playbook / T R A V E L E D I TO R’ S P I C K NEWMAN’S CASTLE & N E W M A N ’ S BA K E RY BELLVILLE
979/865-9804 newmanscastle.com The 3.5-hour trip south from DFW is well worth it to tour this impressive replica of a Scottish castle—scratch that, fortress—with a moat, a working drawbridge, and five corner turrets that overlook the sprawling wooded estate and are accessible via winding staircases. Its resident royal is local bakery owner Mike Newman, who in 1998 designed and began building the castle himself, with the help of only one other assistant, as his private residence. Newman continues to live there full-time, offering tours Mondays through Saturdays and special events year-round. Here’s how to visit: Call the bakery in advance to register for a tour. Saturdays tend to sell out in advance. Check in by 10:30am at the bakery on Bellville’s Main Street (this is a great opportunity to snag a castle-shaped sugar cookie) to pay for the tour. Tickets are $20 per person and $10 for kids 6 and younger. They’ll provide you with a wristband and a slip of paper with the castle’s private address about 5 miles away. Upon your arrival, you’ll take in the panoramic view of the pond and moat full of glistening lily pads, a wooden trebuchet, and a nature trail that encircles the property. Finn, a spry Irish wolfhound puppy who likes belly
➽ ABOVE: Inside Newman’s Castle, you can practice your sword-fighting skills in the gravel courtyard and climb up to ring the bells in the tallest tower. // RIGHT: The dungeon in one of the corner turrets showcases medieval torture devices, like the bed of nails (not sharp), and toy skeletons.
Tour these three castles and historic homes around Texas WORDS ELIZABETH SMITH
IF YOU’VE CAUGHT YOURSELF WISTFULLY SCROLLING the new castles category on Airbnb, or your child is dead set on a princess costume for Halloween, it might be time for you both to indulge in your fairy tale fantasies by venturing out to these real(ish) castles in Texas. And we’re using the term “castle” loosely here, as our historic Texan homes arguably cannot compare to the centuries-old palaces of Europe, but we generally define them as having a) at least three stories, b) towers or turrets (those notches as part of its defensive architecture), c) regular tours open to the public, and d) that wow factor. Here’s what you’ll need to know about planning a fall family road trip to these not-so-humble abodes. 66
october/november 2022 | DFWCHILD
scratches, pesters the ducks. On the Saturday I visited, the crowd included a friendly horde of children wearing their own tiaras and crowns. Kids are welcome to grab a wooden stick for play sword fighting and to carry with them during the tour. The king eventually emerges from the castle donning his own crown and tunic, and addresses the tour group under a shaded pavilion. He gives an introduction of the castle’s history, leads the kids in imagining when knights and kings defended their homes from invaders, and empowers them to throw misbehaving guests in the dungeon. (He’s only half kidding. There
PHOTOS COURTESY OF ELIZABETH SMITH; ISTOCK
CASTLES IN THE SKY
