Castle Donnington Travel Guide

Download festival isn't just about the music! Oh no! t also is about having fun, with plenty of fairground style attractions, and a whole area devoted to shopping. My undoubted favourite attraction was the dancers promoting Red Bull stimulation drinks. They put on a very impressive show!!

Every June at the beginning of the month, peaceful Donnington is taken over by rowdy youths with a passion for music. Previously the Donnington race course had hosted some famous events such as 'Ozfest' and 'Monsters Of Rock'. In 2003, Donnington became the permanent home of the annual alternative music festival called Download. I was lucky enough to attend this debut festival, and it was a fantastic experience.

The quality of bands the festival attracts is very high, and in the year I visited (in it's first year remember!) the likes of Iron Maiden, Audioslave, NOFX, Deftones, Metallica and Less Than Jake were all performing! The security is top notch, but not too intrusive, and although loud and not particularly comfortable, the camping option is well thought out and organised.

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Visiting National Trust properties is always an enjoyable outing if you like that style of thing.

The site was an Augustinian priory from the 12th century until its dissolution by Henry VIII. The present building, named Calke Abbey in 1808, was never actually an abbey, but is a Baroque mansion built between 1701 and 1704.
The house was owned by the Harpur family for nearly 300 years until it was passed to the Trust in 1985 in lieu of death duties. Today, the house is open to the public and many of its rooms are deliberately displayed in the state of decline in which the house was handed to the Trust.

The collection of stuffed wildlife is amazing and nearly takes over the whole place, along with a large collection of interesting art work

The abandoned kitchens are also open, as they were left.

Well worth a visit