Warwick Castle is a medieval castle developed from a wooden fort, originally built by William the Conqueror during 1068. Warwick is the county town of Warwickshire, England, situated on a meander of the River Avon. The original wooden motte-and-bailey castle was rebuilt in stone during the 12th century. During the Hundred Years War, the facade opposite the town was refortified, resulting in one of the most recognisable examples of 14th-century military architecture. It was used as a stronghold until the early 17th century, when it was granted to Sir Fulke Greville by James I in 1604. Greville converted it to a country house, and it was owned by the Greville family (who became Earls of Warwick in 1759) until 1978, when it was bought by the Tussauds Group.
In 2007, the Tussauds Group was purchased by the Blackstone Group, which merged it with Merlin Entertainments. Warwick Castle was then sold to Nick Leslau's investment firm, Prestbury Group, under a sale and leaseback agreement.[1] Merlin continues to operate the site under a renewable 35-year lease.[2]
Location
An old map published around 1610 by John Speed showing Warwick; the castle is in the south of the town, next to the River Avon.
Warwick Castle is situated in the town of Warwick, on a sandstonebluff at a bend of the River Avon. The river, which runs below the castle on the east side, has eroded the rock the castle stands on, forming a cliff. The river and cliff form natural defences.
When construction began in 1068, four houses belonging to the Abbot of Coventry were demolished to provide space. The castle's position made it strategically important in safeguarding the Midlands against rebellion.[3]
The lands he was given included Kenilworth– a castle of comparable size, cost, and importance,[5] founded by Clinton[6]– which is about 8 kilometres (5mi) to the north.
An Anglo-Saxon burh was established on the site in 914; with fortifications instigated by Æthelflæd, daughter of Alfred the Great. The burh she established was one of ten which defended Mercia against the invading Danes. Its position allowed it to dominate the Fosse Way, as well as the river valley and the crossing over the River Avon. Though the motte to the south-west of the present castle is now called "Ethelfleda's Mound" ('Ethelfleda' being an alternative form of Æthelflæd), it is in fact part of the later Norman fortifications, and not of Anglo-Saxon origin.[8]
It was also at this time, that what is now Warwick School was founded in the castle - making it arguably the oldest boys' school in the country. It still resides just over the River Avon, visible from all of the castle's towers.[9]
After the Norman conquest of England, William the Conqueror established a motte-and-bailey castle at Warwick in 1068 to maintain control of the Midlands as he advanced northwards.[10][11] Building a castle in a pre-existing settlement could require demolishing properties on the intended site. In the case of Warwick, the least recorded of the 11urban castles in the 1086 survey, four houses were torn down to make way for the castle.[12] A motte-and-bailey castle consists of a mound– on which usually stands a keep or tower– and a bailey, which is an enclosed courtyard. William II appointed Henry de Beaumont, the son of a powerful Norman family, as constable of the castle.[3] In 1088, Henry de Beaumont was made the first Earl of Warwick.[3] He founded the Church of All Saints within the castle walls by 1119; the Bishop of Worcester, believing that a castle was an inappropriate location for a church, removed it in 1127–28.[3]
In 1153, Gundreda de Warenne was tricked into believing that her husband, Roger de Beaumont, 2nd Earl of Warwick, was dead; she then surrendered control of the castle to the invading army of Henry of Anjou, later King Henry II of England.[3][13] According to the Gesta Regis Stephani, a 12th-century historical text, Roger de Beaumont died upon hearing the news that his wife had handed over the castle.[14] King Henry II later returned the castle to the Earls of Warwick, as they had been supporters of his mother, Empress Matilda, in The Anarchy of 1135–1154.[15]
Caesar's Tower was built between 1330 and 1360
During the reign of King Henry II (1154–89), the motte-and-bailey was replaced with a stone keep castle. This new phase took the form of a shell keep with all the buildings constructed against the curtain wall.[16] During the Barons' Rebellion of 1173–74, the Earl of Warwick remained loyal to King Henry II, and the castle was used to store provisions.[3] The castle and the lands associated with the earldom passed down to the Beaumont family until 1242. When Thomas de Beaumont, 6th Earl of Warwick, died, the castle and lands passed to his sister, Margaret de Beaumont, 7th Countess of Warwick in her own right. Her first husband, John Marshal, died soon after, and while she looked for a suitable husband, the castle was in the ownership of King Henry III of England. When she married John du Plessis in December 1242, the castle was returned to her.