Field Trip: Newman's Castle

Suddenly, I became conscious of the fact that the driver was in the act of pulling up the horses in the courtyard of a vast ruined castle, from whose tall black windows came no ray of light, and whose broken battlements showed a jagged line against the sky. - Bram Stoker

 In the middle of Texas sits a medieval castle with mote, turrets, a trebuchet, and a man to lord over it.  Newman's Castle is one man's modern day fairytale come to life.  Mike Newman designed his castle after building a successful bakery business in Belleville, Texas.  His inspiration came after trips to Europe in his 20's.

Newman's Castle sits at the end of a long lane in the middle of the woods.  When you pull up to the property we were greeted by two dogs.  A large Irish Wolfhound, Avalon, and a black and white border collie, Max.  Both are extremely friendly and will greet you as soon as you exit your car.  Max will most likely bring you a stick to play fetch.

Across the mote from the castle stands a 30 foot tall working trebuchet which the kids and Mike love to shoot off.  All the kids, with the provided wooden swords, storm the castle after Mike demonstrates how a trebuchet works.  Mike got the kids to use their imaginations as we entered the castle across the working drawbridge (which he encouraged two dad's with strong legs to work the hamster wheel to raise the bridge.)

Upon entering the castle, you walk into a large courtyard and are allowed to explore every nook and cranny.  From the dungeons to the bell towers.  This is Mike Newman's home and he gives full access to the entire facility.  The boys played endlessly with wooded swords and good and bad knights.  There were multiple guest rooms and a great hall.

For more information about Newman's Castle, visit http://newmanscastle.com/about/