Warwick Castle

...have read "brutal" not "romantic". Warwick Castle fits the bill though. Very nicely, too.

From its earliest earthwork birth in 914 as a hilltop fort defending the small Anglo-Saxon settlement of Warwick from Danish invaders, it has been part of the fabric of English history. Actually, it's been involved to such an extent that there really is little point in going into too much historical detail other than that ...
...its sale in 1978. Various Warwick dynasties have been crucial to the politics of England and the Castle has seen much action. It housed prisoners from the Hundred Years War and was besieged by royalists during the civil war. Richard Neville, the "Kingmaker" during the Wars of the Roses was perhaps the most influential earl and he even maintains a presence of a kind today.The castle is one of the very few completely intact mediaeval examples ... more

Ever since she was little, the teenage element of this household has wanted to see a real castle. With dungeons. We have plenty of castles in this neck of the woods (Cheshire/Welsh Marches) but they tend to be ruins or not remotely castle-y enough for the romantic historical notions of a 15 year old to be fulfilled i.e just a big house without dungeons. Sorry, that should have read "brutal" not "romantic". Warwick Castle fits the bill though. Very nicely, too.

From its earliest earthwork birth in 914 as a hilltop fort defending the small Anglo-Saxon settlement of Warwick from Danish invaders, it has been part of the fabric of English history. Actually, it's been involved to such an extent that there really is little point in going into too much historical detail other than that necessary to reinforce the point that this isn't just any old pile of stones, it's the real deal as far as proper castles go. The invading William the Bastard ordered the first castle to be constructed in 1068 to consolidate his power in the Midlands. The present castle maintains much of the original Norman outline but improvements and additions were carried out by many of the mediaeval Earls of Warwick, whose seat it has been on and off from 1088 until its sale in 1978. Various Warwick dynasties have been crucial to the politics of England and the Castle has seen much action. It housed prisoners from the Hundred Years War and was besieged by royalists during the civil war. Richard Neville, the "Kingmaker" during the Wars of the Roses was perhaps the most influential earl and he even maintains a presence of a kind today.The castle is one of the very few completely intact mediaeval examples left around so is an extremely important architectural relic as well as being a tourist attraction.

Sadly, our day wasn't quite the all out adventure we'd hoped for. We weren't able to get away as early as planned and the weather was decidedy fickle. Approaching on the M40, there was an unearthly black sky hovering over where we guessed Warwick ought to be. Maybe we'd be lucky. I don't think so... We were also destined to struggle with a recalcitrant camera - the battery cover having broken the day before and it wasn't responding to the first aid we'd administered. Rain + dodgy camera = bad start. This review isn't as comprehensive therefore as I'd want it to be but I hope to still include some general observations as there are a few to be made.

The castle is very easy to find by road being just two well signposted miles from junction 15 of the M40. Beware though, the M6/M42 junction is also the southern end of the M6 toll. It's a confusing junction so keep your eyes on the signs, especially if coming from the north-west. It's also only a mile from Warwick station, served direct from London Marylebone or Birmingham Snow Hill. But we drove, so I'll concern myself with that aspect. The main car park is fairly large, divided into tree-shrouded bays so in high summer with the trees in full leaf, this will be a boon. It is though, a narrow car park, hence very long. Sharon, my partner, has mobility problems; she needs frequent rest stops while walking but she doesn't qualify for a blue badge. We were directed as near to the castle as possible but there are no signs until you are actually well on the path to indicate how far away you are from it. Had I known we were in for an uphill walk of about 300 yards, I would have driven her closer to the castle, into the disabled car park, dropped her and driven back. You pay £3 for the privilege of parking there and that's the start of the castle's love affair with your wallet. There are three more castle car parks as well as several public ones nearby but if approaching from the motorway, as we were, the main one is the only one you will be aware of. Two are seasonal and slightly further away in the grounds. Prices for the other car parks vary. There is also a pedestrian entrance.

We set off from the car, unable to see the castle through the trees and hedges but able to hear the squawks of the patrolling peacocks (what would heritage site owners do without them, eh?) After the uphill all the way hike, we reached the main entrance area which is in the stable block. Here there are toilets, the ubiquitous gift shop and a licensed restaurant. There appeared to be a wedding party using the restaurant while we were there; I would imagine it's possible to use the place for functions. There were no queues but beware if the weather's bad and it's high season as queueing will be outside.