[3] During the Second Barons' War of 1264–67, William Maudit, 8th Earl of Warwick, was a supporter of King Henry III.[3] The castle was taken in a surprise attack by the forces of Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, from Kenilworth Castle in 1264.[3] According to 15th-century chronicler John Rous, the walls along the northeastern side of Warwick Castle were slighted, so "that it should be no strength to the king".[3] Maudit and his countess were taken to Kenilworth Castle and were held there until a ransom was paid. After the death of William Maudit in 1267, the title and castle passed to his nephew, William de Beauchamp, 9thEarl of Warwick. Following William's death, Warwick Castle passed through seven generations of the Beauchamp family, who, over the next 180years, were responsible for most of the additions made to the castle. In 1312, Piers Gaveston, 1st Earl of Cornwall, was captured by Guy de Beauchamp, 10th Earl of Warwick, and imprisoned in Warwick Castle, until his execution on 9 June 1312.[3][17] A group of magnates led by the Earl of Warwick and Thomas, 2nd Earl of Lancaster, accused Gaveston of stealing the royal treasure.[18]
Under Thomas de Beauchamp, 11th Earl,[3][19] the castle defences were significantly enhanced in 1330–60 on the north eastern side by the addition of a gatehouse, a barbican (a form of fortified gateway), and a tower on either side of the reconstructed wall, named Caesar's Tower and Guy's Tower.[19][20] The Watergate Tower also dates from this period.[21]
Guy's Tower, constructed 1330–1360, photographed in 2017
Caesar's and Guy's Towers are residential and may have been inspired by French models (for example Bricquebec). Both towers are machicolated and Caesar's Tower features a unique double parapet. The two towers are also vaulted in stone on every storey. Caesar's Tower contained a grim basement dungeon;[22] according to local legend dating back to at least 1644 it is also known as Poitiers Tower, either because prisoners from the Battle of Poitiers in 1356 may have been imprisoned there, or because the ransoms raised from the battle helped to pay for its construction.[3] The gatehouse features murder holes, two drawbridges, a gate, and portcullises– gates made from wood or metal.[23] The towers of the gatehouse were machicolated.[24]
The facade overlooking the river was designed as a symbol of the power and wealth of the Beauchamp earls and would have been "of minimal defensive value"; this followed a trend of 14th-century castles being more statements of power than designed exclusively for military use.[25]
15th and 16th centuries
The Bear and Clarence Towers which were built by King Richard III in the 1480s
The line of the Beauchamp Earls ended in 1449 when Anne de Beauchamp, 15th Countess of Warwick, died.[3]Richard Neville, the Kingmaker, became the next Earl of Warwick through his wife's inheritance of the title. During the summer of 1469, Neville rebelled against King Edward IV of England and imprisoned him in Warwick Castle. Neville attempted to rule in the King's name;[3] however, constant protests by the King's supporters forced the Earl to release the King. Neville was subsequently killed in the Battle of Barnet, fighting against the King in 1471 during the Wars of the Roses.
Warwick Castle then passed from Neville to his son-in-law, George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Clarence (brother of King Edward IV). George Plantagenet was executed in 1478, and his lands passed onto his son, Edward Plantagenet, 17th Earl of Warwick; however, Edward Plantagenet was only two when his father died, so his lands were taken in the custody of The Crown. He was placed under attainder, and so could not inherit the throne, by King Henry VII of England, being held by the King for fourteen years in the Tower of London until he was executed for high treason in 1499, supposedly for conspiring to escape with the 'pretender' Perkin Warbeck.[26] Edward was the last Earl of Warwick of the title's first creation.[3]
In the early 1480s, King Richard III of England (the other son-in-law of Neville) instigated the construction of two gun towers, Bear and Clarence Towers, which were left unfinished on his death in 1485; with their own well and ovens, the towers were an independent stronghold from the rest of the castle, possibly in case of mutiny by the garrison. With the advent of gunpowder, the position of Keeper of the Artillery was created in 1486.[3]
A gibbet, previously on display in the dungeon in the basement of Caesar's Tower
When antiquaryJohn Leland visited the castle some time between 1535 and 1543, he noted that:
...the dungeon now in ruin standeth in the west-north-west part of the castle. There is also a tower west-north-west, and through it a postern-gate of iron. All the principal lodgings of the castle with the hall and chapel lie on the south side of the castle, and here the king doth much cost in making foundations in the rocks to sustain that side of the castle, for great pieces fell out of the rocks that sustain it.[3]
