点评:Rockingham castle is set on a high prominence, in the lush, rolling Northamptonshire countryside, commanding sweeping panoramic views over that underrated county - presumably also Rutland, Lincolnshire and Leicestershire, since it is very close to those county borders.
The Castle itself has a long and rich history and its various parts were built at various points in history for various purposes. Hence there are parts that look very castley whilst others appear extremely houseish. All, however, are strikingly beautiful and none are less than several hundred years old.
The castle encloses not only buildings but also gorgeous gardens and just outside the walls sits a lovely old church which you can also visit.
I followed a tour guide around the outside parts of this complex and he was both entertaining and informative. I then took myself around those parts of the interior that are open to the public (the rest being the private accommodation of the family who live there now and have done so for about half a millenium!). The interior does not disappoint. It is as grand, attractive and interesting as the exterior. It is packed with treasures from centuries of occupation and well provided with information boards. There are also friendly guides who are happy to chat about the castle and its history.
Finally, there is a pleasant tea room selling delicious snacks, cakes and drinks.
Entry fees are very reasonable.
Well worth at least a few hours' visit.
翻译:罗金汉城堡坐落于一处高地之上,周围是郁郁葱葱、连绵起伏的北安普敦郡乡村风光。从这里可以俯瞰整个郡的壮丽全景——由于靠近鲁特兰郡、林肯郡和莱斯特郡的边界,想必也能看到那几个郡的景色。
这座城堡本身拥有漫长而丰富的历史,其各个组成部分均是在不同历史时期为不同用途而建造的。因此,有些部分看起来极具城堡的特色,而另一些则宛如普通住宅。不过,整体而言……这些城堡美得令人惊叹,而且每一座都有数百年的历史。
城堡内不仅有各种建筑,还有美丽的花园;城墙外则坐落着一座可爱的古老教堂,同样可供参观。
我跟随导游游览了这座建筑群的外部区域,他既风趣幽默又知识渊博。随后,我游览了这座城堡中对公众开放的区域(其余部分则是现在居住于此的家族的私人住所,这个家族已经在此定居了大约五百年!)。城堡内部同样令人惊叹不已——它和外观一样宏伟、迷人且富有趣味。内部陈列着数个世纪以来留存下来的众多珍贵文物,还设有许多信息说明牌。此外,还有热情友好的导游乐意与游客聊聊这座城堡及其历史。这里有一间温馨的茶室,供应美味的点心、蛋糕和饮品。
入场费也相当实惠。
绝对值得花上几个小时来游览一番。