A new 'bonding bench' has been installed at Kenilworth Castle as part of a nationwide campaign to tackle parental isolation.

English Heritage has launched the initiative at its sites across the country as it looks to address the 'growing issue'.

The benches are designed to help people start conversations, launch communal activities and host NCT (National Childbirth Trust) volunteer-led sling and buggy walks at selected sites.

Emma Fernandes Lopes, Assistant Operations Director at English Heritage, said: "As parents, we are hardwired to prioritise our children's wellbeing.

"We bring them out to wonderful places like English Heritage sites to explore the outdoors and expand their horizons. But we often forget that the key to children's wellbeing is actually found in whether their parents feel happy and supported.

"Modern parenthood can be a really isolating experience.

"Many parents live a long way away from their extended families and have no support network to lean back on, and it's often a real challenge to make friends who hold the same values and interests.

"With families making up more than a third of all English Heritage visits, we want to use our sites to help parents make those essential connections."

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Each bench will feature sliders which can be moved between 'up for a chat' and 'craving quiet', depending on your mood.

They are being installed at sites in time for the half-term holidays.