Visited June 2024

Location	Warwick, Warwickshire
Entrance Fee	Yes
Railway Station Nearby	Yes
Parking	Yes
Facilities	Cafe, Gift Shop, Toilets
Map

A superb castle to visit, with loads of things to see and do which will appeal to all members of the family, no matter what their age!

Review

The history of the castle starts with an earthen rampart built to protect the town of Warwick from the vikings , which was ordered by Queen Æthelflæd, daughter of Alfred the Great. (See also St Oswald's Priory, Gloucester ) 

After William the Conqueror invaded in 1066, he started to build castles as a means to control areas. The Saxon town of Warwick was decided on to be the site of the main castle in the Midlands, which was needed to support William's supply lines . The castle was constructed on William's behalf by Henry de Newburgh, who became the first Earl of Warwick in 1088. The Newburgh family remained at Warwick for five generations, overseeing the rebuild of the wooden castle with stone. 

However it was a different Earl of Warwick who would ultimately be responsible for the making or breaking of royal dynasties in England . Richard Neville inherited the castle when the previous Earl died childless. Richard was known as Warwick the Kingmaker, such was his influence in deposing and promoting kings. He also gained power and influence for himself by marrying off his daughters into the ruling royal family at the time. HIs daughter Isabel married George Duke of Clarence, brother of King Edward IV. His second daughter Anne was firstly married to Prince Edward, son of Henry VI but when he died in the Battle of Tewkesbury, Anne was free to marry her childhood suitor, Duke Richard, later Richard III.

Eventually Warwick's ambition brought him to a sticky end at the Battle of Barnet in 1471. His son-in-law George then owned the castle until he was executed for treason, and it became the property of his other son-in-law Richard who  added two towers to the castle, named the Bear and Clarence Towers. After Richard's death at Bosworth the castle fell into disrepair under the Tudors and was even scheduled to be demolished under King James I. However it was eventually given to Sir Fulke Greville  and in 1618 he set about restoring the castle.

Phew! So much history already and we are only up to the 17th century! We might have to call it a day there or else this review will go on forever. Let's just say that the castle was restored and continued to be owned by the Greville family until 1978 when it was bought by the Madame Tussauds Group. This is evident when you look round, as the interior of the castle was many wax creations which are of an incredibly high standard, which is what you would expect given the owners. They are fun to see and recreate important eras in the castle's history. 

As well as the extensive interiors, the castle has a lot for visitors outside too. The battlements are fabulous- they date back to the 14th century and were built for archers to move around easily to keep watch on any invading foes. They lead round to Guy's Tower, a super tower with chambers used as guest accomodation and an upper floor with with panoramic views of the castle and surrounding countryside. It is a long way up some winding stone steps, but worth it for the view; and there is a one way system meaning you won't be on your way up and have to squeeze past people on their way down. Very sensible!

Other things that might interest children are the peacock gardens- with bushes clipped into the shape of peacocks, as well as the real live birds who roam freely around the garden and other parts of the castle. There are also Bird of Prey and Trebuchet shows (though not at the same time!) which take place on the island area at regular intervals. They draw a large crowd but luckily there are plenty of viewing spots, including up on the mound of the original castle. There is also a massive pageant field, which was designed by Capability Brown, the famous landscape gardener. The area is planted with many trees and gives kids loads of space to run and play.

Our absolute favourite part of the castle was the mill and pump house. The mill used to grind the castle's corn and the pump house generated electricity. The area is by the side of the river and a lot quieter in terms of visitor numbers. It is very picturesque and also a peaceful area in a busy castle. Talking of busy, the one area we did not get to see was the Castle Dungeons. They are a major attraction in themselves and very popular, but we just ran out of time as there was so much to see, and before we knew it the castle was closing and we had to leave. But if the other displays are anything to go by, the Dungeons would certainly be worth seeing. Next time perhaps?

As expected with a large attraction such as this, there are plenty of facilities; cafes, shops and toilets are all provided. We took our own lunch though so cannot vouch for the cafe- but the souvenir shop was good. Don't forget the Horrible History Maze, and  on the day we went there was a Zog the Dragon trail and play area. That should keep the kids busy!

More info: Warwick Castle