Short answer: Yes, particularly if you arrive by the little ferry from Dartmouth quay, which is the best part. But there are a great many steps and it is not suitable for pushchairs or wheelchairs.
Yes — with one condition. Arrive by boat. The little ferry from Dartmouth quay takes fifteen to twenty minutes, gives you the best view of the castle on the approach, and saves the narrow road and the limited pay-and-display at the other end.
A fort rather than a palace. It has guarded the mouth of the Dart since the fourteenth century, and what you get is gun emplacements, ammunition stores and a climb to the battlement tower with views across the estuary. If you are expecting staterooms, this is not that.
There are a lot of steps, and it is not suitable for pushchairs or wheelchairs at any time of year. There are toilets on site but no disabled toilet or baby change. Worth knowing before you commit a family day to it.
Dogs on leads are welcome, which makes it one of the more straightforward historic sites in Devon with a dog.
A tearoom with views over the water, not run by English Heritage, doing cream teas and some hot meals. The South West Coast Path runs right past, and Sugary Cove is three minutes along — a small shingle cove with clear water, dog friendly, and a half-hour walk back into Dartmouth along the water.
An hour or two at the castle, plus the ferry each way. It sits neatly inside a Dartmouth day rather than replacing one.
Dartmouth itself is the draw — narrow Tudor and Georgian streets, a working quay and more good places to eat per square mile than anywhere on this coast. The boats up the river to Totnes and across to Kingswear are the other way to spend the time.
See the full Dartmouth guide, filtered by who's with you.
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