Kenilworth Castle, Kenilworth

Why and How to Get There

Kenilworth Castle, Warkwickshire, has been in the care of English Heritage since 1984.

Over the years I have visited it many times, and have seen it develop into a great visitor attraction by the introduction of audio tours, improved exhibits in the Tudor Gatehouse and Stable Block, and most recently the recreation of the Tudor Garden.

I travelled by car and found the Castle, in Kenilworth town, well sign-posted from the A46.

The nearest train stations are Leamington Spa and Warwick from which there are bus services.

Brief History

The first part of the castle was built in Norman times. Successive owners, mostly monarchs, improved and extended the buildings.

The last owner to substantially improve the estate was Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, who got it to a state good enough to lavishly entertain and impress Elizabeth I, who stayed with her entourage for weeks with such things as feasting, dancing, plays, music, hunting and fireworks on the Mere (great lake) to amuse them.

After the Civil War, during which it changed hands several times, Cromwell ordered that parts of it were demolished, so that it couldn’t be used as a fortress again.

The inclusive audio tour will give you as much, or as little, detail of the history as you want, so I will not spoil it for you by giving too much information here.

Present Day

Now, sadly for present day visitors, most of the castle is in ruins. The intact parts are the impressive Tudor Gatehouse, Stable Block and restored Pleasure Gardens.

My favourite part of our visit was the gardens. These are now a great draw, after being the subject of a TV programme on English Heritage. They opened to the public in May 2009, and are recreated to the specifications found in a letter describing it in detail at the time of the pageants presented for Elizabeth I in 1575.

Flower gardens for the rich were designed as a place to escape the foul smells of those times, so visitors can experience the fragrance and floral symmetry of the plants, as well as the aviary and other garden ornaments. The central fountain and the bears, which are the emblem of the Dudley family, provoke a lot of interest from photographers.

Informative and entertaining individual audio tours are included in the price of admission. They look like a large telephone receiver. Visitors can press the numbers, as indicated on the notice boards of the part of the castle they are at, and hear relevant information. At the end of the concise information for that point, listeners can then move on, or follow instructions to hear more details. These English, French or German audio tours are available with a hearing loop for the hard of hearing.

When I first visited I thought that to appreciate nearly everything here, on a day when no extra activities were provided, took me a full 3 hours. But on return visits, I realised that either I had missed parts, or had not been able to take it all in at one go.

There are many special activities here, especially at Bank Holiday weekends. You will need to check with the English Heritage web site to see when these are, and avoid them if you dislike crowds!

The Gatehouse is sometimes hired out for special occasions such as weddings. We arrived one Saturday morning to be advised to visit the Gatehouse first, and see the impressive exhibits before mid-day, before it was closed to those who were not official guests. So, if this is important to you, and it should be if you haven’t recently seen it, I recommend that you phone before you visit to check for restrictions.

Naturally it is best to walk around the ruined parts during a dry part of the day, but the Gatehouse exhibitions, and the interactive activities in the Stable Block, are good places to escape from the wet, if you choose a showery day to visit.

Visitors will need to be able to cope with grassy slopes to get around most of the ruined part, but those that can cope with stairs as well will be able to see a little extra. The Gatehouse (which has a lift), Stable Block and restored Tudor Garden are fully accessible to all.

Prices

I joined English Heritage through the Tesco Clubcard scheme, which is excellent value for money, so I paid out nothing to enter on the day of my visit.

For those who do not belong to English Heritage, 2010 usual prices are Adult £7.60, Child £3.80, Concession £6.50, Family Ticket £19. These could vary on event days, so you may want to check this out on the English Heritage web site.

There is a charge made when parking your car, but this is refundable when you enter the castle.

The café is open daily during the peak season, but we took our own picnic, and just bought reasonably priced ice creams. For those wanting to spread their picnic out, visitors can use the tables provided or sit on the ample grassy areas. We just took food out of our rucksack as we needed it, and rested on one of the benches dotted around the site.

Most of the items in the souvenir shop are similar in design and price to other English Heritage properties, selling souvenirs at a wide range of prices.

However, as a keen gardener, I will give a word of warning about the high prices of the plants here. If you want to create a good value for money Tudor style garden of your own, I recommend that you make a note of the names of the plants that you like, and buy them from a competitively priced retailer. Alternatively, do as I have done with Dianthus (commonly known as garden pinks), which were favoured during Elizabethan times, and swap cuttings with friends to increase your colour range, at very little outlay.

RECOMMENDATION

I found this a great place for a family outing, which is enjoyable for all ages.