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  "description": "We had a fabulous trip to see the fairytale Scotney Castle and found the lake had frozen over making it a magical sight!",
  "path": "/post/2026-01-07-scotney-castle-visit-on-a-cold-day/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-01-07T00:00:00.000Z",
  "site": "at://did:plc:tki7vwlanxbwrz2er67eaeqa/site.standard.publication/3mp4h4md7zv2y",
  "tags": [
    "Trips"
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  "textContent": "{loading=\"eager\"}\n\nWe are life members of the National Trust so try and get out to see as many locations in a year as possible. One of the highlights that always brings us back to make repeat visits is the Christmas decorations - different in every house each year but also different between each of the great houses and often reflect their individual histories.\n\nWe wanted to visit Scotney Castle before they took down the decorations on the 4th January, as we had not been able to get there before Christmas. As always with Scotney Castle we had to book a slot in the car park - they do this to keep numbers down else I imagine it would be over run.\n\nWhat we were not expecting is that the lake around the old castle would be completely frozen over giving it a magical extra edge of otherworldliness.\n\nWe had a fantastic afternoon out and highly recommended!\n\nOld Scotney Castle from the hill above.\n\nOld Scotney Castle from the North West side with frozen lake.\n\nWide shot of Old Scotney Castle from the North West side with frozen lake.\n\nZoomed look at Old Scotney Castle from the North West side with frozen lake, tower, house and ruins.\n\nOld Scotney Castle from the first island looking to the tower and lake on the west and south sides.\n\nOld Scotney Castle fortified house with bay windows and joined to the tower. The larger house ruins to the left.\n\nLooking from the East from inside the ruins of the old house at Old Scotney Castle.\n\nEast wall of the old ruined house at Old Scotney Castle.\n\nlooking back from the west side of the outer island leading to the Old Scotney Castle island.\n\nOld Scotney Castle Boathouse on the outer island.\n\nOld Scotney Castle boathouse door.\n\nView of Scotney Castle from the footbridge over the lake from the western most point of the lake.\n\nOld Scotney Castle from the south with New Scotney Castle in the background to the left up on the hill behind it.\n\nOld Scotney Castle from across the lake from the east with a massive oak bare of leaves on the island in front of the old ruins.\n\nScotney Castle ice house - a conical heather cover brick vault with sky blue wooden porch and heather roof providing access. Ice taken from the lake could be kept here for a year or more.\n\nNew Scotney Castle which was built in the 19th Century as the old castle was damp and decayed.",
  "title": "Scotney Castle visit on a cold day"
}