Warwick Castle

Today we are still moored on the Saltisford Arm and decided to visit Warwick Castle. The day started off a little cloudy and breezy, but got brighter as the day wore on, meaning we were able to have a full day outside.

Warwick Castle is an absolutely amazing day out. On arrival we had a short wander through the grounds and looked at the itinerary of events for the day. We then made our way to “River Island” for the War of the Roses. On entry we chose to go on the side of the House of York (of course) indicated by the white rose. The opposing side was the House of Lancashire and the red rose. The next 30 minutes were filled with an excellent display of jousting, fighting, horse riding and story telling. We were encouraged to cheer on our knights and kings and boo the opponents. It was extremely entertaining.

Our next stop was The Falconers Quest, which was again some great story telling and an amazing collection of birds of prey and falconers. The whole thing was done with such precision and timing, with appropriate background music, making an impressive display, including some of the birds flying, extremely close to the heads of the audience.

Next up we took part in a tour of walls of the castle, with an interesting and knowledgable guide telling us over 900 years of the history of the castle. This was followed by a tour of the state rooms, again with a great guide who gave us lots of information and stories about the rooms.

We then visited the Horrible Histories maze, which was geared up for children, but as a Horrible Histories fan, I really enjoyed it. After much debate (I’m not the bravest when it comes to scary attractions) our final visit was to the Dungeons. This was an extra cost, but well worth it. A series if actors tell gruesome stories about ghosts, plagues and torture. Very entertaining and makes you jump in places but not as scary as I convinced myself it would be.

We definitely had a full day in Warwick Castle and there were still lots of things we didn’t get to see, so it will definitely be worth another visit in the future.

After leaving the castle called in a couple if the shops before heading to the “Tilted Wig”for a tasty meal.

When we returned to Saltisford Arm and our boat, the sun was still out and we managed to sit outside with a drink a perfect end to a brilliant day!