Ticket prices are steep. There are confusing tiers regarding standard, peak and off-peak times (peak is whenever they can maximise revenue - bank holidays and school holidays basically). If you're reading this, you'll be online so go to the newly revamped website (it changed while I was writing this - just as I was getting used to the old layout!) at www.warwick-castle.co.uk for an explanation. We paid £12.95 for each adult and £7.95 for a child (under 16) ticket. This was the standard, middle tier rate. Bear in mind that this is a fortress and not built with tourists or disabled people in mind - it was built to keep tourists out, after all! If you are confined to a wheelchair you will miss out on a lot. No climbing the walls or towers to marvel at the views, or descending into the undercroft to see the main exhibition or having a meal; in fact bar two attractions, the Mill and the Death or Glory exhibition, all "indoor" or within the walls exhibits are denied you. The gardens and grounds are OK for you but make sure it's a nice day, eh? In this case though, they've been charitable and because of the reduced access, wheelchair users are allowed in free with their carer paying a reduced group admission rate. There is a section on the website regarding special needs.

The reason for the high prices is quite simply that Warwick Castle is not run by the National Trust or English Heritage for the benefit of the nation, as the rather nice green signs around the place hint; it's actually owned by the Tussauds Group for the benefit of its shareholders. Apart from the waxworks and the castle, they own Chessington World of Adventures, Thorpe Park and that rip-off of all rip-offs, Alton Towers, all places granny will have to pay full price for even if she's no intention of riding on anything. One nice touch though; as we approached the turnstiles, the steward started wrtitng something on a whiteboard. As we watched we realised he was writing my registration number down! Someone, I don't know who but presumably a steward as we were not overtaken by anyone as we walked to the entrance, had reported that I'd left my lights on. In the event, this was worth the £3 car park fee, despite the fact that I had to run half a mile there and back again before we could even enter! Luckily there was gift shop by the turnstiles so the others kept themselves busy.

It's about a 200 metre walk from the turnstiles to the barbican and gatehouse, slightly uphill. Sharon could have done with a wheelchair but these had to be pre-booked. A couple of points around the place where chairs could have been borrowed by the likes of Sharon who doesn't want to be confined to one but for whom they're a bit of welcome respite from walking, would be a nice touch. Along the path are a number of side shows, housed in mediaeval style tents featuring period fairground throwing games and such like. There was also an archer (the "Warwick Bowman") and a target set up although we never saw a demonstration. The programme you are handed with your ticket on entry indicated we'd just missed the last one. A couple of birds of prey, including a stately looking eagle owl, hinted that maybe there was a show forthcoming but sadly we didn't see one advertised. You also pass the audio booth where you can hire an audio guide for £2.50 (Also available in the Armoury gift shop).

I'm afraid that if I go into detail about all the exhibits within the castle walls this review would be far too long and uninteresting. I'll touch on a couple though, as these were particularly well realised. There are two main tableau type permanent exhibitions. Both utilise Tussauds renowned expertise in model making and are fascinating insights into life at the castle 400 years apart. The first is entitled "Kingmaker" and is a snapshot of one of the final days of the turncoat Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick or "Warwick the Kingmaker" as he is more often remembered (surely you all remember your Wars of the Roses history, don't you?). He met his end at the Battle of Barnet in 1471 and this exhibit depicts various scenes from the household as the master prepares to leave for battle. There are seamstresses, wheelwrights, fletchers, armourers and the Earl himself all modeled in lifelike detail. The Earl's destrier or warhorse, is seen armoured and even blinks as you watch. An overriding smell of stallion is also present adding to the atmosphere! What is attractive about this tableau is that you can walk among the models and become part of the scene. The smells, noises and dim light are very effective at setting the scene and the only criticism I could level at it would be that the people portrayed are a little too clean for mediaeval England!

The other main exhibition is housed in the most modern part of the castle, the private apartments, and is entitled the "Royal Weekend Party". It recreates a genuine weekend in 1898 when the then Earl and Countess entertained the Prince of Wales and several other high ranking aristocrats, a young Winston Churchill among them.Using much of the furniture around at the time and contemporary photographs, the bedrooms and boudoirs of the guests have been lavishly recreated. The models are stunning and there is a real air of having just stumbled into someone's day. One almost feels obliged to utter the odd very English "sorry" every now and then. This tableau leads into the very impressive state rooms and the Great Hall.

