A Piece Of English History For Christmas

Medieval history in general and medieval castles in particular hold a great fascination for many people. Do you or does someone amongst your friends or family fall into this 'interest' category? If so, then buying Christmas gifts for them to enjoy is not that difficult.

You can choose from a wide selection of medieval history books online and there's plenty of medieval style jewelry as well if budgets allow. Some castles even sell their own, individually branded castle gifts.

Eastnor Castle in England is a great example. A fairytale, mock medieval castle with stunning architecture, the castle is set in a wonderful setting in the English Malvern Hills (Edward Elgar country). It is in great demand as one of England's most romantic wedding venues and stages some high profile, outdoor public events such as The Big Chill and Mud Runner.

Romance, character and history all rolled into one, Eastnor Castle is a great place to visit - but what if you can't get there? What if you are at the other side of the world? Well, this is where the Castle Online Store comes in. Amongst the super gifts you can buy are a mounted print of the castle (see picture above) and ceramic pot stands (right) decorated with the Pugin deer design from Eastnor Castle's drawing room fireplace tile. There is a range of gifts for all ages and any time of year in fact, not just Christmas ... so that's a few birthday presents sorted as well!

Weddings In Castles - How Romantic!

Castles are synonomous with romance ... which perhaps explains why castles are becoming increasingly popular when looking for a romantic wedding venue.

Ideas for castle wedding venues abound on the worldwide web and it can be a quagmire of reading to have to wade through in order to get some perspective on the options that might best suit your needs for a romantic wedding. However, we have a page dedicated to castle wedding venues which explains relatively succinctly how to choose a suitable castle for your wedding. We list some of the most important factors to bear in mind - from location to venue size right through to accessibility issues.

Some castles have very good websites of their own where they offer really good and, above all, relevant information. Take Eastnor Castle for example, a mock medieval castle in the Malvern Hills. They have a wedding video you can download that shows a couple getting married in the Eastnor estate church followed by the wedding breakfast inside the castle. So you can get a very good idea of the setting and atmosphere before you even visit the place! You can also request a specially printed wedding brochure which they will post out to you and there are even wedding late availability deals from time to time. To access this information visit their romantic wedding page.

A Castle Wedding With An Owl But No Pussycat!

Medieval castles are often used as wedding venues for couples to get married in - they offer history and romance like no other venue can. It's a subject we've covered before with features on the likes of Eastnor Castle, one of the most romantic wedding venues in England. Although not medieval by age, its architecture is 'mock medieval' having been designed by the great architect Robert Smirke.

Well, how's this for a touch of real castle romance ... a video of a couple who got married at Eastnor Castle on New Year's Eve 2009. Watch out for the trained owl who flies down the church aisle to give them their wedding rings. How romantic is that?!

Read about their romantic wedding and enjoy the video.

Eastnor Castle - Romantic Wedding Venue

A characterful medieval castle can provide a wonderfully historic, atmospheric and romantic setting for a wedding.

Whether the castle is a genuine medieval castle or indeed a 'mock' medieval castle (built post-medieval times but in the medieval style) makes no difference. It's all about the setting and many couples looking for a romantic wedding venue realise this. That's why Eastnor Castle has built a wonderful reputation as a wedding venue.

Eastnor Castle enjoys a glorious romantic setting with its own lake and both the castle exteriors and interiors take your breath away. It's not surprising therefore to learn that Eastnor Castle was selected as the wedding venue for a recent UK TV show called Battle of The Brides where the winners got to have their 'dream wedding' provided at a venue (and expense) that they otherwise could not have afforded. Read more about how this idyllic wedding venue was used in the programme.