Medieval castle. Its visit will be an unusual attraction for any tourist. The restorers recreated the interior to the smallest detail. Madame Tussauds Museum made wax figures, which became the inhabitants of the castle – servants, guards, court ladies. Knight tournaments, archery contests, and the “Flight of Eagles” show are held in the courtyard. On Halloween, there are ghosts walking around in the ghost tower.
Warwick Castle was founded in 1068 under William the Conqueror. It is located in England, in the county of Warwickshire (an area of central England). Since its construction and until the XVII century the medieval castle was used for its direct purpose – for defensive purposes. In the early seventeenth century, its new owner, English poet and playwright Fulke Greville, turned the castle into a country residence. The castle belonged to Greville’s descendants until 1978.
In 1978, The Tussauds Group bought the castle from the Greville family and opened it to tourists. Now the castle is protected by the state as a major architectural monument – in terms of importance it is equated with Buckingham Palace.
The castle is situated in a picturesque place – on the steep bank of the river Avon. Previously, the bank was flatter, but over the centuries, the river has eroded away the sandstone. Such a location contributed to the successful defense – during the history of the castle took more than a few sieges.
What to see
On the territory of the castle, inside and outside, there are many places of interest. The heart of the castle is recognized as the Great Hall. A spacious hall with knightly paraphernalia and medieval gloom sends visitors back to the founding of the castle. But in fact, it was rebuilt in the XVII century, and in 1871 changed its appearance once again because of the fire. It is interesting not only the knightly paraphernalia, but also a huge cauldron in which for 500 years, cooking for the soldiers.
The most mystical and attractive place is the dungeon. A visit to Warwick Castle’s dungeon is a real attraction, accompanied by frightening sounds and stories of ghosts and witches. The time of the interactive tour is 50 minutes.
Manor Gardens covers an area of 64 acres. The first landscaping work was done in the 17th century. Within 8 years the appearance of the gardens was completely changed, wiggling paths to the castle were added. The gardens here are hilly, and a small island on the Avon River is abundant with birds. In 1890 a small menagerie was even set up here, with a baby elephant and an Emu ostrich among its pets.
The restored Victorian mill is also one of the most photogenic sights. It is located south of the castle, on the banks of the Avon River. In addition to its primary function, the mill was also a mini-electric powerhouse, providing power to the Earl’s rooms.
A few years ago, a huge catapult was added to the castle grounds. It was made of 300 oaks. Weight of the catapult is 22 tons. Now it is the most powerful in the world. To start the whole mechanism would require the efforts of no less than 8 people.
Every day at Warwick Castle there are several shows introducing the life and traditions of the former residents. In winter, you can see a show of birds of prey (twice a day) – owls, eagles, vultures and other birds are released from the castle ramparts.
On certain days there are demonstrative jousting tournaments (not daily) and archery competitions. Sometimes visitors are shown a giant catapult in action or the Sword in the Stone show – based on the famous legend of King Arthur.
Warwick Castle (Warwick) was founded on the site of the old Anglo-Saxon fortifications. According to one version, the first fortress here was founded by Alfred the Great’s daughter to protect the local people and herself from Viking attacks.
The castle was founded by William the Conqueror to commemorate the conquest of the Anglo-Saxons by the Normans. For many centuries the castle became a symbol of military might. Originally the fortress was a wall of palisades and a castle on a hill. In 1119 the first church – the Church of All Saints – appeared within the castle walls. A large stone castle was built in 1154-1189.
In the 1330s, the defense of the castle from the northeast side was improved. It is this period that dates back to the construction of the Gaius and Caesar towers. The other famous towers, Gun Bear and Clarence, were erected a century later, in the 1480s. During this period, the castle belonged to the king and was costly to the treasury. Over time it fell into disrepair. In the records of the 1590s there are mentions of the miserable state of the castle – the furnishings were literally plundered.
In 1604 the castle was given to count Fulk Greville who transformed the medieval fortress into a manor. The count allocated more than 3 million pounds (translated into modern money) for the repair of the castle and the surrounding territory.