We visited Warwick Castle in September, which was probably the very best time because visitors were limited, the children were back at school and people were generally reluctant to leave their homes. We pre-booked and arrived soon after the doors opened so we did not have to queue. Masks were worn inside buildings.
It was a beautiful day and it was wonderful to be out in all that green space. Warwick Castle has 64 acres of rolling landscaped gardens with designs by Capability Brown. There was topiary, shrubs, flowers and a rather moth-eaten looking peacock.
We started out by walking around the ramparts – you have to be reasonably fit as there are a great many steps and spiral staircases. There were splendid views of the surrounding area, the bend in the River Avon and Warwick town itself. After exploring the castle ramparts, we went for afternoon tea in the conservatory, with its stunning views of the peacock garden and the pageant field. Then as we were walking back to the castle, we saw a falconry display. It was very impressive with some magnificent birds of prey flying around.
Then we went inside the well-preserved medieval castle to view the armoury. After that we toured through the rooms that were set out as it would have been in 1898 with authentic furnishings. The waxwork figures were very lifelike, because the building is now owned by the Tussauds group. Then in the basement there were more waxwork figures of medieval people doing various tasks. This took us through to the gift shop before going out into the fresh air again.
We walked through the grounds stopping to see the bowman. As well as being an excellent shot with the bow and arrow, he was very entertaining – full of jokes to get people laughing. Then it was time to leave. I must say our visit to Warwick Castle was great and I can understand why it is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Britain.
After leaving the castle we walked around the old town of Warwick itself passing the Court House, Landor House, the Shire Hall towards Lord Leycester Hospital. The latter is a magnificent half- timbered medieval building on the High Street. It was an enjoyable day out all round.