While in the care of The Crown, Warwick Castle underwent repairs and renovations using about 500loads of stone. The castle, as well as lands associated with the earldom, was in Crown care from 1478 until 1547, when they were granted to John Dudley with the second creation of the title the Earl of Warwick.[3]
When making his appeal for ownership of the castle Dudley said of the castle's condition: "...the castle of its self is not able to lodge a good baron with his train, for all the one side of the said castle with also the dungeon tower is clearly ruinated and down to the ground".[3]
Warwick Castle had fallen into decay due to its age and neglect, and despite his remarks Dudley did not initiate any repairs to the castle.[3]Queen Elizabeth I visited the castle in 1566 during a tour of the country, and again in 1572 for four nights. A timber building was erected in the castle for her to stay in, and Ambrose Dudley, 3rd Earl of Warwick, left the castle to the Queen during her visits.[3]
When Ambrose Dudley died in 1590 the title of Earl of Warwick became extinct for the second time. A survey from 1590 recorded that the castle was still in a state of disrepair, noting that lead had been stolen from the roofs of some of the castle's buildings, including the chapel.[3]
17th-century country house
In October 1601 Sir Fulke Greville wrote that "the little stone building there was, mightily in decay, the timber lodgings built thirty years ago for herself (Elizabeth I) all ruinous; ... so as in very short time there will be nothing left but a name of Warwick".[27][3][10]
The castle's south facade as seen across the River Avon
Greville was granted the ruinous Warwick Castle by King James I in 1604 and it was converted to a country house.[28] The conversion of the castle coincided with a period of decline in the use of castles during the 15th and 16th centuries; many were either being abandoned or converted into comfortable residences for the gentry.[29] In the early 17th century, Robert Smythson was commissioned to draw a plan of the castle before any changes were made.[3] Whilst the castle was undergoing repairs, it was peripherally involved in the Gunpowder Plot of 1605. The conspirators involved awaited news of their plot in Dunchurch in Warwickshire. When they discovered the plot had failed they stole cavalry horses from the stables at Warwick Castle to help in their escape.[3]
When the title of Earl of Warwick was created for the third time in 1618, the Greville family were still in possession of Warwick Castle. Fulke Greville, who was himself ennobled as Baron Brooke in 1621, spent over £20,000 (£5million as of 2024) [30] renovating the castle, while occupying a suite of rooms in the Watergate Tower;[31] according to William Dugdale, a 17th-century antiquary, this made it "a place not only of great strength but extraordinary delight, with most pleasant gardens, walks and thickets, such as this part of England can hardly parallel".[3]
The chapel was built by Fulke Greville in the early 1600s
On 1 September 1628 Fulke Greville was murdered in Holborn by his manservant: Ralph Haywood – a "gentleman" – who stabbed the baron twice after discovering he had been omitted from mention in Greville's will. Greville died from his wounds four weeks later.[32] The Watergate Tower, which is said to be haunted by his ghost, became known as the Ghost Tower.[31]
Under Robert Greville, 2nd Baron Brooke, Warwick Castle's defences were enhanced from January to May 1642 in preparation for attack during the First English Civil War. The garden walls were raised, bulwarks – barricades of beams and soil to mount artillery – were constructed and gunpowder and wheels for two cannons were obtained.[3]
...our endeavours for taking it were to little purpose, for we had only two small pieces of cannon which were brought from Compton House, belonging to the Earl of Northampton, and those were drawn up to the top of the church steeple, and were discharged at the castle, to which they could do no hurt, but only frightened them within the castle, who shot into the street, and killed several of our men.[33]
The siege was lifted on 23 August 1642 when the garrison was relieved by the forces of the Earl of Essex, and the Royalists were forced to retreat to Worcester.[3] After the Battle of Edgehill in 1642– the first pitched battle of the English Civil War– prisoners were held in Caesar's and Guy's Towers.[3]
During the Second English Civil War prisoners were again held at the castle, including those from the Battle of Worcester in 1651. A garrison was maintained in the castle complete with artillery and supplies from 1643 to 1660, at its strongest it numbered 302 soldiers. In 1660 the English Council of State ordered the castle governor to disband the garrison and hand over the castle to Robert Greville, 4th Baron Brooke.[3] The state apartments were found to be outmoded and in poor repair.
