Kenilworth - A Castle in Ruins

Burial site of Robert Dudley - rather ornate and a little creepy
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We hadn't planned to visit Kenilworth Castle as we didn't actually know it existed.  But we saw it while driving through the small town of Kenilworth on the way to our accommodation.

The castle was built in the 1120's by Geoffrey de Clinton.  In 1266 it withstood a full scale siege by using a dam to create a great lake to surround the castle, thus making Kenilworth one of the most formidable fortresses in the kingdom.

The great hall must have been impressive with the candles lit and the fire places ablaze

Grace and Tim climbing down form the original Norman window (very old!)
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Throughout the years various royals extended and modified the buildings.  Most notable was Robert Dudley, earl of Leicester.  He was granted the castle by Elizabeth I and converted it into a great palace for her entertainment, which culminated in 19 days of festivities in 1575.

The castle's fortifications were knocked down in 1650 after the Civil War.  In 1821 the ivy clad ruins were the setting for Sir Walter Scott's novel, Kenilworth, which romanticized the story of Robert Dudley and Queen Elizabeth I.

Attempting to slide down the slightly sloped grass
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So much of the castle is still in tact today and with the aid of the guide book, we could understand what each of the different rooms were used for.  The great hall must have been impressive with the candles lit and the fire places ablaze, they would have felt safe within the thick and strong walls of the keep and the kitchen seems a reasonable size and very functional!

As it was Easter weekend, there were lots of activities going on, it's certainly more realistic to wander around the ruins while jesters play their music and medieval ladies shoot targets in their game of archery.

Historic buildings in Warwick, originaly gifted to the city by Robert Dudley.
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This castle is definitely worth a visit, a great find for our weekend!

We then headed off on a half hour drive to the town of Warwick to visit Warwick Castle.  But due to the cost of entry and the fact that we were all rather tired, we decided to give it a miss this time and instead had a delicious lunch in the stables.

We had a wonder around the historic town of Warwick and because it is so close to Kenilworth there were lot's of links with Robert Dudley, one of the owners of Kenilworth Castle.  Of particular note was his burial site housed within an impressive gothic church.