Dartmouth Castle Reviews Summary

Accessibility

Pros:

• "Disability access looks difficult but is supposed to be there."
• "Most importantly it was genuinely dog friendly and our boys could go anywhere, which we are very grateful for."
• "There are various spiral staircases which are fine for most, but make it unavoidably inaccessible for pushchairs and other users on wheels."
• "The entire place is dog friendly, they're allowed in the exhibits."
• "Someone with mobility issues would struggle around this site but younger families and couples would do ok."
• "Definitely NOT wheelchair or pushchair accessible."

Cons:

• "It was disappointing to see Dartmouth Castle apparently hosting an exclusionary event today."
• "This place is not pushchair friendly and we were told we could leave the pram outside- no cover from the weather."
• "Beware there are many steps and if you have mobility issues then think twice about going in as some of the areas are only accessible up narrow winding stairs."
• "As to be expected with Castles, some stairs are very steep and the less able may struggle to get up to the tower."
• "The castle isn't suitable for those with limited mobility."
• "The castle itself doesn't allow dogs and it's a bit expensive at £9 per adult for what is quite a small castle."
• "There are some very steep, winding stairs, there are hand rails on these stairs... but the first one we went down stained our hands orange and stained clothing."

Parking & Transportation

Pros:

• "You can catch a little boat into Dartmouth from the castle, which we did."
• "There is a small ferry crossing available from the local town to the Castle for a very reasonable £3 return ticket."
• "Get the boat from Dartmouth Quay to avoid limited parking and see the castle from a marauding pirates perspective."
• "Highly recommended taking the ferry for the full experience!"
• "You can also get a ferry from Dartmouth to the castle for a few pounds."
• "You can catch a small ferry from dartmouth to the castle 🏰. Well worth a visit."
• "There is a little ferry that runs along the river from the Quayside at Dartmouth to a Quay very close to the castle and it's not expensive to use."

Cons:

• "By ‘limited parking’, there is actually only 6 parking bays plus 1 disabled - which were unsurprisingly all full."
• "Parking spaces at the Castle are very limited to around 10 spaces."
• "Parking extremely limited I would advise try finding parking (free) on top of castle road rather then entering castle road it’s only a short walk 0.4 miles of mostly flat tarmac walk which adds to the experience."
• "The car park is only sufficient for 5-6 cars."
• "Parking is somewhere on castle road as on-site parking is but for a few cars."
• "The castle itself has a car park but it's only for about 7 cars."
• "Parking is VERY limited 5-6 spaces."

Staff & Service

Pros:

• "Staff are very friendly and helpful!"
• "The staff were particularly welcoming and friendly all the way around the castle."
• "Staff are incredibly friendly and the view from the café is stunning."
• "Friendly and helpful staff and a really super cafe."
• "Amazing castle. Staff are nice and contributing."
• "The staff were very informative and knowledgeable."
• "Fantastic views Helpful staff Lots of canons to see and steps to climb."

Cons:

• "I asked when she would be open again only for her to reply 'I don't know, when I've had a break'."
• "Staff were not approachable nor helpful."
• "When I went to order the women in the cafe rudely said that they were shut."
• "The staff were rude and dismissive towards the children (aged 3 and 4)."
• "Despite a large queue the tearoom closed before serving all customers including myself."
• "We had a brillant week the weather helped Big draw back no banks and the cash machines out of order over week end."
• "The prices are different on the board than what they charge you."

Value & Experience

Pros:

• "We were there for 3 hours and it only cost £1.50."
• "Price for entry was reasonable and definitely worth it for the history came away learning something new and pleased with my visit."
• "The entry price was reasonable given the fairly limited amount of castle there was to explore!"
• "Entrance fee was fair considering some of the prices we have encountered."
• "We are heritage members so got in free."
• "Reasonable cost."
• "A fantastic castle with lots of history."

Cons:

• "The castle itself doesn't allow dogs and it's a bit expensive at £9 per adult for what is quite a small castle."
• "The only downside is the price in the cafe, £5 for one sausage roll is extremely expensive so be prepared if you have a few children with you on the high prices, packed lunch recommend."
• "The ticket price was not value for money."
• "Beautiful old castle, not worth the £8.90 entry fee however, as it only took 30 mins to look around the fairly limited displays and interior."
• "EH so expensive for non members."
• "The only let down was that the toilets were not owned by English Heritage and were in a dreadful state."
• "Really disappointing. Very little parking which you have to pay for- most cars park on the road and there is a high chance of damage to cars."

Facilities & Amenities

Pros:

• "Amazing castle! Replicas inside of what guns, shells, barrels used to look like, tunnels, passages to explore."
• "Superb attraction. Lots of events on when we visited, plenty for kids to do."
• "The castles many rooms dark tunnels and interactive sections were great fun and well presented."
• "The tea room is also really good with outdoor seating."
• "There are some free public toilets onsite."
• "Also a ferry shuttle from the castle to Dartmouth itself."
• "There's an excellent café outside the castle."

Cons:

• "This place is not pushchair friendly and we were told we could leave the pram outside- no cover from the weather."
• "The castle itself is small."
• "The only let down was that the toilets were not owned by English Heritage and were in a dreadful state."
• "The castle itself is OK, and the nearby cafe is nice, though it does get crowded."
• "The parking is very awkward. Its down a narrow lane and has very limited spaces."
• "The walk is very steep and rough terrain."
• "There are no toilets on site-there are some council toilets down the lane but no baby change facilities."

Location & Views

Pros:

• "The walk is scenic with some of the best river views in the world (when the sun is shining)."
• "The views around the castle are incredible."
• "The castle itself has fantastic views overlooking the river and sea which are very picturesque."
• "Brilliant walk round the castle good views of estuary."
• "The views of the harbour mouth and nearby coves are stunning."
• "Such a beautiful place to visit. Views are incredible and the place even the town is steeped in history."
• "What a beautiful location with stacks of history."

Cons:

• "Fairly difficult to get to by car. Lots of very narrow roads."
• "If you try to visit using your car, do not use SatNav as we followed a ridiculous route that it gave us; just use normal map reading."
• "It is not a big deal so don't expect something particularly interesting but it is still nice to visit."
• "Needs to signed better to be able to find the castle."
• "Really hard to find and get to."
• "There's not much parking."
• "Parking very difficult but not much EH could do about it given the location."