Under Roger and William Hurlbutt, master carpenters of Warwick, extensive modernization of the interiors was undertaken, 1669–78. To ensure that they would be in the latest taste, William was sent to Dorset to make careful notes of the interiors recently finished at Kingston Lacy for Sir Ralph Bankes to designs by Sir Roger Pratt.[34]
On 4 November 1695 the castle was in sufficient state to host a visit by King William III.[3]
The east front of Warwick Castle from the outer court, painted by Canaletto in 1752.The east front of Warwick Castle from inside the courtyard, painted by Canaletto in 1752.Warwick Castle, painted by William Pitt about 1870
Francis Greville, 8th Baron Brooke, undertook a renewed programme of improvements to Warwick Castle and its grounds. The 8th Baron Brooke was also bestowed with the title Earl of Warwick in 1759, the fourth creation of the title. With the recreation of the title, the castle was back in the ownership of the earls of Warwick. Daniel Garrett's work at Warwick is documented in 1748; Howard Colvin attributed to him the Gothic interior of the chapel.[36]Lancelot "Capability" Brown had been on hand since 1749.[37] Brown, who was still head gardener at Stowe at the time and had yet to make his reputation as the main exponent of the English landscape garden, was called in by Lord Brooke to give Warwick Castle a more "natural" connection to its river. Brown simplified the long narrow stretch by sweeping it into a lawn that dropped right to the riverbank, stopped at each end by bold clumps of native trees. A serpentine drive gave an impression of greater distance between the front gates and the castle entrance.[38]
Horace Walpole saw Brown's maturing scheme in 1751 and remarked in a letter: "The castle is enchanting. The view pleased me more than I can express; the river Avon tumbled down a cascade at the foot of it. It is well laid out by one Brown who has set up on a few ideas of Kent and Mr Southcote."[39]
In 1754 the poet Thomas Gray, a member of Walpole's Gothicising circle, commented disdainfully on the activity at the castle:
...he [Francis Greville] has sash'd[40] the great apartment... and being since told, that square sash windows were not Gothic, he has put certain whimwams withinside the glass, which appearing through are to look like fretwork. Then he has scooped out a little burrough in the massy walls of the place for his little self[41] and his children, which is hung with paper and printed linnen, and carved chimney-pieces, in the exact manner of Berkley-square or Argyle Buildings.[3]
Gray's mention of Argyle Buildings, Westminster, London,[42] elicited a connotation of an inappropriately modern Georgian urban development, for the buildings in Argyll Street were a speculation to designs of James Gibbs, 1736–40.[43]
Greville commissioned Italian painter Antonio Canaletto to paint Warwick Castle in 1747,[44] while the castle grounds and gardens were undergoing landscaping by Brown. Five paintings and three drawings of the castle by Canaletto are known, making it the artist's most often represented building in Britain.[45] Canaletto's work on Warwick Castle has been described as "unique in the history of art as a series of views of an English house by a major continental master".[46] As well as the gardens, Greville commissioned Brown to rebuild the exterior entrance porch and stairway to the Great Hall.[47] Brown also contributed Gothick designs for a wooden bridge over the Avon (1758).[48] He was still at work on Warwick Castle in 1760. Timothy Lightoler was responsible for the porch being extended and extra rooms added adjacent to it in 1763–69.[47] and during the same years William Lindley provided a new Dining Room and other interior alterations.[49] In 1786–88 the local builder William Eboral was commissioned to build the new greenhouse conservatory, with as its principal ornament the Warwick Vase, recently purchased in Rome.[50]
The castle was extensively damaged by a fire that started in the early hours of Sunday, 3 December 1871,[52] in Lady Warwick's apartments above the library,[53] to the east of the Great Hall. Lord and Lady Warwick were away. The flames spread rapidly, the recently restored roof fell in and the Hall and private apartments were completely destroyed. A few of the most valuable books and pictures were all that could be saved.[54] Art treasures and valuables, including paintings by Rembrandt, Rubens and Van Dyke, were rescued from other rooms in the castle.[55]
The alarm was raised at 2am. Two children, Eva and Sydney Greville, were snatched from their beds in a room above the dining hall by their nurse and carried to safety through smoke and flames minutes before the main staircase collapsed.[56] Fire brigades came from Warwick and Leamington, but efforts to fight the spread of the fire were hampered by an inadequate water supply and by the height to which it needed to be pumped. It appeared for a time that the entire castle might be lost.[57]
Some weeks later, according to Lady Warwick,[58] it was found that the fire had been started deliberately by their recently employed under-butler.[59] On the Saturday, when the Warwicks were absent, he had asked the housekeeper's permission to bring a friend to show him the castle. Between them the two had stolen all items of value from the private apartments, and the under-butler had started a fire to conceal the robbery.[60]
