Warwick Castle was originally founded by William the Conqueror in 1066. The original wooden motte and bailey castle was rebuilt in stone during the 12th century. It is 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 Greville by James I in 1604. Sir Greville converted it to a country house, the Greville family in 1759 became Earls of Warwick. In 1978 it was bought by The Tussauds Group and in 2007 it was merged with Merlin Entertainments.
We’d been to Warwick Castle a few times but this was the first time with my son, we only took the baby carrier with us, a nappy bag and my partner had a picnic in his bag. It’s a wonderful castle with shows and activities throughout the day for all ages.
Inside the castle there are a number of talks to follow along if you are interested in the history of the castle, I enjoyed the armour talk the most. There is so much to see inside you can start off in the Great Hall and State Rooms and proceed through to the Mill and engine house. If you’d rather not follow a talk there is plenty to read or just look at including wax characters. With lots to explore outside I would highly recommend walking round the top of the castle if you can to see the towers and ramparts, the view is breathtakingly beautiful.
Warwick Castle has many shows and attractions including dungeon walk, Trebuchet show, bird show and more. Some of the events they put on are seasonal so be sure to check what events are on for the day you plan on going. The dungeon walk (aged 10 and over) we did before we had our son was fantastic, they take you back in time to the Plague with the Castle Jester. The Trebuchet show is brand new for 2023 the show includes getting a group of peasants to build a defence against an incoming attack. The bird show is spectacular The Falcons Quest has some of the UKs largest birds of prey, I would recommend sitting on the benches opposite the Falcon house, but be sure to duck as they will be flying over you and can get very low. From Vultures and Eagles to the Andean Condor this really is worth seeing.
For little ones interested they have a princess experience for children aged 3 to 8 which includes helping to save princess Eve another great attraction is the horrible histories maze get lost and have fun exploring the interactive challenges to get out! The Realm of Zog inspired by the books by Julia Donaldson includes a dragon themed playground, activity quest for the golden star and a live show of the book.
We had such an amazing day and we can’t wait to go again. Each time we visit they have something new and we learn so much. They even have the best baby changing facilities I’ve come across so far on a day out. I hope you enjoy your visit, be sure to let us know what was your favourite part?