Located on the northern edge of East Midlands Airport, Castle Donington is a historic market town and former lace-making centre. It was once home to one of the largest coal-fired power stations in Europe and now boasts a motorsports circuit that hosts events for the Superbike World Championship.
Learn about the people and events that have shaped the region at the Castle Donington Museum, which houses a small collection of exhibits in the town centre. At the East Midlands Aeropark, you can get up close to restored vintage planes and aviation artefacts before watching the passenger craft taking off and landing at the adjacent airport.
Nearby is the Donington Park Circuit, which hosts motor racing events and festivals throughout the year. On the other side of East Midlands Airport is Whatton House, a beautifully preserved country estate renowned for its rose and woodland gardens.
Getting there
Castle Donington is 15 minutes’ drive from Derby and five minutes from East Midlands Airport, which has flights to destinations across Europe. The much larger Birmingham Airport is 45 minutes away. Regular buses connect to Castle Donington and the town centre is compact enough to explore on foot.