Warwick, England Tourist Attractions

Warwick Castle is a massive fortress, crowned with battlements and belonging to the Earls of Warwick, reached on foot from the modern parking lots via the former stable yard (ticket office, restaurant) and the adjoining moat, now an extensive area of parkland with a number of gardens, including a peacock reserve and a rose garden. The inner courtyard of the fortress is entered through the Gate House (1350) complete with the old portcullis. From the courtyard visitors first notice the imposing walls and the towers, which range in height up to 131ft/40m, all of which can be climbed. The fortifications date from the 16th century, while the fort itself was renovated in the 17th and 18th centuries into a castle-like country seat. The magnificent collection of furniture, porcelain, sculptures and paintings by European masters also date from this period. Other additions are the impressive collection of weapons and the wax model museum "A Royal Weekend Party 1898", designed by Madame Tussauds, which is a successful portrayal of the lifestyle of the British upper class.

Many of the streets in Warwick's old town still have attractive 17th and 18th century buildings, including the Court House (Tourist Information) with a Georgian ballroom, Landor House and the Shire Hall, with an octagonal tower lantern. The West Gate has been retained from the old town walls. Guilds have assembled in the early-Gothic St James' Chapel since 1383.

Situated on the High Street, Lord Leycester Hospital was established in 1571 by Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, to accommodate 12 ordinary soldiers in a half-timbered house dating from 1383.

The collegiate church of St Mary stands in Church Street in Warwick town center. It was rebuilt (apart from the east end) in 1694 after the great fire and completed in 1704 by Sir William Wilson with the help of Christopher Wren. The most splendid feature of the church is Beauchamp Tower, on the south side of the choir, built in the Perpendicular style (1443-1464). The late-medieval windows are mainly original. The tomb of the church's founder, Richard de Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick (1381-1439), can be found in the middle of the chapel. His marble sarcophagus (about 1450) features 14 mourners, all made of gilded copper, standing in front of the reclining figure of the earl. It is the work of the only well-known English medieval sculptor, John Massingham. The tomb of the Earl of Leicester, favorite of Elizabeth I, is also here. The choir, completed in 1394, has finely-carved choir stalls (1449), a sedilla, an Easter Sepulcher and the tomb of Thomas Beauchamp (d. 1369). The Norman crypt, dating from 1123, is attractive.

The bridge across the Avon offers the most beautiful view of Warwick Castle. South of it lies Bridge End, a charming row of houses with half-timbered and stone buildings dating from the late Middle Ages.

The Market House, built in about 1670 and situated to the west of the market place, now contains the Warwick County Museum, which boasts an extensive early history department.

Oken's House in Warwick's Castle Street is occupied by an entertaining doll and toy museum.

St John's House, a Jacobean manor house on the eastern outskirts of Warwick, features clothes, furniture and local customs.

This annual two-week festival takes place in early July in the towns of Warwick and Leamington.The program features orchestral, choral, chamber and organ concerts, recitals, theatrical performances, exhibitions and children's events. Three-to-four performances are given every day in venues including the Warwick and Kenilworth castles, St Mary's Church, Shire Hall and the Unitarian Chapel.Different themes are chosen every year, which means that the repertoire also varies.