Castle Head Outdoor Residential Centre Grange over Sands Cumbria Field Studies Council

Field Studies Council offers fieldwork and outdoor learning for groups of all ages at centres across the UK. Trips use our stunning locations to teach curriculum focused work and inspire everyone about the environment.

Primary field trips enable you to pick and choose from a range of exciting adventure or curriculum sessions to build your own trip. A visit to our centre will immerse primary school children in the natural world, taking in its sights and sounds.

For secondary and A level groups we offer geography, biology and environmental science courses. Courses can be tailored to your own requirements to ensure you get the most from your visit and trips utilise the local environment to fully engage students.

Outdoor Learning courses are created to complement the curriculum, and engage pupils with subjects in fresh, hands-on ways.

Adventure learning encourages children to push beyond their comfort zones and discover what they’re capable of. With carefully tailored, age-appropriate challenges, every child is supported to grow their knowledge and learn in new and exciting ways.

All our residential centres will provide you with:

• A qualified tutor to oversee your trip
• Pre-trip planning including itinerary, kit lists, and risk assessments
• Centres with flexible rooming options and all bedding included
• Healthy filling meals from dinner on your first day to a packed lunch on your last day
• We hold Learning Outside the Classroom’s Quality Badge so there is less paperwork for you

LOtC

AALA

The GA Secondary Geography Quality Mark

SGQM Centre of Excellence

DofE Approved activity provider

John Muir Award

Whether you’re planning an educational trip, adventure camp or a team-building session, Castle Head offers a wide selection of outdoor activities in the Lake District. Our qualified instructors lead safe, exciting experiences that challenge and inspire visitors of all abilities.

Some of our most popular adventure activities include:

• Raft building for stronger team bonds, improved communication skills, and a sense of shared achievement (often with lots of laughter and maybe a few wet clothes!)
• Crate stacking is a thrilling team-building challenge where participants work together to safely build and climb a tower of crates as high as possible, testing balance, trust, and communication
• Ghyll scrambling is an adventurous activity where participants work together to climb, scramble, and wade through a mountain stream or gorge, building resilience, trust, and teamwork
• The vertical challenge is a progressive climbing activity where participants tackle a series of ascending obstacles, building confidence, resilience, and teamwork as they support and encourage one another
• The low ropes course is a ground-level obstacle challenge that encourages teamwork, problem-solving, and communication as participants work together to navigate elements requiring balance, coordination, and trust
• Canoeing – paddle along local waterways, or lakes, in rafted or individual canoes, promoting teamwork and outdoor exploration
• Hill and mountain hikes to explore the iconic peaks the nearby Lake District

Science:

We can offer a range of biology courses from KS2 to curriculum-based A level trips. KS2 pupils can look at a range of habitats, learning about microhabitats and how they provide the basic needs for living things. Pupils can learn to identify the different structures of plants and name a variety of common animals. We will mini beast hunt and observe them in their microhabitats.

Geography:

We offer a range of sessions and courses covering human and environmental geography through fieldwork. Most sessions have short classroom sessions before and after. Teaching is delivered by fully trained and experienced tutors.

We can deliver geography courses from KS2 to A level.

KS2 pupils can use maps, stories and games to explore the woods. Discover the plants and animals that live here and design and build dens.

For KS4 and A level students we link all of our courses to the exam board requirements for each subject and can tailor the course to your specific needs.

Primary:

We have a wide range of activities such as minibeast hunt, pond dipping, hiking, low ropes, eco-activity, rock climbing, bushcraft, orienteering

We can cater for groups of varying size. Some courses have a minimum of 10 students. This centre has 160 beds.

Our courses are created carefully to link to curriculum requirements. We can work with you to tailor content to fit in with work back in the classroom. Tailored resources will be supplied to use before and after your trip to prepare students and encourage follow-up work to be completed.

We provide a variety of resources to support outdoor learning, on the Field Studies Council.

