Castle Howard. Has there ever been a better time to visit? 

It is no exaggeration to say that the events of the past few years have been cataclysmic. The world has changed forever, and terms like pandemic, face mask and social distancing have worked their way into everyday conversation. It doesn’t end there, as we now face the covid aftershock – a cost of living crisis whose affects we cannot yet comprehend. The impact of these events on education is obvious; with children exploring their social development differently, but what does this mean for the Bushcraft experience on those that are lucky enough to visit our woods? And what can we at Castle Howard offer that is relevant, real and worth paying for?

From the very moment the children arrive in our woods to the second they step back on the coach, their performance is not marked, graded, or analysed. The “tribes” that the children are split into are not based on academic achievement or physical ability. The children explore at their own pace, and our fantastic staff are encouraged to draw the thoughts and ideas from every child over the course of the camp.

We do not play football, recite times tables or write poetry. Our range of activities rely on teamwork, imagination, humour and empathy. With every activity, the children receive instruction as a whole group, then again within their tribe – from a different voice, and then individually if needed. There are no barriers on creativity. I have first-hand experience of the levelling effect our Castle Howard camps can provide. Indeed, what inspires me most is how the children regularly make new friends with those they would never have mixed with in school.

In a world of hand-washing and face masks, sometimes all we want to do is splash around in the mud. That is exactly what we provide. Our Camp Leaders teach children that there are times and places when we absolutely must wash, but also that the dirt is your friend. There is immense power in children seeing adults set this example. We sit on old tree stumps, lie in piles of leaves, and gather round a smoking fire. We paint our faces with charcoal, pour water over our heads, and charge around the forest. And after a long day, we wash our faces, clean our teeth and change into clean clothes.

The term “getting back to nature” is very often used, but for me, the real experience is understanding that we are nature. We belong in the woods, and we can learn from our environment. Mud is not an obstacle and the noises of animals at night should not be scary. We respect our environment and learn from it. We are resilient.

The staff at Castle Howard are the best I have ever seen. We have a real range of backgrounds, experiences, and styles, and there are an abundance of role models in the woods. It was my absolute pleasure to see them grow through last year, and I am super excited to see them kick on for the 2023 season. We also have a phenomenal group of new Tribe Leaders, hand-picked by our impressive new estate recruiter. They are keen to get going and learn from the rest, and they bring a wealth of experience and energy with them.

We have also been busy over the winter on estate maintenance, building brand new pizza oven stands at all our sites and improving the tracks through the woods. I am confident that the site looks better than it did last year. We also have a new crop of estate staff, experienced operators in the outdoor sector who will be on hand to ferry kit and equipment around the woods and liaise with school staff on anything they might need.

In short, we are perfectly poised for an incredible season ahead. I cannot wait to meet those who are lucky enough to visit. Not only is it a once in a lifetime experience, I believe that there has never been a better, and more necessary time, to do it then right now.

This blog is written to Joe Hoyle, Estate Manager at Castle Howard