Although the Great Hall and private apartments were gutted, the overall structure was unharmed.[3] Restoration and reparations carried out by Salvin during 1872–75 were subsidised by donations from the public, which raised a total of £9,651 (£1.15million as of 2024).[30][3]
Advent of tourism
The gatehouse
Individuals had been visiting the castle since the end of the 17th century,[61] and this grew in importance through the 19th century. In 1858, Queen Victoria visited the 4th earl, with great local celebrations. However, by 1885 it would appear the visitors were becoming a nuisance, as the earl closed the castle to visitors, causing consternation in the town. A local report stated, "One day last week eight American visitors who were staying at one of the principal hotels left somewhat hurriedly in consequence of their being unable to gain admission to the castle".[61] It soon re-opened, again and by 1900 had a ticket office and was employing a permanent guide.[61]
By 1936, Arthur Mee was enthusing not just that "these walls have seen something of the splendour of every generation of our [English] story", with rooms "rich in treasure beyond the dreams of avarice" but also that "their rooms are open to all who will".[62]
Through the 20th century, successive earls expanded the castle's tourism potential.[63]
Corporate ownership
One of the first views of the castle for tourists entering the grounds
In 1967, Charles Greville, 7th Earl of Warwick, transferred the castle and other estates to his son and heir, Lord Brooke,[64] who in 1978 sold the Castle to the Tussauds Group for £1,300,000. The castle had been in the Greville family for 374 years, and its sale caused a public confrontation between father and son.[63][65]
Tussauds kept the castle in use mainly as a tourist attraction, while making extensive restorations to the castle and grounds. In twelve of the apartments open to tourists after the sale, wax figures of historic people are presented. Those depicted here were guests at a weekend party in 1898 hosted by Frances, Countess of Warwick; the principal guest was the Prince of Wales, later Edward VII.[66]
One of the groups of wax figures in the castle; Lord Brooke, a young Winston Churchill, and Spencer CavendishDisplay of armour and weaponry
The collection of armoury on display at Warwick Castle is regarded as second only to that of the Tower of London.[67] In 2001, Warwick Castle was named one of Britain's "Top 10 historic houses and monuments" by the British Tourist Authority; the list included Tower of London, Stonehenge, and Edinburgh Castle.[68] Warwick Castle was recognised as Britain's best castle by the Good Britain Guide 2003.[69] Around this time it was getting more than half a million visitors a year.[70]
Ethelfleda's Mound
In March 2007, the Tussauds Group sold the castle to the Blackstone Inc. investment firm,[71] and the site was then operated by Merlin Entertainments, a division of that Blackstone. In July of that year, Warwick Castle was sold again to the Prestbury Group[72] but it continued to be operated by Merlin under a renewable 35-year lease.[2]
Seasonal exhibits
Other tourist attractions include "Falconer's Quest'" (a bird show, featuring bald eagles, vultures, and sea eagles),[73] archery displays, Jousting,"The Trebuchet Show" and "The Sword in the Stone Show". The Castle is also home to "The Castle Dungeon", a live actor experience similar to that of "London Dungeons". Warwick Castle is the subject of many ghost stories.[74] One such instance is that of Fulke Greville who is said to haunt the Watergate Tower despite having been murdered in Holborn. The castle's reputation for being haunted is used as a tourist attraction with events such as "Warwick Ghosts Alive", a live-action show telling the story of Fulke Greville's murder.[75] Musical events at the castle have included carolling, with performances by bands such as the Royal Spa Brass.[76][77]
At times during Summer 2018, the castle offered its War of the Roses event with jousting and other action. On certain dates in August, Dragon Slayer evenings were scheduled, with dining, a projection light show, pyrotechnics, fire jousting and live action stunts.[78]
Warwick Castle as viewed from Ethelfleda's Mound in 2007.
Heritage protection
The conservatory in 2017
The castle is protected against unauthorised change as a scheduled monument[10] in recognition of its status as a "nationally important" archaeological site or historic building,[79] and is a Grade I listed building[47] together with its boundary walls, stables, conservatory, mill and lodge.[47]
On 23 June 2006, a £20,000 stained glass window was damaged by teenage vandals and a ceremonial sword stolen, recovered soon after.[80]
Warwick Castle trebuchet
In June 2005, Warwick Castle became home to one of the world's largest working siege engines. The trebuchet is 18 metres (59ft) tall, made from over 300 pieces of oak and weighs 22 tonnes (21.7 long tons; 24.3 short tons).[81] It sits on the riverbank below the castle.
