Situated on the banks of the River Avon, Warwick is well located and steeped in history. From here one can travel south and reach the city of Coventry and to the west is another popular tourist destination, Leamington Spa. Which means you can use the town as a base to explore not simply Warwick but the whole of the West Midlands or further south to the Cotswolds. Here we’ll take a look at some of the things Warwick can offer you.
Warwick Castle – Whilst you can treat this as “just” a castle, there is much more to it: you should allow a full day to take in everything. The hands-on displays mean you can feel just how heavy a sword was or what it would have been like to be a foot soldier getting ready for battle. You can even try on a battle helmet for size. Or you may prefer to take a leisurely stroll around the State Rooms which have been lavishly decorated and see how the household prepares for a party taking place in Victorian times.
Shakespeare’s Birthplace – Which of course is in Stratford upon Avon, a mere 8 miles from Warwick. This half timbered house was where William Shakespeare was born. The exhibitions that you walk past give you an insight into the bard’s life, including his famous writing. You’ll be drawn into the reconstructions complete with sound effects together with artifacts dating back to Shakespeare’s time mean you’ll be transported back to his lifetime.
The house is reached through an English country garden. As you walk through it you will see flowers, herbs and trees have been planted in it which Shakespeare loved and which are mentioned in his plays. The house has been carefully restored, keeping as many original features as possible.
Anne Hathaway’s Cottage – If you take a short drive away from Shakespeare’s Birthplace to Shottery where his future wife spent her formative years. Although we now refer to it as a cottage when his bride Anne lived in it and where Shakespeare came to court her it was quite a substantial farmhouse. Anne Hathaway’s descendents lived here until the late 19th Century when it was purchased by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.
The cottage can trace its roots back to the 16th & 17th centuries but there are two curved oak beams which were erected in 1463. The cottage hasn’t changed much over the years and in the living room is not only the original open hearth but paneling as well. All the rooms within are decorated with furnishings from the period and includes the Hathaway Bed an old four poster one.
Lunt Roman Fort – Well before the construction of Warwick Castle, the Roman army had constructed a fort for themselves. After painstaking research the site now features a faithful reconstruction of the original fort. You’ll get a feel for how life was for members of the ancient Roman army. The museum itself houses many finds from the archaeological dig along with a model of what the fort would have looked like in 64AD.
When you next visit Warwick, you can choose your Warwick hotel or guest house here.