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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To be really horrified at an unguarded well in National Trust Bodiam Castle?

54 replies

booface · 31/12/2012 18:40

I was at this castle yesterday and not actually with kids. But really shocked at this. There was a moat to walk over to get to the castle, and of course if you had little kids you would see that they could conceivably fall in so you would take care.

But inside the actual castle off the "kitchen" ruin there was a turret with a well. Not even a well that you would have to climb up to get into, a well in the floor at ground level that was god knows how deep. There was a set of railings around it, but not a mesh railing, just two parallel bars that a toddler could so easily slip under. What got me was it was so unexpected, a child could easily run in there and you would not be expecting deep water.

The weird thing was that areas like the bread oven off the old fireplace were safely guarded off.

I mentioned it to the attendant at the door to the castle but he just said it was the parents responsibility to watch kids in the castle.

Am I over reacting or should I e-mail the head of national trust?

OP posts:

Nancyclancy · 31/12/2012 20:41

I live quite close to Bodiam Castle so have been hundreds of times. I can't say I've been concerned about the well but to be honest I don't think we actually went right inside the castle when my dc were toddlers but that was due to the steeps staircases etc.
Last summer we went to the castle and while we were having a cuppa in the cafe, my dh who never comments on other people's children, pointed out 2 really small children (the eldest was a maximum of 4) with their toes almost in the fast flowing river. I hadn't seen them, but my dh made a point of asking everyone there whose kids they were. No-one seemed to know, so my dh went and removed them from the rivers edge. They had to climb over a small wall to get there. Eventually we saw a sheepish looking woman scuttle over and get them.
With there being so much water at Bodiam and lots of hazards, parents really need to supervise their dc, if there was someone constantly guarding it, people would rely on them too much.

TheNebulousBoojum · 31/12/2012 20:42

The railings are not intrusive. I just get a bit tired of everything having to be totally and absolutely risk free at all times and in all places. It's a castle, not a playground.
I'm a primary teacher, and the number of things that are banned or restricted in schools now compared to twenty years ago is insane. Mostly driven by parental fears rather than statistics and facts.
But yes, I suppose I will go there with my grandchildren at some point in the future and find it all encased in perspex, with gloves and safety goggles provided.

Nancyclancy · 31/12/2012 20:44

Also, castles have lots of steep/uneven floors etc. people just need to learn to take a bit of responsibility for their dc.

TheNebulousBoojum · 31/12/2012 20:46

What a radical idea Nancy.
Don't think it will take off though, it's easier to blame someone else for your child's accident wherever possible.

janey68 · 31/12/2012 20:49

Goodness, I went on a school trip to bodiam many moons ago and I'm sure there was far worse than that! This country is health and safety conscious enough frankly. In fact too obsessed with it to the extent that many parents mollycoddle their children in a really unhealthy way. All it needs is to supervise your children in a calm and sensible way while allowing them reasonable freedom.

ImperialSantaKnickers · 31/12/2012 20:50

We went to Bodiam last summer, what I mostly remember about that well is the lurid shade of green it had gone. I don't remember being paranoid about falling in, or dds falling in. And I'm good at getting paranoid about heights etc. The cliffy bit of Tintagel and the wall walk at Harlech both gave me jelly legs.

runningforthebusinheels · 31/12/2012 20:51

We've been to Bodiam - loved it. I don't actually remember the well, but it was the sheer height of the turrets and the steepness of the steps that terrified me. We literally had our hands on the dc the whole time. Killjoys

By all means e-mail them op, sometimes it's best to be safe than sorry.

TheNebulousBoojum · 31/12/2012 20:56

How many children have actually fallen in that well over the last 300 or so years?
How many have drowned?
Back to banning small children I say.

nannynick · 31/12/2012 21:06

I don't recall the well but I do recall the bridges over the moat. It's all part of the fun visiting historic places. I have taken young children and you do have to supervise them closely.

Under 5's are free, so they could ban taking them in and spoil it for those who act responsibly. They could leave it as is and let parents/careers make their own decision.