The machine was built with drawings from the Danish living history museum Middelaldercentret, who, in 1989, were the first to recreate a fully functioning trebuchet.[82] It was built in Wiltshire with expertise from the Danish museum.[83][84]
The trebuchet takes eight men half an hour to load and release.[85] The process involves four men running in 4 metres (13ft) tall treadwheels to lift the counterweight, weighing 6 tonnes (5.9 long tons; 6.6 short tons), into the air. It is designed to be capable of hurling projectiles of up to 150 kilograms (330lb) distances of up to 300 metres (980ft) and as high as 25 metres (82ft).[85]
On 21 August 2006, the trebuchet claimed the record as the most powerful siege engine of its type when it sent a projectile weighing 13 kilograms (29lb) a distance of 249 metres (817ft) at a speed of 195 kilometres per hour (121mph), beating the previous record held by the trebuchet at Middelaldercentret in Denmark.[86]
On 10 April 2015 a thatched boathouse caught fire shortly after a burning cannonball was fired by the trebuchet.[87][88] It was reported that a spark from the cannonball had started the blaze[88] although a castle spokeswoman said the cause had not yet been established.[87] Hundreds of tourists were evacuated from the castle,[88] but the spokeswoman said they were not at any risk.[87][88]The Daily Telegraph described the boathouse as "historic", "medieval" and dating to 1896, when the 5th Earl had it built to house an electric boat.[88]
The trebuchet was decommissioned in 2020 due to safety concerns, and was deconstructed and replaced with a comparable trebuchet in 2023.[89][90]
Gallery
The Warwick Castle trebuchet is currently the largest one in the world (2009)
It was reconstructed based on 13th-century drawings, and functions properly (2018)
2012 demonstration of the Warwick Castle trebuchet (launch at 10:30)
Warwick Castle trebuchet from the rear (2010)
Close up of the walking cage on the trebuchet (2010)
Layout
Plan of Warwick Castle
The current castle, built in stone during the reign of King Henry II, is on the same site as the earlier Norman motte-and-bailey castle. A keep used to stand on the motte which is on the south west of the site, although most of the structure now dates from the post-medieval period.[3] In the 17th century the motte was landscaped with the addition of a path.[91] The bailey was incorporated into the new castle and is surrounded by stone curtain walls.[3]
When Warwick Castle was rebuilt in the reign of King Henry II it had a new layout with the buildings against the curtain walls. The castle is surrounded by a dry moat on the northern side where there is no protection from the river or the old motte; the perimeter of the walls is 130 metres (140yd) long by 82 metres (90yd) wide.[3] The two entrances to castle are in the north and west walls. There was originally a drawbridge over the moat in the north east. In the centre of the north west wall is a gateway with Clarence and Bears towers on either side; this is a 15th-century addition to the fortifications of the castle.[3] The residential buildings line the eastern side of the castle, facing the River Avon. These buildings include the great hall, the library, bedrooms, and the chapel.[3]
Over its 950 years of history Warwick Castle has been owned by 36 different individuals, plus four periods as crown property under seven different monarchs. It was the family seat of three separate creations of the Earls of Warwick, and has been a family home for members of the Beaumont, Beauchamp, Neville, Plantagenet, Dudley and Greville families. The first creation of the Earldom specifically included the right of inheritance through the female line, so the castle three times had a woman (or girl) as the owner. Eleven of the owners were under 20 when they inherited, including a girl aged two and a boy aged three. At least three owners died in battle, two were executed and one murdered. Every century except the 21st has seen major building work or adaptations at the castle.
Grounds, park, accommodations
View of Warwick Castle from The Mill Garden, which is privately owned, but open to the public
The water-powered engine room used for the generation of electricity from 1894 until 1940, built on the site of the former flour mill
Formal gardens belonging to Warwick Castle were first recorded in 1534.[92] Landscaping in the 17th century added spiral paths to the castle motte during Fulke Greville's programme of restoration.[3][91] Francis Greville commissioned Capability Brown to re-landscape the castle grounds; he began working on the grounds and park in 1749 and had completed his work by 1757, having spent about £2,293 (£390,000 as of 2024).[93][30] on the project.[94] The gardens cover 2.8 square kilometres (690 acres).[92]Robert Marnock created formal gardens in the castle's grounds in 1868–69.[92]
Started in 1743 and originally known as Temple Park, Castle Park is located to the south of the castle. Its original name derived from the Knights Templar, who used to own a manor in Warwick. Houses around the perimeter of the park were demolished and the land they stood on incorporated into the park.[3] Attempts to make profits from the park in the late 18th century included leasing it for grazing, growing wheat, and keeping sheep.[3]
A water-powered mill in the castle grounds was probably built under Henry de Beaumont, 1stEarl of Warwick.[3] By 1398 the mill had been relocated to just outside the eastern castle walls, on the west bank of the River Avon. Both mills were subject to flooding. By 1644, an engine house had been added to the mill.[3] The mill was reused as an electricity generating plant after it had stopped being used to grind, but once Warwick Castle was fitted with mains electricity in 1940, the mill was no longer required and was dismantled in 1954.[3]
The latest option at the castle is glamping, overnight stays in nicely decorated tents in an area labelled Knight's Village. The units include no cooking facilities, so the fee for the stay includes a buffet dinner and a breakfast.[95] The previously introduced accommodations in timber lodges also remain available in the Woodland Hideaway area.[96]
Incidents
Death of George Townley
In December 2007, George Townley tripped and fell on a low section of the Bear and Clarence Bridge at Warwick Castle into a dry moat beneath. Mr Townley experienced a heart attack from the fall and died of a sustained head injury later in hospital.[97][98] The bridge had previously been identified as a risk. Merlin Attractions were unanimously found guilty of health and safety laws at Warwick Crown Court, and were ordered to pay £350,000 in fines and costs.[97][98] In response, the company indicated they would appeal the case.[97]
Kenilworth Castle is a castle in the town of Kenilworth in Warwickshire, England, managed by English Heritage; much of it is in ruins. The castle was founded after the Norman Conquest of 1066; with development through to the Tudor period. It has been described by the architectural historian Anthony Emery as "the finest surviving example of a semi-royal palace of the later middle ages, significant for its scale, form and quality of workmanship".
