IT'S NOT often you can say you've got a castle right on your doorstep, but for the people of Whittington, this is their reality.

As well as being home to some beautiful grounds, Whittington Castle also hosts a wide variety of events throughout the year.

Although the Norman castle stands proud in the centre of the village, there's a lot of things that people didn't know this venue has to offer.

I met with some of the trustees of the castle, who take care of the grounds and ensure there's plenty on offer for people to enjoy.

Sue Ellis, manager of the castle, said: "I think one of the main things that people don't actually realise about the castle is that we are open all year round – we don't close in the winter and it's a nice place to come for a walk."

The trustees were formed following on from a group called the Friends of Whittington Castle, which started in 1998.

There are around 13 local trustees, who have been working together for around seven years.

Trustee Sarah Thursfield said: "It was a local initiative that began because the lease came up for sale. What is now the tearoom used to a public toilet owned by the council, which I think many older people will remember.

"I think one reason why local people don't use the castle as much is because they still think it’s part of the council.

But chairman Jonjo Evans added that this was not the case.

"We don't get any financial support," he said.

"We're not part of the National Trust or English Heritage – we rely completely on public funding, which comes in through the tearooms and from hosting events such as weddings."

And the trustees believe that despite having such a lovely venue on offer, some take it for granted.

Sarah added: "Its an odd place because to the village it’s the park, and it’s lovely, but people take it for granted and don’t think about who’s going to mend the holes in the drive."

"When you walk past something everyday it becomes run of the mill. I think sometimes people need to stop and think ‘we’re dropping our kids off at a castle’ – how many people get to say that?" said Jonjo.

Earlier this year, the castle was hit with a devastating blow when vandals graffitied obscenities all over the castle, which sparked a huge fundraising campaign by the public to get the repairs needed.

The crowdfunding saw more than £2,000 raised for the castle.

Jonjo added: "The vandalism was a shock and I really hope it was a one off. The community got together and raised money and it was really lovely to see."

Manager Sue said: "We’ve had some positive things come from the negative in the last few weeks.

"The community have rallied round and have started using us a lot more. We are going to go for a grant next year and we are going to go for a community consultation at the end of January to raise more awareness and hopefully get the funds we need."

The crowdfunding saw a lot of people from nearby donate money, but also many people from afar who had visited the castle in their childhood, or who had come for one of the many events the castle host.

The castle host regular ghost tours, which can convert the sceptics into believers, as well as car boots and reenactment weekends.

"We've got even more reenactments booked for the new year – they're all completely different so it's well worth coming back to watch them," added Sue.

"We're also able to host wedding ceremonies and have princess and knight parties for children where they get to dress up. We also do school visits, where children get to dress up and learn the history of the castle. We have function rooms that people can use for talks – so there is plenty of offer."

The trustees also hope to host some new events in the new year including Open Air Shakespeare performances, car rallies and and Flicks in the Sticks.

The castle also has a cosy tearoom that is open all year round with a wide menu on offer, as well as a gift shop with plenty to choose from including pre-loved books.

Jonjo added: "People catch the castle bug when the come here, but we're hoping to draw people back in with new events.

"We've had a rotten year, financially we've taken some hits, but we're working hard on creating a really good new year.

"We're looking for any new volunteers that want to get involved and we are trying to find a new treasurer for the trustees. It would also be nice to have some business support, so if anyone could help us out that would be great."

Sue said: "We are enthusiastic and we want to keep going. We can't rest on our laurels – it's all about looking to the future. The castle's not going anywhere but we need to keep engaging the public. It's very easy to fall in love with the history of the castle, so come along to an event and see what we have to offer."