"Parking is available within easy walking distance."
"£2 for parking that is paid by texting a number."
"Good car park access for cars and medium van size."
"Free car parking for 20 ish cars then just a couple of minutes walk up the hill."
"Parking available at the bottom of the hill where the castle stands."
"Car parking is available."
"Free car parking and free to visit."
Cons:
"First thing to know is you have to pay for parking via text, £2 isn't much but you don't know until you see a small leading up to the castle."
"Parking charge is awkward, pay by text."
"Disappointed by litter in car park."
"Car park closes at 7pm."
"The car park is fairly small, and there are no facilities on site."
"Be careful of the speed bumps when driving up to the car park as they blend in with the road and we almost lost our bumper!"
"The path from the parking is not wheelchair accessible."
Castle Condition
Pros:
"The gatehouse though remains substantial and it's twin towers are impressive survivals."
"An atmospheric ruin, that still gives us some idea of the scale of the original building."
"Lovely place to visit with fantastic views. Only the gatehouse remains but you can get a good sense of what the original castle was like in the time of the English Civil War."
"The castle itself is just the one standing tower/stone-keep with earthworks and low walls around."
"This castle shows a strong architectural construction technique with rare stones."
"The gatehouse, which is two storeys high and is roofed at battlement level, survives well."
"The gate passage has a finely vaulted ceiling, while elegant stone string courses with carved gargoyles decorate the outside."
Cons:
"Just a shame the castle was locked up and you couldn't visit inside."
"You cannot climb or enter the castle as it's closed."
"The castle is in a bad shape not under maintenance."
"Most of it's destroyed, and only the foundations remain."
"The castle itself is just a ruin nowadays and the remaining tower is inaccessible, however the grounds around the castle are spacious and are well maintained."
"Castle grounds, immediate around castle, open to public. No access inside to the remaining standing part of the castle."
"Frustratingly there's no access, but it looks as though some of the buildings internals might still be intact."
Environment & Surroundings
Pros:
"If you leave the back of the Castle you can walk to Snelsmore Common in no time."
"A lovely area for hiking and a nice visit to the castle."
"Great views of the local area."
"Lovely surroundings including views and a woods to walk in."
"Fantastic views from up near the old ruined castle."
"Set in a mahoosive swathe of green ideal for picnicking."
"Beautiful scenic views of Newbury. Perfect to walk from the Donnington Grove Hotel, relax by the ruins, feel the magic and the greatness of a Castle from 1386 (!) and just enjoy the clean air and beautiful sunsets."
Cons:
"Loads of noisy people and their dogs sat around with of course their accompanying mess."
"Only thing for me that spoils this place is some parents allowing their children to clamber all over the wall remains which is slowly destroying it even more and will eventually be lost for future generations if it continues."
"The only downside is lots of wasps so beware of planning a picnic."
"Bit of distant road noise - shame the castle was built so close to the M4! ;-)"
"Place is not very special or maintained."
"The only thing I was disappointed about was that some dog walkers don't clear up after their dogs so you have to be a bit careful where you walk!"
"No facilities. Car park closes at 7pm."
Activities & Amenities
Pros:
"A nice place for a picnic and gentle walk."
"Super spot for any novice knight to practise his or her sword skills."
"Kids love running around the ruins."
"Good place for a run about with young ones and connections on footpaths close by."
"It's a great place for a walk and play, the track up to the castle car park requires patience or a bit of a walk from snelsmore common or another car park nearby."
"Very children friendly, as they can play on the rocky walls, and run around on the field."
"Our grandchildren love this place with its scope for vivid imagination, space for picnics, grass to run around on and walls for jumping."
Cons:
"There is nothing else here, no toilets or cafe."
"No toilets, coffee, or anything available. But a great escape from crowd."
"No refreshments onsite so bring a picnic."
"It's also a good spot to use a telescope at night if you can it's really worth it for the sky views."
"If only someone hadn't used modern bricks when they did some repairs to the castle many years ago!"
"It would be hard for wheelchairs to get up the hill though."
"Nice place as long as you don't have very high expectations. It's a small place and not a full-fledged castle or an experience tour to look forward to."