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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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Warwick
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SEE ALSO:
SPEICHERSTADT
HAMBURG'S OLD WAREHOUSE CITY
History, Dungeons and Model Railroads
600
YEARS OF HOSPITALITY AND HISTORY
The Lord Leycester Hospital in Warwick
BLENHEIM
PALACE - Winston Churchill’s slippers
FLYING
OVER LONDON ROOFTOPS
British Airways London Eye
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