Wander in a setting fit for a fairytale. Picnic in the romantic backdrop of the Castle's moats and bridges.

Whet your appetite with these five highlights from the grounds:

Picnics

© NTPL / Jennie Woodcock

Tattershall Castle's atmospheric grounds provide the perfect spot to enjoy a picnic.

Majestic moats

© National Trust

Tattershall Castle's two moats encircle the tower and offer an enchanting backdrop to the Castle, but their role hasn't always been purely decorative. Travel back to Lord Cromwell’s time and the moats played a vital defensive role.

To reach the sanctuary of the Castle, visitors first had to cross the outer moat. Then, having stabled their horses, they crossed the inner moat by another bridge defended by a gatehouse, fragments of which still survive.

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The church

© NTPL / Andrew Butler

To the east of the Castle stands the Church of the Holy Trinity, Tattershall's parish church. One of the largest parish churches in the country, it was built by Lord Cromwell as a collegiate church for training priests.

In 1439, he obtained a licence for it from Henry VI, who himself was to found collegiate chapels at Eton and King’s College, Cambridge. Sadly Lord Cromwell didn't live to see his church realised but provision in his will ensured its completion. He is buried inside, in an unmarked grave.

The Guardhouse

© NTPL / Andrew Butler

The medieval Guardhouse is a bit of an enigma, in fact no one is really sure if it was ever finished or not. It is believed to have served one of the Castle's original bridges. By the 17th century it had been converted into farm labourers' cottages.

You can visit the Guardhouse in its current guise as a National Trust gift shop. Before you step in, seek out the old bridge's foundations nearby.

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The Tiltyard

© National Trust

The clashes and cries of knights in combat once rang out in the Tiltyard to the south of the Castle. It was a jousting arena where locals could practise their skills.

Today, you'll be greeted by an altogether more sedate scene. The Tiltyard flourishes as a wild flower meadow and important nature conservation site.