotted it in the distance - this beautiful, huge stately home, high up on a hill, on our way to Nottingham (Ikea trip, of course!) and promised ourselves to visit one day. Kids aren't great on wondering round these houses, but today was different as there was jousting involved - lots of horses - right up K's street.



A most impressive house and wonderful gardens, worthy of another visit as we ran out of time to thoroughly explore all the outside areas. There's also a children's adventure playground which we didn't have time to see. The house was interesting and beautiful and the children found seeing the life size painting of Henry VIII on one of the walls abit strange as they'd been looking at the same painting in one of the Tudor books from the library just last week. We pondered over whether or not it really was life size and then realised that they were all a bit shorter than most men of today. Lots of other lovely paintings there too, beautiful silk decoration on one of the bedroom walls and this huge silver wine server which seemed to feature in some of the paintings and more modern photographs with children sitting inside it!

Jousting was brilliant. We all sat on a very steep bank of long, wet grass and cheered and booed the various opponents in the jousting. K loved the horses, B loved all the fighting, especially that done on foot with swords and flails. It was very well acted and kept everyone amused for the hour or so that it lasted.



I bought B a great wooden bow and arrow set which, after the initial tantrum throwing because he couldn't work out how to use it, took to it very well and is aiming at all and sundry now!