Weekly Set Review: Weetabix Castle

[architect]

Join the weekly Classic Castle set review discussion. Please post your opinions on the set play ability, piece selection, design, etc. Which sets stand up to our catapult of critique and which ones crumble in shame!

This week’s set is Weetabix Castle.

Weetabix Castle was the first LEGO Castle set. It was available around 1970 as a mail in promotion in exchange for Weetabix Cereal coupons. The castle features a gatehouse, keep, corner towers, stairs, and allure.

[erikut]

Wow. I don't think I ever knew this existed. It's quite cool but it does not look too compatible with figs but I want it.

Erik

[CAI]

Not the best color choice for a castle...but..

This is the first, extremely rare i'd assume. It's a gem among us for sure and any collector of LEGO.

Who among us owns it? Not even on eBay.

[architect]

Most owners of this set are in the United Kingdom because that is where it was released. I do not have the instructions but could build almost all of it from the pieces I own. Occasionally the set is on eBay and sells for $100 or more. LEGO does not have a copy of this set in their archives.

I like the basic colors of the Weetabix castle, the windows, and the roofed corner tower built into the wall. The set has quite a few nice features for an older and smaller scale castle.

Ben

[Scnicker]

Well, I've known this set for quite awhile now. Anyways, I think this is what Lego is about. This looks more castle-y than the Castle of Morica without using fancy bricks;ust pure,old bricks. I agree this castle is a bit tiny, but I guess we owe the castle Lego that we own to this little set.

[eNiGMa]

Think of this as Castle Lego's biological father.

It may be simple and small, but it invokes a certain mysterious feeling. I also like the color scheme; while not very "castley," it still has a good sense of fantasy.

[Formendacil]

Very hard little set to rate... Nice because of the rare factor, a rather cute design, but about as compatible with Castle as the KK2 Maxifigs...

Parts: 8.5/10
Playability: 5/10
Figs/Accessories: 1/10 (has the LEGO flag...)
Design (then): 9/10 (first Castle set)
Design (now): 8/10 (regular bricks)
Nostalgia: 7/10

Overall Score: 6.42/10

[Horak the Great]

I have to say this one of the least desirable Lego Castle sets in my book. Butt ugly, really. The colors are hideous. I really don't care how rare it may be. I never have understood why people have sought models such as these (e.g, the old Yellow Castle). Nothing really special aside from rarity, as far as I'm concerned. Just my two cents worth.

[Moroder]

Yeah, this is a defensive castle! Real-looking design (except for the colors), high walls, plenty of towers. The playability of it would be excellent with a few minifigs (and if minifig-scaled, too). I'll rate it 7/10.

[ottoatm]

I knew there was another castle before the yellow castle! I can't tell you how many hours I searched online for some proof of a pre-yellow castle set. Many thanks for putting this up!

I realize that compared to some of the other castles, this is a bit lacking. It has no figs, a lot of basic (bright) colors, and not much else. But as was stated, you can't beat the historical value here. Besides, it still looks more realistic and stable than some of the newer castles I've seen.

As a set collector, this is something like my holy grail at the moment. Because I a currently a poor student, I'd like to settle for the instructions only, and then just begin building it. Does anyone know if it is on peeron.com?

[architect]

I knew there was another castle before the yellow castle! I can't tell you how many hours I searched online for some proof of a pre-yellow castle set. Many thanks for putting this up!

You are welcome. I was somewhat hesitant because everyone here is competition to each other. I also need the instructions or the whole set.

On the other hand, it is interesting to see how castle evolved over time. In a similar manner the town sets transformed into larger minifig scale. It is not fair to compare this to minifig sets because this is from an earlier era. The castle uses all available colors of its day. Grey was mainly used for bases and plates and not bricks until the late 70's in space. The multitude of colors and shapes of the towers reminds me more of a fantasy castle or neo-castle like Neuschwanstein.

Does anyone know if it is on peeron.com?

It is not. The best instruction scans of this set online can be found here.

Ben

[Blueandwhite]

A good set, if only as a model of how to properly design a fort. A fully enclosed structure, with an asymetrical design, and numerous towers. The small keep on the right-hand corner is also quite nice.

The KKII castle may have more pieces, and be significantly larger, but this is a classic! Its structure is more convincing to me. Instead of sawblades, and Vladek masks, we are treated to a simple model that is instantly recognizable as a castle.

Truly a classic!

Later.

[Jojo]

Hello!


That's a LEGO castle how a LEGO castle was meant to be in the early 70s. "Building" was the factor. The LEGO Company already was over 25 years old but still in its beginning of brickbuilt models and without a defined scale. Actually the LEGO cars back than were model railway scale. That's what this castle fits into, too.

The most special parts in this model are of course the flag (that's not quite correct in the picture above) and the blue corner slopes. Those are a bit of a rarity until today.

I was somewhat hesitant because everyone here is competition to each other. I also need the instructions or the whole set.

Hehe, I'm out of this race, yeah. My copy of the instructions is badly worn, though, and if it was a 6030 instruction sheet I wouldn't even consider it worth a collectible and throw it into the trash bin, but well...

I've never seen a box for this set, no colourfully printed one, that is. Rumours go there was just a plain brown carton.


Bye
Jojo

[architect]

Hello!
The most special parts in this model are of course the flag (that's not quite correct in the picture above) and the blue corner slopes. Those are a bit of a rarity until today.

Yes I know. If you or anyone has the accurate flag and photographs it at an angle, I will photoshop it into the set image. I think many fans do not realize how hard some blue slopes are to find. Those slopes, the solid stud 1x1 round bricks, and 1x2x1 windows are a bit hard to find unless you have old LEGO.

I've never seen a box for this set, no colourfully printed one, that is. Rumours go there was just a plain brown carton.

This is what several people have told me as well. In fact most of the early promotional sets (before the late 70's), such as the Velveeta one, came in brown boxes with a LEGO logo.

Ben

[James]

I'll see if I can scan my copy of the instructions in. My scanner is rarely used though and I'm no longer sure of the quality.

As for the set, its a fun set for its age. Without a baseplate the bottom blue corner slopes tend to knock off or fall off whenever you move it. Nice little set though