Bolsover Castle is in the town of Bolsover, in the north-east of the English county of Derbyshire. Built in the early 17th century, the present castle lies on the earthworks and ruins of the 12th-century medieval castle; the first structure of the present castle was built between 1612 and 1617 by Sir Charles Cavendish. The site is now in the care of the English Heritage charity, as both a Grade I listed building and a Scheduled Ancient Monument.
Earl of Warwick is one of the most prestigious titles in the peerages of the United Kingdom. The title has been created four times in English history, and the name refers to Warwick Castle and the town of Warwick.
Baron Brooke is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1621 and was absorbed into the Earldom of Warwick in 1759.
Fulke Greville, 1st Baron Brooke was an Elizabethan poet, dramatist, and statesman who served in the House of Commons at various times between 1581 and 1621, when he was raised to the peerage.
Robert Greville, 2nd Baron Brooke was an English politician, military officer and peer. A leading opponent of Charles I of England, when the First English Civil War began in August 1642, he was appointed as the commander of Parliamentarian forces in Staffordshire and Warwickshire. He was killed by a Royalist sniper at the Siege of Lichfield on 2 March 1643.
The Collegiate Church of St Mary is a Church of England parish church in Warwick, Warwickshire, England. It is in the centre of the town just east of the market place. It is Grade I listed, and a member of the Major Churches Network.
Bedford Castle was a large medieval castle in Bedford, England. Built after 1100 by Henry I, the castle played a prominent part in both the civil war of the Anarchy and the First Barons' War. The castle was significantly extended in stone, although the final plan of the castle remains uncertain. Henry III of England besieged the castle in 1224 following a disagreement with Falkes de Bréauté; the siege lasted eight weeks and involved an army of as many as 2,700 soldiers with equipment drawn from across England. After the surrender of the castle, the king ordered its destruction (slighting).
Lieutenant-Colonel Hon. Robert Fulke Greville FRS was a British Army officer, courtier and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1774 and 1807.
Charles Guy Fulke Greville, 7th Earl of Warwick, 7th Earl Brooke, was a British peer and the last Earl of Warwick to live at the family seat Warwick Castle before its sale in 1978. He became the first British aristocrat to star in a Hollywood movie, and was later nicknamed the Duke of Hollywood by the local press.
Anne Hoby was an English heiress.
Francis Greville, 1st Earl of Warwick, KT, styled as Lord Brooke from 1727 to 1746 and Earl Brooke from 1746, was a British peer and landowner. He inherited Warwick Castle and the title of Baron Brooke from his father in 1727. His education included time as a gentleman commoner at Winchester College. He was created Earl Brooke of Warwick Castle on July 7th, 1746 and became Lord Lieutenant of Warwickshire in 1749. He became a Knight of the Thistle in 1743. In 1759, he petitioned George II for the title Earl of Warwick when the last Earl of Warwick from the Rich family died. Francis' petition was granted, and Warwick Castle was once again held by the Earls of Warwick.
George Greville, 2nd Earl of Warwick, FRS, FSA, styled Lord Greville until 1773, was a British peer and politician. The eldest son of Francis Greville, 1st Earl Brooke, he was born on 16 September 1746 at Warwick Castle. He was baptised on 10 October 1746 at St. Mary's, Warwick, with King George II standing as his sponsor.
Worcester Castle was a Norman fortification built between 1068 and 1069 in Worcester, England by Urse d'Abetot on behalf of William the Conqueror. The castle had a motte-and-bailey design and was located on the south side of the old Anglo-Saxon city, cutting into the grounds of Worcester Cathedral. Royal castles were owned by the king and maintained on his behalf by an appointed constable. At Worcester that role was passed down through the local Beauchamp family on a hereditary basis, giving them permanent control of the castle and considerable power within the city. The castle played an important part in the wars of the 12th and early 13th century, including the Anarchy and the First Barons' War.
Greville Verney, 7th Baron Willoughby de Broke and de jure 15th Baron Latimer of Compton Verney in Warwickshire, England, served twice as a Member of Parliament for Warwick, in 1614 and 1621.
Elizabeth Willoughby, 3rd Baroness Willoughby de Broke, de jure 11th Baroness Latimer was an English noblewoman and wife of Sir Fulke Greville.
Elizabeth Greville, Countess of Warwick, formerly Elizabeth Hamilton, was the wife of Francis Greville, 1st Earl of Warwick, who was restored to the earldom of Warwick by King George III of the United Kingdom in 1760.
