Warwick Castle(A)

The castle is built upon a rocky site beside the River Avon, first chosen by William the Conqueror, for an earlier Motte and Bailey. The present building dates from the 13th. century, with the principal towers being added in the 14th. and 15th. centuries. there are many later additions, including the keep, and the interior was extensively rebuilt by Sir Fulke Greville, in the early 17th. century, giving it the appearance of an elegant Jacobean mansion. Sir Fulke Greville's ghost is said to haunt the Watergate Tower. A visit of no less than three hours is recommended to do the castle justice, starting perhaps with the beautiful State Rooms and Great Hall, and making way via the Armoury, Dungeons and Torture Chamber, to the towers, and the gardens laid out by Capability Brown. Since Madame Tussard's acquired the castle, a new attraction has been added - a recreated Royal Weekend Party of 1898, showing the Earl and Countess of Warwick, entertaining the Prince of Wales, the Duke of York, the Marlboroughs, Devonshires, and even Winston Churchill. The 60 acres of grounds feature the River Island, Peacock Gardens, the Conservatory, picnic area, river and woodland walks, licensed restaurant, and medieval banquets.

Warwick Castle(B)

View of Castle showing Ceasar's Tower, a twelve-sided , five storied tower. Within are twin spiral stone staircases, accessing all floors. This, together with the continuation picture on Warwick Castle (C), is the very imposing site that would have greeted travellers, passing over the Medieval Bridge hundreds of years ago. Location:- View from Mill Street Gardens.

Warwick Castle(C)

This shot is a continuation (to the left) of the Warwick Castle (B) picture. This must have been a very intimidating sight when viewed from horseback, or on foot, when crossing the Medieval Bridge. Location:- View from Mill Street Gardens.

Oaken's House

Built in the late 15th. century, this half-timbered Elizabethan house, was the home of Thomas Oaken, a 16th. century mayor, who was a real benefactor to the less well-off in Warwick. One of it's most distinguishing features, is the twin curved parallel braces, in the jettied end gable. Now home to the Warwick Doll Museum , it contains an enormous collection of dolls from all parts of the world. Joy Robinson's collection includes examples of wood, china, metal, wax, mechanical and musical dolls. Location:- Castle Street.

Lord Leycester's Hospital

In 1571 Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester (Leycester) founded a home for those wounded in the service of the Queen, and her successors, and this use continues to the present day. The magnificent black & white Elizabethan style timbered buildings, galleried and richly gabled, were formerly used by the town guild. The buildings include the Great Hall, where Fulke Greville once entertained James I, and has a superb medieval oak roof, the Guildhall (now a museum), and the Chaplain's Hall, now the Queen's Own Hussars, Regimental Museum. Location:- Corner of West Gate & High Street.

The Court House

This classical building designed and built in 1725 by Francis Smith, contains a fine Georgian Ballroom. It was constructed on a site given by Robert Dudley, in exchange for the buildings now forming the Lord Leycester Hospital. The building is now the home of Warwick Town Council, the Tourist Information Centre, and the Warwickshire's Yeomanry Museum. Location:- Corner of Jury Street & Castle Street.

St. John's House

Work on this fine Jacobean property, commenced in 1626. Built on the site of the 12th. century medieval St. John's Hospital, this elegant stone mansion, was to be the home of the Stoughton family. In the 1660's the house was extensively altered, and enlarged to it's present size. By the end of the 18th. century, the house had become a private school, and at the start of the 20th. century was being used as a records office by the army. In 1960 the County Council bought the property, and a year later, opened it as a branch of the County Museum, dealing with folk life, costume, and the history of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment. Location:- Coten End

Market Hall

Built in 1670, it originally contained arches on all four walls (later converted to windows), to provide under-cover space for stalls. In the 19th. century, the archways were railed off, and the space was used for stocks. These were on wheels, and the offender had to pull them into the railed area, before being locked into them. The stocks were used as punishment for drunkenness, as late as 1872. The building is now a branch of Warwick County Museum, concentrating upon the history, natural history, archaeology, and social history of Warwick and the surrounding area. It also houses the World famous Sheldon Tapestry Map of Warwickshire, produced in tiny rural Barcheston, which in the 16th. century, was the centre of English tapestry weaving. Location:- Market Place.

No.10 Church Street

This building, now The Athenaeum (lit. 'an institution for the promotion of learning), is a remarkably sophisticated mid-late 18th. century house for Warwick, with it's elegant pedimented centre-piece, full-height ground floor rustication, and Corinthian Pallisters. It became a Country Club in the 19th. century. Despite some repairs, it is little changed from when it was built. Location:- Church Street.

Aylesford House L

Located on the corner of High Street and Castle Street, this is one of the finest late 17th. century town houses in the region. It is now, The Aylesford Hotel, and is painted in a rather sickly yellow, but the charm of the building thankfully, shines through. Location:- Corner of Castle Street & High Street.

