The castle has had many different lives; starting out as a very grand house for a famous local mill owner, later it became an approved school for boys and just before Robinwood took over, a Buddhist Centre. We have invested lots of time and money creating the on site activities, all linked together with paths. We have a shallow lake on site which is ideal for an introduction to Canoeing and Raft Building. We also have Giant Swings and a Zip Wire of around 80 metres long. Everything is close by so there is no time wasted between activities.
Our converted sports hall provides some fantastic indoor activity areas. It houses Climbing walls and indoor Trapeze areas, within which children are challenged to leap from a small platform at the top of a tower just over 4 metres high. We also have indoor Archery ranges and rooms in which Crate Challenge takes place We have three different themed problem solving areas; Quest, the Dungeon and Piranha Pool. Our staff team love developing these areas to ensure the challenges involved really capture the imagination of the children taking part.
We’re always looking to develop and improve the activity programme we offer, sharing ideas across the company and drawing on the experience gained at three centres.
We have dormitories and teachers accommodation areas in the main castle building and in three separate accommodation blocks next to the main castle. The children get to share a dormitory with their friends, whilst teachers get their own en-suite rooms, located close to the children. We have two very nice teachers’ lounge areas in larger rooms just off the grand castle entrance hall, where teachers can relax in the evenings, whilst Robinwood staff oversee bedtimes and overnight supervision of the children.
Typical three day programme at Dobroyd Castle
Day 1
- Arrivals are typically about 11.00am
- Lunch
- Giant Swing
- Raft Building
- Crate Challenge
- Evening Meal
- Trapeze
- Quest
- Hot Chocolate and Review
Day 2
- Breakfast
- Zip Wire
- Canoeing
- Archery
- Lunch
- Nightline
- Piranha Pool
- Caving
- Evening Meal
- Team Challenge
- Hot Chocolate and Review
Day 3
- Breakfast
- Dungeon
- Climbing
- Challenge Course
- Lunch
- Departures are typically about 2.30pm
Finding our Dobroyd Castle Activity Centre
Typical travel times
Manchester
50 minsLeeds
50 minsSheffield
1 hr 20 minsLiverpool
1 hr 20 minsYork
1 hr 20 minsHull
1 hr 40 minsNottingham
2 hrsLincoln
2 hrsBirmingham
2 hr 20 mins
What Schools say about Dobroyd Castle
We really appreciate all the recommendations we get from schools who have visited Robinwood and the number of schools who come for the first time as a result of recommendations from friends and colleagues. We are constantly updating the comments from schools who have recently attended a Robinwood Course. The schools that attend come from areas of the Midlands, throughout the North of England and up into Scotland. But don’t just take our word for it, See what they have to say about Robinwood. For more testimonials and recommendations visit our Highly Recommended Page.
"I could not have been more impressed with my trip. The staff were brilliant throughout and you could see it was such a happy place to work which then came through in their work and the children loved it."Hazel Grove Primary School, Hazel Grove