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WARWICK CASTLE
Medieval Ghosts and Love Birds

Warwick Castle is one of the best preserved of Medieval castles in England, indeed in Europe. Most great European castles at one time or another became the targets of wars or factions fighting for the supremacy of crown or country (nearby Kenilworth Castle is a great example) destroyed by assault, trebuchet catapault, or later the hail of cannon balls (see Bavarian Army Museum). Many just fell prey to the ravages of time. Warwick Castle managed to avoid the calamity of turbulent times, though a few of the long line of Earls of Warwick were not so lucky. John Dudley I, Earl of Warwick and 1st Duke of Northumberland was beheaded for trying to place Lady Jane Grey on the throne. However, fortunately for today's tourist, their castle on the river Avon, just down from Stratford-Upon Avon (see Shakespeare The Stratford Man) remained intact, with 16th Century living apartments inside the protective curtain walls, towers and battlements. Built on the sight of an earlier Dark Ages fortress, the Mound under the town side wall commands an impressive view of the Warwickshire countryside.

In modern times the Castle has come to be somewhat of a medieval amusement park for the whole family. Shows and demonstrations of medieval jousting, archery, and one of the most impressive, the trebuchet catapault show are given daily from April to October. The haunted castle show “Warwick Ghosts Alive” in the Ghost Tower, once occupied by Sir Fulke Greville and reputed to still be haunted by his wandering spirit following his gruesome murder in 1628 seems reminiscent of something on the Universal Studios tour. The shows are very popular with kids in this very family friendly historic park, but one wonders what a ghost may think of have to watch his death reenacted 16 shows a day. Another interactive exhibit "The Kingmaker" demonstrates the 16th Earl, Richard Neville's pivotal role in the War of the Roses.

Warwick Castle in days past had a somewhat better collection of medieval armor than it does today, but still presents a good sample of arms and armor on display in the Elizabethan era wood-paneled Great Hall. The castle apartments are decorated with fine examples of medieval furniture and hauntingly inhabited by fairly life-like figures of Henry VIII and assorted relatives, which give the oddest feeling that they might actually speak, or perhaps order you to be hauled in irons to the dungeon torture chamber (see TOWER OF LONDON -Mind Your Head and the Family Jewels).

The dungeons are a trippy adventure into the dark ages with a collection of spiked iron maidens and other devices not meant as spa treatments. For a look at early engineering machines, a water mill wheel still operates below on the river wall of the castle. Outside the mill house two lovebird swans have inhabited the mill pond for several years and apparently refuse to depart, happily swimming around the romantic pond which some wags have suggested are the returned souls of Queen Elizabeth I and Robert Dudley, the "virgin" queen's true love whom she had beheaded (see Kenilworth Castle). But maybe medieval castles with many legends just lend themselves to romantic hideaways, even for swans. © Bargain Travel Europe

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SEE ALSO:

LITTLECOTE HOUSE - TUDOR MANSION HOTEL

WEDDINGS AT LORD LEYCESTER HOSPITAL WARWICK

BLENHEIM PALACE - WINSTON CHURCHILL'S SLIPPERS

LONDON EYE WHEEL - FLYING OVER ROOFTOPS

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