Experience Castle life behind the mighty walls. Relive the preparations for battle in Kingmaker. Come face to face with the Castle’s Darkest history in The Castle Dungeon. Meet Henry VIII and his wives. Marvel a the grandeur of the Great Hall and the Georgian State Rooms or experience a Victorian Royal Weekend at the Castle.
The Princess Tower
NOW OPEN!
Here lies the Princess Tower,
An enchanted place with magical power.
Fairy tales, princes and dressing up is the way,
Enter all princesses you’ll have a wonderful day
The Princess Tower is home to Warwick Castle’s very own fairytale princess, Princess Arabella.
Featuring beautiful interiors and decorations and finished with a good dose of pixie dust, the Princess Tower tells tales of preparations for a forthcoming Castle wedding.
Budding knights and princesses help with the arrangements for the day, and may be lucky enough to try some princess outfits for themselves.
Magic and delight can be found around every corner of the Tower, including classic fairytales such as The Princess and the Pea and The Frog Prince.
Kingmaker
Join Richard Neville, Kingmaker and Earl of Warwick as he prepares his extensive household for the Battle of Barnet in 1471.
You can find out how weapons were made, how armour was crafted and see what mediaeval life was really like through sights, sounds and smells! This isn’t history behind glass, you can get right up close and experience preparations for battle for yourself. How would you feel knowing your next day on Earth could be your last?
So, as the Kingmaker rallies his troops will you decide to join him in battle or run while you can.
Royal Weekend Party (1898)
In 1898, Daisy, Countess of Warwick hosted a weekend party at which the principle guest was the Prince of Wales, later Edward VII.
Once inside the former private apartments, you'll step back to a time of the most lavish and extravagant parties at Warwick Castle. Meet the beautiful Daisy, Countess of Warwick and her friends preparing for their weekend party.
The Royal Weekend Party brings to life the secrets of a Victorian household and all its important guests. Encounter a young Winston Churchill and listen to Clara Butt, renowned singer of the time and Paolo Tosti, music master to the Royal Family.
Most of the furnishings and fittings are those that were actually here in 1898, and photographs taken at the time mean that it has been possible to put every chair, table, bed and book in exactly the place it occupied exactly 100 years ago. Daisy's exquisite evening gown and the lavish decoration of her bedroom were recreated from photographs of Daisy's ancestral home, Easton Lodge. It was clear that no expense was spared in her luxurious lifestyle.
New! Take a walk through the Rooms themselves and get closer to the party.
Great Hall and State Rooms
The Great Hall is the largest room in the castle and throughout history has been its heart. In the early middle ages, straw and dirt covered the floor of the Great Hall. Burning in the centre of the room would have been a large fire, its smoke turning the air acrid. The only natural light filtered through narrow lancet windows. Here it was that the nobility ate, drank and even slept.
The Hall as it stands today, was first constructed in the 14th century. It was rebuilt in the 17th century and then restored in 1871 after it had been badly damaged by a fire which swept through part of the castle.
Set against the wall is the magnificent Kenilworth buffet, made in oak by local craftsmen for the Great Exhibition of 1851. In the window is a huge cauldron known as 'Guy's Porridge Pot', named after the 10th Earl of Warwick. About 500 years old, it was used to cook stew for the castle's garrison of soldiers.
You can hire The Great Hall for a party or dinner.
Chapel
Sir Fulke Greville, the first Lord Brooke, authorised the building of the small chapel in the early 1600s. It may be on the site of another chapel founded as long ago as 1119.
State Rooms
Retaining portions of the mediaeval Castle of the 14th Century, the State Rooms have been extended, altered and embellished during virtually every century since. to lavishly entertain the noblest of guests, and to display the family's most prestigious possessions.
As part of an ongoing restoration programme, you can now walk through most of the Rooms themselves and see our precious artefacts and treasures closer than ever before!
The Castle Dungeon
Warwick Castle has witnessed some of the darkest, bloodiest and most frightening times in history.
This new experience is set to echo part of the Castle's past, taking you back to 1345, when the town was gripped by the plague.
In true Dungeon style, gore seekers will be greeted by decaying bodies, chanting monks, torture implements, execution and ‘the labyrinth of lost souls’ - a fantastic scary mirror maze.
Warwick Castle truly brings history to life! Visit the Castle Dungeon.
