Day Four: The Final Chapter at St Briavels Castle
Our fourth and final day at St Briavels began with a surprising twist: it was the staff waking up the children for a change! Cue a chorus of groggy groans, tousled hair, and confused blinking as bleary-eyed children emerged from their slumbers, no doubt a little forlorn that this was our last day in the castle.
After another delicious breakfast (seriously, the kitchen staff deserve a Michelin star for their toast alone) and a much-needed cup of tea, the children split into two groups to take part in their final activities of the week.
One group joined Jon, our wonderfully theatrical and history-bursting expert, for a guided tour of the castle. Jon led us through the ancient halls, dark corners, and mysterious nooks of St Briavels, sharing stories that left us shocked, intrigued, and—on occasion—mildly creeped out. We explored all the main rooms, including the one believed to be haunted (plot twist: it was Mrs Murray and Fayeeza’s room—sorry, folks!). The kids were utterly captivated, and I have no doubt they’ll be sharing spine-tingling tales with you all soon.
Meanwhile, the second group channeled their inner architects in a competitive castle-building challenge using wooden blocks. First, teams had to work together to construct a fortress within a hoop. Then came the twist—each team was handed a catapult and a handful of tennis balls and told to destroy the other team’s tower. Chaos? Absolutely. Fun? Off the charts. There was also a bonus round where they had to build the worst tower imaginable and see how fast they could knock it down themselves. Let’s just say some towers were already halfway to ruin before the first tennis ball was launched.
Our final activity of the trip was the wonderfully silly and surprisingly tense Water Bearers challenge. Armed with shields and a jug of water balanced precariously in the middle, teams had to navigate their way around the castle moat without spilling a drop—or dropping the shield. Obstacles included tree roots, sudden inclines, and the occasional staff member pretending to be an orc (ok, maybe that last bit’s a lie). Cheers to the team that earned the Reciprocity Award for their teamwork, and the team that finished with the most water still in their jug—clearly some future brain surgeons in that lot.
After all the fun, it was time for one final lunch, a bittersweet last wander around the castle, and a heartfelt goodbye to the amazing YHA staff who made this trip so magical.
We headed home with muddy trainers, full hearts and about 48 new ghost stories. Thank you, St Briavels — you’ve been unforgettable.
Enjoy your weekend, everyone. Only three days to go…
— Tom
