Warwick Castle is a medieval castle transformed from a wooden fort, originally built by William the Conqueror during 1068. The 1,100 years of history are brought to life with live shows, themed events, costumed characters, an interactive maze and hands-on activities. The Castle sits in the heart of Warwick, situated on a bend of the River Avon.
It is a full day out for all the family. There is a great range of things to see and do to suit all ages. Toddlers and younger children will find it so much fun with the Zog meet & greet and show. Plus, the Knight School is perfect for under 10s. Primary age kids will enjoy the Horrible History Maze while older children and adults will be amazed by the big shows and storytelling of the "War of the Roses" and find exploring the walls and inside the castle interesting and steeped in history.
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To Book Your Tickets to Warwick Castle Click Here
Top Tips
🖥 Pre Book Online
🤴 War of the Roses show
🐦 Falconer's Quest
⚒ Legend of the Trebuchet
👸 Horrible History Maze
🎭 Zog Shows
🦖Zog Meet & Greet
🐲 Zog Playground
👶 Children Trails
🏰 Walk to walls & Tower
👑 Explore the stateroom
👣 Guides tours available
🍔 Plenty of food options
⚔️Gift shop selling merchandise
🥪 Bring a picnic
🪓 Book to go in the Dungeons
🌎 Warwick CV34 6AU
About our Visit and Age of my Children
We visited as part of a short break visit, so we stayed in the brand new Warwick Castle Hotel the night before, enjoying a buffet breakfast and walked into Warwick Castle at 10am. It was a sunny Saturday in July, so as busy as it would get I would imagine. My daughters are 9 and 12. A few things were a bit young for them but there was plenty for them to do and see still.
To read my full review of our stay at the Warwick Castle Hotel click here
Zog Playground
As soon as we walked in, we were greeted by the super cute and colorful Zog Playground. My girls zoomed down the path and into the play area before I could even get my bearings.
With a Zog slide, castle climbing frame, an amazingly smooth zip wire and even its own little coffee and snack shack. It really is a great playground, with a great layout and fun and interesting equipment and features. Even though my girls are older at 9 and 12 they enjoyed playing and I did have to drag them out to see what else Warwick Castle had to offer.
Luckily, the Zog Activity booklet I flashed in front of their eyes got them out of the playground.
Zog and the Quest for the Golden Star
This activity trail is perfect for younger children and even up at age 12 as my eldest was quite pleased to follow the trail and take on the challenges. The trail teaches all budding dragons the training skills they need to become a fully-fledged dragon.
There are five interactive activities, from flying high without actually leaving the ground, to testing-out fearsome roars...and of course learning to capture a Princess, children will collect a stamp at every task.
The girls enjoyed the way you collected the stamps by putting your booklet into a metal press and it left an imprint.
The final challenge is "Knights School" where you learn to sword fight and earn your final stamp. Then go over to meet Zog himself to get your golden star and a photo.
To be honest, this was where my daughters then did feel a bit old and didn't want to join the Knights School so we didn't get the golden star but it did look like great activities and lots of younger children were having fun.
Horrible History Maze
The next challenge the girls took on was the Horrible History Maze. This had its own activity booklet where you collected stamps like the Zog Trail. They went running off into the maze which had a different section for each time in history. Discover the Vicious Vikings, Stormin’ Normans and The Vile Victorians! There are plenty of facts and info around the maze to make it interesting as well as fun. We really enjoyed this activity at Warwick Castle as it was something we could all take part in as a family and we love just an interactive maze.
Walking the Walls & Tower
I love exploring castle walls and towers. They always give you the best views of the castle and even though I'm not actually that keen on heights, I always make myself do the climb as it's always worth it at the top.
To climb up these medieval towers, you have to navigate the narrow spiral staircases and uneven steps. The sign says it’s 500+ steps so be aware this is a bit of a workout for the legs. They have even put a sign up as a warning to people with certain health conditions and climbing the steps. There is even a defibrillator at the very top of Guy's Tower, just in case.
The views from the top of all the towers are amazing, but particularly Guy’s Tower. It’s 148ft up in the air so you can see for miles on a clear day. Warwick Castle is actually the tallest castle in the UK.
