WARWICK CASTLE

Warwick Castle stands on the banks of the river Avon, just a few miles from Shakespeare’s Stratford. Many of England’s most celebrated figures, from Richard III to Queen Victoria, appear in the castle’s full and varied history and for centuries Warwick Castle was home to the mighty Earls of Warwick.

First fortified by William the Conqueror in 1068 AD, Warwick Castle later became the principal stronghold of the mighty Beauchamp warlords. As the military importance of the castle declined, the main living quarters were converted into a residence of the grandest style. The magnificent interiors date from the late 17^th to the late 19^th centuries and today most of the main fortifications have altered little from the mediaeval period. With its dark, dank dungeon, gruesome torture chamber and splendid armoury, the Middle Ages come to life at Warwick Castle.

‘A Royal Weekend Party, 1898’ by Madame Tussaud’s recreates a Victorian house party with a young Winston Churchill and the future King Edward VII. The State Rooms, including the magnificent Great Hall, contain an outstanding collection of arms, armour, furniture and paintings.