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. Visits to Castle Head Field Centre will immerse primary school children in the natural world, taking in its sights, sounds and smells.

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

Bring your subject to life in the outdoor classroom!

With easy access to both the coastline of Morecambe Bay, the glaciated uplands of the southern Lake District and the lakes of Windermere and Coniston, Castle Head is ideally situated for a wide range of field studies and adventurous activities.

Castle Head Field Centre is easily accessible by both road and rail, being only 20 minutes from junction 36 of the M6 and an hour and a half drive from both Manchester and Liverpool. The closest train station at Grange-over-Sands is only 5 minutes’ drive from the centre.

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.

We have passionate and experienced teaching staff.

Field Studies Council take care of everything once you arrive; comfortable accommodation, all your meals (residential visits) plus transport during the course.

We offer different price bands through the year to offer value for money.

Castle Head Field Centre is part of Field Studies Council, an environmental education charity with 80 years’ experience of providing fieldwork and outdoor learning and a network of UK centres offering day and residential fieldwork opportunities.

Our charity works in many other ways to create a world where everyone feels connected to the environment including through projects working in local communities and lobbying government to include fieldwork in the curriculum.

• LOtC
• AALA

Castle Head can offer a range of adventurous activities including abseiling, rock climbing, ghyll scrambling, high ropes, low ropes, obstacle course and raft building. Pupils can do these activities in a residential course alongside curriculum content or environmental education.

Students will look at a variety of plants and common animals using age appropriate classification keys to identify living things we find in our woodland and in our pond habitats.

Identify basic survival needs, explore the woods, build a shelter and forage for wild foods. Follow a woodland trail and search for tracks and signs. A day filled with team building and problem solving activities.

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.

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

We can offer a range of 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.

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

We offer a range of sessions and courses covering field studies. 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.

We have a wide range of activities such as:

Primary: minibeast hunt, pond dipping, hiking, low ropes, eco-activity, rock
climbing, bushcraft, orienteering

Secondary/A level: geography independent investigations, adventurous
geography, river study, biology core practicals

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

Field Studies Council 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.

We provide a variety of resources to support outdoor learning, on the website.

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.ch@field-studies-council.org

Field Studies Council 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.

Many of our visiting groups take advantage of our off-peak prices between November and February. Between November and February, courses start at just £10 per primary pupil and £22 per secondary student for day courses.

We are always looking for ways to make Field Studies Council trips affordable for all schools. As well as off-peak pricing we work with project funders, and we distribute Grants for Schools to enable access to outdoor learning for everyone.

Please contact us regarding your needs, although we provide wellies & waterproofs at our residential centres.

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 sells drinks, snacks and souvenirs of your stay as well as a selection of WildID publications.

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

One twin bedroom (room 17) with wheelchair accessible bathroom and shower which can sleep up to 2 wheelchair users.

By Car: Follow the A590 sign posted for M6 Turn right onto B5271 Follow the road down Lindale Hill and come into Lindale village At the mini roundabout, go straight across over the roundabout Pass the VW garage on the left When the road bends round to the left, you will see a house on the corner (on the right) Turn right here, there is a sign post for Castle Head Castle Head centre 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 By Rail: The nearest railway station to the Centre is one mile away at Grange over Sands on the Barrow to Manchester Airport line; it stops at Ulverston and other local stations enroute. Collection from Grange over Sands station can be arranged in advance and is free of charge. By Bus: The X6 bus connects Ulverston with Lindale.

Directions from M6 to FSC Castle Head Field Centre
By Car: Exit Junction 36 Follow A590 to Barrow Take slip road after about 3 miles sign posted Barrow A590 and follow for about 6 miles At Meathop roundabout take 1st exit onto B5277 Stay on this road for about 2 miles Go past BMW garage on your right, 100 yards after this the road will bend to the right Turn left here, small drive with house on the corner which is signposted for Castle Head Castle Head centre 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 you go round the bend and the VW garage is on the right then you have gone too far. 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. Please be aware that there may be people moving around whilst you are manoeuvring. By Rail: The nearest (local) railway station is Grange over Sands. It is connected to the main west coast line at Lancaster and Preston which have direct links to London, Scotland, Manchester (including the Airport) and the West Country. Collection from the local station can be arranged in advance and is free of charge. By Bus: Lancaster is served by National Express coaches connecting with many parts of the country. The local train service will enable you to complete your journey to our local railway station, Grange over Sands. Collection from the local station can be arranged in advance and is free of charge. Please note that the sat nav will take you to Lindale if you use the post code.

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

Contact our team for latest prices and availability:

01743-852100 or enquiries.ch@field-studies-council.org