Snodhill Castle is a ruined motte-and-bailey castle, about 1 mi (1.6 km) south of the village of Dorstone in west Herefordshire, England. It is recognized as one of the major castles of the Welsh Marches. It was built in the 11th century to secure the border between Norman England and the Welsh Princes. Archaeological excavations show that it was one of the first Norman castles in England to have stone-built fortifications, with more sophisticated defenses being added in later centuries.
David Robin Francis Guy Greville, 8th Earl of Warwick was a British peer and landowner, the last private owner of the Greville family seat at Warwick Castle.
↑ Howard Colvin, A Biographical Dictionary of British Architects, 1600–1840, 3rd ed. (Yale University Press), s.v. Hurlbutt Roger and William"., noting the accounts quoted in Victoria County History, Warwickshire viii, 460f.
↑ Horace Walpole to George Montague, 22 July 1751, noted in Jacques 2001, p.55.
↑ Sash windows had replaced casements in the seventeenth century; they were not considered appropriate for "Gothick" building.
↑ Lord Brooke, who was notably short in stature, was called "little Brooke" by Horace Walpole, in his letter describing Warwick Castle in 1751. Jacques 2001, p.55.
↑ Argyle Buildings, Bath (now Argyle Street), were not constructed until ca. 1789 (Colvin, s.v. "Baldwin, Thomas").
↑ Colvin, s.v. "Gibbs, James"; Terry Friedman, James Gibbs (1984:304); 'Argyll Street Area', Survey of London: volumes 31 and 32: St James Westminster, Part 2 (1963), pp. 284–307. (on-line text). Date accessed: 10 September 2008: "The Argyll estate appears never to have been a fashionable place of residence."
↑ Colvin, s.v. "Lindley, William", noting Victoria County History Warwickshire viii. 462.
↑ Victoria County History, Warwickshire, viii. 463.
↑ Poynter's work was lost in the 1871 fire. Colvin, s.v. Poynter, Ambrosde").
↑ Fairfax-Lucy, Alice. Mistress of Charlecote: The Memoirs of Mary Elizabeth Lucy 1803-1889, pp141-2. [Victor Gollancz 1983; cited Orion edition 2002]..
↑ "Burning of Warwick Castle". National Library of Australia: The Brisbane Courier, Thursday February 29, 1872. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
↑ "Burning of Warwick Castle". National Library of Australia: The Brisbane Courier, Thursday February 29, 1872. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
↑ "Burning of Warwick Castle". National Library of Australia: The Brisbane Courier, Thursday February 29, 1872. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
↑ Fairfax-Lucy, Alice. Mistress of Charlecote: The Memoirs of Mary Elizabeth Lucy 1803-1889, pp141-2. [Victor Gollancz 1983; cited Orion edition 2002]..
↑ "Burning of Warwick Castle". National Library of Australia: The Brisbane Courier, Thursday February 29, 1872. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
↑ Fairfax-Lucy, Alice. Mistress of Charlecote: The Memoirs of Mary Elizabeth Lucy 1803-1889, pp141-2. [Victor Gollancz 1983; cited Orion edition 2002]..
↑ Fairfax-Lucy, Alice. Mistress of Charlecote: The Memoirs of Mary Elizabeth Lucy 1803-1889, pp141-2. [Victor Gollancz 1983; cited Orion edition 2002]..
↑ Fairfax-Lucy, Alice. Mistress of Charlecote: The Memoirs of Mary Elizabeth Lucy 1803-1889, pp141-2. [Victor Gollancz 1983; cited Orion edition 2002]..
↑ "What is the Mighty Trebuchet?". Warwick Castle. Archived from the original on 28 November 2020. Retrieved 28 November 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
Allison, K. J.; Dunning, R. W.; Jones, S. R. (1969). "The Borough of Warwick: Introduction". In Stephens, W. B. (ed.). A History of the County of Warwick: Volume 8: The City of Coventry and Borough of Warwick. London: Victoria County History. pp.417–451. ISBN0-19-722734-1.
Brown, R. Allen (2004) [1954]. Allen Brown's English Castles (Newed.). Woodbridge: The Boydell Press.
Hamilton, J. S. (Summer 1991). "Piers Gaveston and the Royal Treasure". Albion: A Quarterly Journal Concerned with British Studies. 23 (2). The North American Conference on British Studies: 201–07. doi:10.2307/4050602. JSTOR4050602.
Harfield, C. G. (1991). "A Hand-list of Castles Recorded in the Domesday Book". English Historical Review. 106 (419): 371–392. doi:10.1093/ehr/CVI.CCCCXIX.371. JSTOR573107.
Hyams, Edward (1971). Capability Brown and Humphry Repton. J M Dent & Sons. ISBN978-0-460-03809-6.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
