Warwick: What To Do When You Visit Warwick
Warwick is the county town of Warwickshire and is situated on the banks of the River Avon. From here one can travel south and reach the city of Coventry and to the west is another popular tourist destination, Leamington Spa. Certainly this is a town which makes an ideal base for exploring not just the town of Warwick but the many attractions that are located relatively close to it. Here we’ll take a look at some of the things Warwick can offer you.
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Warwick Castle – This is more than just an attraction for you to wander around the towers and ramparts there are plenty of activities one can get involved in during a visit. You can experience what it feels like for soldiers preparing for battle or just how much a sword really does weigh. You can even try on a battle helmet for size. Then after all this excitement take time out to visit 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 – The house in which Shakespeare was born is 8 miles from Warwick in the town of Stratford Upon Avon. 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.
To reach the house itself one bases through what is considered to be a traditional English 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 – Just a short trip from Shakespeare’s birth place is Shottery where his future wife spent her formative years. Although we now refer to it as a cottage at the time when Anne lived in it and where Shakespeare came to court her it was quite a substantial farmhouse. It was home to her descendants until the late 1800’s when the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust bought the building.
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. Using the archaeological evidence found on the site a faithful reconstruction of the fort has been accomplished. As you wander around this wonderful attraction one can get a feel for what life was like in the Roman army when in Britain. The various archaeological digs here have contributed many of the museum’s pieces along with a model of what the fort would have looked like in 64AD.
When you next visit Warwick, you can choose your Warwick accommodation here.