One other attraction of note I feel obliged to mention is a live action one in the Ghost Tower. It's a recreation of the murder of Sir Fulke Greville in 1628 and it's not for the faint hearted or very young children. Or teenagers, evidently. It also costs an extra £2 per head either payable in advance when you buy your entrance tickets or at a small tent at the base of the Mound near the Ghost Tower. There is some climbing involved and it's almost totally dark inside so again, not one for the unsteady. Much much better than a ghost train and exceedingly well done, it's startling rather than scary. You are warned about this before you enter, though. Three of us paid, one big wuss bottled out at the entrance and the second, smaller wuss, just inside as the show started. Me? Hard as nails and although I felt a bit of a lemon at being the only person in there, I survived. It's a good laugh but I can't for the life of me remember any of the story as I was too concerned with what was happening around me! Unfortunately, once you've paid, that's it. Loose your nerve beforehand and you don't get a refund. Another £4 lost.

I did the obligatory climb of the highest point, Guys Tower; took some photos in the rain of the stunning surrounds and walked around the curtain walls through the barbican and gatehouse. Had the weather been better then we could have made more of the outside. The views are fantastic from the towers but with only limited time and becoming increasingly damp into the bargain, we rushed around rather too much. I really would have liked to have spent another two or three hours there and taken in some of the grounds viewed from on high. The walk around the walls is so arranged that you all go one way. Each tower has an up and down staircase so there is no jostling in a confined space. A nicely thought out touch - full marks for that! What surprised me was that I could speak quite clearly to Sharon who was over a hundred feet down and sheltering from the rain well away from the base of the tower, without particularly raising my voice. In fact when she heard me call, she thought I was back down again. Strange.

We'd taken a packed lunch but couldn't find anywhere to eat it undercover and ended up eating it back in the car before we left. I don't think eating around the castle itself is encouraged at all; there were no places to sit down, although it has to be said that as it was raining, we weren't really looking. Although it was still early season, there were a few coach parties of school kids in but there was next to no litter (The kids were French though). There was a licensed dining room/cafeteria in the undercroft but the prices were too steep for us at around £6 per head for a meal or £2.50 for a snack, plus drinks. There are plenty of snack facilities dotted around the whole site so you're never far from food (or a profit opportunity). Another word of warning - there are toilets in the undercroft but these are not suitable for wheelchair users. The nearest wheelchair toilet is in the Mill but I think that may involve a lengthy tour around the river side of the castle to reach it. Otherwise it's back to the stables or out into the grounds to the Conservatory.

All too soon our brief visit was over and we headed back to the car. We'd managed about two and a half hours actually within the castle walls before it closed at 6 pm (7 in summer); this definitely wasn't enough and as I said above, we missed loads. Bear in mind also that there are 60 acres of grounds, an island and outside attractions such as the conservatory and formal gardens to see so if you are going to visit, do make a day of it. There are regular outdoor events throughout the summer, including jousting every weekend throughout August. Save up for food or take a packed lunch and eat in the grounds, I seem to remember a picnic area somewhere. If you are going to spend all day there then the entry fee may seem better value. Although you can buy a season ticket, I would like to see a twighlight ticket introduced for those who've travelled a distance and arrived late - say two-thirds price after 3pm. You're not going to be able to see all of the place so why pay all of the charge? The exhibits are fantastic and the setting beautiful; there is a real air of heritage and history about but it is tainted with the commercialism of its owners. I don't need Warwick Castle Chocolate Chip Cookies at £3 a tin although the fairly lavish guidebook at £3.50 is a pretty good buy. I'm not sure whether Tussauds can justly lay claim to it being "Britain's Greatest Mediaeval Experience" but they've had a good go. I just wish it was cheaper. I'd like to revisit, but at those prices, it's going to be a while before I do. On a similar note to Tussauds' claim, I had an exchange with one of the stewards who reckoned that Blair Athol in Scotland was the only equal in its "completeness" (sic). I said that I came from Kent and that we were lucky enough to have mediaeval castles in Dover, London (The Tower) and the gorgeous Leeds, all within 80 miles of each other, who may care to dispute that claim!

And did Little Legs get to see the dungeons? You bet! It was the first stop after we entered the castle. I think she was impressed with the torture implements although her mother felt a bit queasy at the sound of the rack being turned. I was rather taken with the "oubliette", a little dark hole where those malcontents more out of favour than the rest were deposited. And forgotten. Five suggestions for potential inhabitants, anyone?

Warwick Castle
0870 442 2000
www.warwick-castle.co.uk

 

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