12 - 14 Jury Street

The Great fire of Warwick in 1694 stopped just short of this early 17th. century timbered-framed house, now 12-14 Jury Street. Despite heavy restoration, and it's rather unusual combination, of a later neoclassical rusticated ground floor, with jettied timber-frame above, it does show how many of the buildings in Warwick may have looked, before most of the town was reduced to ashes. The decorative roundels in the framework, can be seen repeated in many buildings of this period in Warwick. Location:- Jury Street.

East gate

The East Gate, one of the only two remaining gates , has seen many changes since it was first part of the defensive system of the town. It, like West Gate, is notable for having a chapel built upon it. The small chapel of St. Peter's perched on top of East Gate, dated to the mid 15th. century, but was ruinous by 1571. It survived, in a deteriorating state, despite many alterations, until the late 18th. century, when it was decided to rebuild it. The present building was opened in 1788. Designed by Francis Hiorn, three-times mayor of Warwick. It is a very striking building indeed. It is now part of the Girls High School. Location:- Junction of Jury Street/The Butts /Smith Street.

West gate

The 15th. century tower of St. James's chapel, dominates the view of the gate from the western approach to Warwick, and you could mistake the gateway for a church. The first mention of St. James's Chapel was in 1123. It was given by Thomas Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick, to the new Guild of St. George, formed in 1383, and it became their chapel. The west tower was added in about 1450. The chapel was ruinous by the late 16th. century, by which time it was part of Lord Leycester's Hospital. Despite being repaired, it was in dire condition by the mid 19th. century, and between 1863 -5, Sir George Gilbert Scott, one of the most famous architects of the day, carried out a radical restoration, but following strict Gothic guidelines. Location:- Corner of High Street & West Gate.

 

The Tudor House Inn

An ornately framed half-timbered building, constructed in the early 17th. century. Extensive restoration of this attractive three-storey inn, has revealed the original timber facade of it's elegant four bays. Each jettied floor, boasts a different pattern of framing. The upper floors displaying moulded projecting floor joists, and fragments of carving. The far right bay, was probably added at a later date. Location:- West Street.

Warwick Gas Works

This gas works, one of the oldest and best preserved in the world, was built in 1822 next to the Saltisford Canal Basin. This elegant building has octagonal towers at either end, in which the gasholders were contained, and a central office area. The stuccoed frontage is complemented by rounded leaded windows, with Gothic glazing bars, those windows in the gas holders being false. Gas was 'exported' to Leamington Spa, to light the town, and in 1823 the Warwick Gas Company, erected 18 lamps along Union Parade, supplied from their Saltisford works, by a three-mile main along the Myton and Old Warwick roads, and in 1830 the oil lamps in Leamington's parish church, were replaced by 19 gas -lamps. The buildings to the rear of the works are now gone, but the frontage remains, and is now used as offices. Location:- Saltisford.

Swan Street

Another survivor of The Great Fire of 1694, this elegant building on the corner of New Street and Swan Street, was built in 1634. The upper floors have shallow jetties on both sides, and with it's multi-gabling, herring-bone framing on the first floor and curved and diagonal braces in the attic dormers, it is one of the more ornamental buildings of it's period in Warwick. Location:- Swan Street.

Mill Street

Thrice blessed, Mill Street was lucky to avoid the ravages of The Great Fire of 1694, and due to the bridge over the River Avon falling into disuse because of it's dilapidated state, it has managed to bypass modernisation and the inevitable traffic damage. Location:- Mill Street.

Medieval Bridge

Prior to the expansion of the Castle in the eighteenth century, the main south road went down the steep slope to Mill Street, and crossed the River Avon on the late fourteenth century medieval bridge. Because of the cost of repairs, Lord Brooke offered to pay most of the cost of a new bridge, providing it was located away from the present one, and all roads diverted to it. This was agreed, and almost over-night Mill Street changed from a busy thoroughfare, to a cul-de-sac. Very shortly, after the building of the new bridge, the old bridge, being in a very dilapidated condition, fell down, and only the supporting structures clad with overgrowth can now be seen. Location:- Mill Street . (View from Mill Street Gardens).

The River Avon

This view of the Avon is taken just beyond the Medieval Bridge, showing how beautiful this river is, in it's most secluded spots. Location:- Mill Street . (View from Mill Street Gardens).

Mill House - Warwick Castle

The weir was built to restrict the river flow, thus directing it to the Water Wheel, driving the Mill. I have not been able to obtain any information on this, but although flour would no doubt have been brought to the Castle. It would be necessary for them to be self sufficient, in times of conflict, and with the number of people depending upon the Castle for their safety, mechanical means of grinding the corn etc, would have been a necessity. Location:- View from Mill Street Gardens.

Rear Gatehouse - Warwick Castle

I can only find this described as a "Pedestrian entrance to the Castle". In comparison to the many sights of the Castle, this is obviously not thought worthy of comment. Location:- View from Mill Street.