8.2 /10 1 Votes
4.1/5 Pan Macmillan Country United Kingdom Genre Adventure novel Originally published 1946 Publisher Macmillan Publishers Followed by The Valley of Adventure | 4.1/5 Goodreads Illustrator Stuart Tresilian Language English Publication date 1946 Preceded by The Island of Adventure | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Media type Print (hardcover and paperback) Characters Lucy-Ann Trent, Dinah Mannering, Philip Mannering, Kiki, Jack Trent, Bill Cunningham Similar Enid Blyton books, The Adventure Series books, Classical Studies books | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Castle of Adventure (published in 1946) is a popular children's book by Enid Blyton. It is the second book in The Adventure Series. The first edition of the book was illustrated by Stuart Tresilian.
Contents
Plot summary
Jack, Lucy, Dinah and Philip attempt to figure out what is behind the strange goings-on at a ruined castle near Spring Cottage in Scotland where they are on holiday with Dinah and Philip's mother, Aunt Allie. The four youngsters make friends with Tassie, a mysterious gypsy living in the woods with her mother. Along with Bill Cunningham, who appears later in the book, the children manage to expose a ring of spies led by the threatening Scar-Neck who are working against the UK Military service.
Television serial
The Castle of Adventure was a children's live-action serial based on the book by Enid Blyton. It ran for 8 half-hour episodes from 19 April – 7 June 1990, produced by TVS Films and shown on CITV. The star-studded cast included Susan George, the late Gareth Hunt and Brian Blessed. The children were played by Rosie Marcel and Richard Hanson. Lionel Augustus and Edward Francis (who was the producer of all episodes) were the writers. Terry Marcel, Rosie’s father was the director. The plot of the series closely followed that of the novel. The series was filmed on location and at Saltwood Castle in Saltwood, Kent.
The names of the children are Philip and Dinah Mannering who are brother and sister, Lucy-Ann and Jack Trent, also brother and sister. During the holidays, they live with Philip and Dinah’s mother, Allie at Springs Cottage where she borrowed from her friend. In episode 2, the four youngsters make friends with Tassie, a mysterious gypsy living in the woods with her mother, who is threatened by Sam, nicknamed Scar. Towards the series’ end, Aunt Jane visits the children, so does Bill Cunningham whom Allie met during the convention at the Military service in the opening episode.
Terrestrial repeats of the series were unknown once it was aired. However, a year later, a video was released, although some scenes were edited out, and it aired on The Children's Channel after TVS had lost its ITV franchise. Along with TVS' other programmes, it has been kept off the DVD market for complicated legal reasons, but is available on YouTube.