A detailed risk assessment for activities and teaching sites is undertaken which forms the basis of a dynamic approach to assessment by trained staff whilst in the field.

Contact our team for latest prices and availability: 01743-852100 or enquiries@field-studies-council.org

We are always looking for ways to make trips affordable for all schools. We currently offer:

15% off for new residential customers

Late availability offer – 25% off school residential trips with an arrival date during the next three months

Off-peak pricing available – Different price bands are offered throughout the year to offer value for money. Many of our visiting groups take advantage of our off-peak prices between November and February. Talk to our team about the best options for your group.

Prices include: course planning; fully risk assessed teaching sites; accommodation; specialist tutors; teaching resources; fieldwork equipment; classrooms and food. The only thing you need to add-on is transport. We even provide wellies & waterproofs at our residential centres.

Please contact us regarding your needs, although we provide wellies & waterproofs at our residential centres. We provide a full kit list here

All field teachers are trained in first aid and group management.

Capacity: Castle Head has 33 rooms, which can hold up to 159 people. The accommodation available is spread across two areas. The Main house (Wilkinson) sleeps 49 and Hillfoot Wing sleeps 110

Car Parking: There is a courtyard with hard parking space for approximately 30 cars, additional soft field parking can be opened (in dry weather) for big events. Large coaches are able to gain access to the centre. Double decker coaches can get down the driveway and turn around. They can either park in the lay-by on the driveway next to the car park (if staying overnight), or they can reverse into the car park and turn around to leave. There is space for three 52 seater coaches.

Children’s Facilities: We are an Educational Centre and have games and activities on-site for children aged 8+; however, younger children are welcome.

Common Room: There are two common rooms at Castle Head. The Hillfoot Common Room (seats around 60 people) and The Chapel (comfortably seats around 80 people or 110 theatre style).

Disabled Facilities: The location has disabled access.

Hot and Cold Drinks: We have hot and cold drinks making facilities accessible around the centre.

Kitchen: There is a large kitchen, with everything needed for a self-catering stay (for exclusive use bookings only) including a rationale oven, gas oven, gas hobs x 12, 20 litre cake-mixer, dishwasher, serving hatch with food warmers.

Library: There is a very small library, often used as a small meeting room for up to 8 people containing round table and chairs.

Linen: All bedding is provided

Lounge: Wilkinson house has an adult lounge (seats around 40 people). It is a comfortable and cosy lounge area with open fire.

Outdoor Clothing: You can hire walking boots, wellingtons, small rucksacks, waterproof trousers and coats

Outdoor Facilities: There is an open-sided bike shelter available. There is also two campfire areas. Firewood is supplied at no additional cost. There is a large front lawn, amphitheatre sloped back lawn, terraced garden and walk along the river. There is an outdoor covered veranda around the building.

Shop: Our shop branded souvenirs such as hats buffs and water bottles, plus drinks and snacks as well as a selection of our Wild ID guides.

WIFI: Free guest WIFI is available through-out the centre.

Disabled Facilities: The location has disabled access.

Monday – Friday, 9am to 5pm

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By road – From Ulverston to Castle Head Field Centre: Follow the B5271 to Lindale village. From M6 to Castle Head Field Centre: Exit the M6 at junction 36. Follow the A590 then the B5277. The postcode in the Satnav will take you to Lindale village. The Centre is signposted off the B5277 just east of Lindale on a sharp bend. Castle Head is about ½ mile down the little lane – you will see the main house in front of you, follow the road round to the right and the car park will be on the left. If arriving by coach, once you arrive at the Centre, due to limited turning area, it is easier to drive past the entrance to the car park and reverse in.

By train – The nearest (local) railway station is one mile away at Grange over Sands (five minutes drive). It is connected to the main west coastline at Lancaster and Preston. Local taxis are available but need to be booked in advance as it’s a rural area.

By bus – The X6 bus connects Ulverston with Lindale. National Express coaches connect with many parts of the country. Minimal public bus services that run past the Centre