OwlCatMouse · 31/12/2012 21:11

This castle sounds brilliant

Geranium3 · 31/12/2012 21:12

table for 4, i have the exact same memories as you, also 25 years ago, it was a real adventure there in those days and if my memory serves me right, no such nat trust comforts as a tearoom,shop and were there even loos then??!!!! Happy days!!!

Callmecordelia · 31/12/2012 21:18

Waves to all other local Mumsnetters.... I have been going to Bodiam since I was a small child. We were always told to be careful around the well. I can't wait to take DD there - managing the risks appropriately. YABU.

Levantine · 31/12/2012 21:18

Oh that's beautiful. I was all ready to agree with you, having manic young boys but that wouldn't worry me at all.

upstart68 · 31/12/2012 21:19

Don't go to Tintagel then. I was horried to see some dc sliding down a grassy bank through a rope type railing - to see it led to a horrific drop off a giant cliff. Fortunately they scrambled back up.

I think these places need close supervision.

MyCarHasBrokenDownAgain · 31/12/2012 21:23

TheNebulousBoojum What a beautiful photo!

And the gaps in that railing aren't really that big at small child height - by the time a child had started putting one leg through, you would hope the parents would be on to them!

Hulababy · 31/12/2012 21:27

If it was a small unlit well I may have agreed.
But from the look of that picture it wouldn't concern me tbh. The railings look like enough warning for an appropriately supervised child.

Callmecordelia · 31/12/2012 21:28

I hate to break the illusion, but it is really stinky - the pigeons all nest above it. It is very atmospheric, if you can stand the smell! As children we were too distracted by the medieval privys in most of the rooms to pay the well much attention.

ByTheWay1 · 31/12/2012 21:35

The well is beautiful - it would be spoiled by more intrusive protection.....

We went to Goodrich castle - you can still climb all over bits of it and the trip was spoiled a bit by the "don'tys" - "Don't do that", "don't climb you'll fall", "don't go near the edge", "don't jump down (2 feet onto grass?!?!)" some of the kids were 10-12 years old..... felt like saying don't go to a ruined castle if you don't want them to play...

DowagersHump · 31/12/2012 21:53

Having seen that photo, my 'are you sure it's deep' comment seems a bit silly :o

I was either very heavily pregnant or had a very small baby when I went there - either way, I don't remember it. What a beautiful photo :)

runningforthebusinheels · 31/12/2012 22:32

Oh, just seen Nebulous's photo and of course I remember it now - it's beautiful.

No, op I consider those railings quite sufficient for H&S reasons. Anything more would be detrimental to the look of it.

Permanentlyexhausted · 31/12/2012 22:35

If this sort of thing worries you don't go to Corfe Castle (also NT). We used to jump up and sit on one of the windowsills in the tall tower when we were kids. Having been again with my kids I realise there are no railings or anything to stop you dropping about 50ft out of the window. Needless to say, my children are not allowed up on the windowsill!

threesocksfullofchocs · 31/12/2012 22:37

yabu

Permanentlyexhausted · 31/12/2012 22:38

But those railings round the well are more than enough imo.

HardHittingLeafletCampaign · 31/12/2012 22:44

'What do you think they did in C14th' is the funniest thing I've seen on MN this year. So sanctimonious in only the way MN can be, brilliant.

OP, FWIW it would stress me out too.

theotherboleyngirl · 31/12/2012 22:44

I love Bodium but I honestly don't think it's a safe place for under 5's unless you've got one adult per child. I have 3 DC's and I've only taken the eldest (went first when he was 5) more than once. We went once with DC's when they were 5, 2 and 2 and it was incredibly strssful from a parental point on view and won't go again with all 3 until the DT's are older. It's not a playground, it's very authentic, but it simply isn't safe unless you can hold on to a young child at all times, or trust an older child to listen to instructions - and that's more about the staircases and turrets than the well. Lovely place though but I think they should actively discourage the under 5's.

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