Wars of the Roses
We had heard so many good things about the jousting show "Wars of the Roses" so as soon as we got into the castle we checked the show times and made sure we got in the queue early to get a good spot.
This is an unmissable jousting spectacular! As the crowd, you get to choose your side as the story of the Wars of the Roses comes vividly to life through stunning equestrian stunts, world-class jousting, and a fearless finale. Set in a purpose-built jousting arena set against the backdrop of the castle’s South Front, and complete with world-class trick riding and daring equestrian stunts it is a must for your visit.
This was one of my favourite parts of the day. The story is a little hard to follow as there are a lot of names of characters and people swapping sides between the white and red roses. But even with this the actual action is mesmerizing and something i have never seen before anywhere else so really stood out.
The Falconer's Quest
Along the riverside in the castle grounds, we took a seat on the grassy bank to watch the UK's largest bird of prey show. Warwick Castle has 60 stunning birds from all corners of the world. Swooping, looping, and winging their way towards you in the show The Falconer's Quest.
The castle's vast selection of birds of prey includes The Andean Condor, The Steller's Sea Eagle, The Bearded Vulture, The Bald Eagle, plus lots more. If you get your seat right, you will literally have the birds swooping inches from your head. My TOP TIP is to sit either at the front of the benches or on the grass just behind them. A lot of the birds fly between a wooden hut with a balcony behind the benches and the high rigging behind the Falconer's Quest hut on the other side of the river. This is a great one for all ages. It follows a story that's being told about how the birds became part of Warwick Castle but simply watching them flying through the air is magnificent.
Legend of the Trebuchet
This is Britain's largest working siege machine.
In a daring, action-packed show: The Legend of the Trebuchet. A story is acted out in an entertaining and easy-to-follow way. About how the castle's most unlikely heroes defend Warwick Castle, which is under attack. Their task is to fight back by winding, loading, and firing the mighty Trebuchet against oncoming invaders before it's too late! Set on the bank of the River Avon, this epic show combines thrilling live-action and special effects to create both an exciting and educational show for all the family to enjoy.
Our Final Verdict
Warwick Castle is definitely a great day out. There is plenty to see and do for all ages, but I did feel like I should have visited when my girls were a couple of years younger to get the most out of it. It would be a place you can revisit with your children as they get older as they would get different things from the day depending on their age. I just wish I'd gone when they were more like 5 & 8 so they would have gotten excited about meeting Zog.
So, my TOP TIP would be to visit now before your children are older. Then go again when they are older and they will still enjoy it but different parts.
I would love to visit at another time of year. I have heard their Halloween events are amazing and they also have a Christmas Light Trail which looks magical with the castle lit up.
Food & Drink
There are quite a few places to eat at Warwick Castle.
From simple grab-and-go food you can get between the shows or sit-down meals if you want to sit and relax while refueling.
• Food Vans
There are at least 8 different hot food vans including fish & chips, chicken wings, and hotdogs.
• The Undercroft Café
Hidden within the lower level of the castle, the Undercroft Café offers a range of hot and cold snacks. Originally used as a cellar, and later as the servants' dining hall, today you can enjoy its original medieval features, such as high-vaulted ceilings.
• The Conservatory Tea House
Sat by the landscaped Peacock Gardens is a beautiful teahouse where you can get a light lunch, cream tea, and ice creams.
The Castle Dungeons
To visit the dungeons you can book this along with your castle ticket. It is an extra cost to visit.
The Castle Dungeon is a hauntingly thrilling attraction that is not for the faint-hearted. Prepare to be transported back in time to the days of the putrefying Plague as you see, hear, feel, and (ahem!) smell the castle’s resident creatures and succumb to over 300 years of Warwick’s most gruesome and grizzly history!
Upon your arrival, you’ll be greeted by the resident Castle Jester who’ll get you squealing with both laughter and fear before you delve deeper into The Castle Dungeon where plague, persecution and punishment await you!
How much does it cost?
On the day prices start from £39 for anyone aged 3 or over, or from £22 in advance. Under 3s go free. I will always share offers and deals on my socials so make sure you give me a follow.
Click here to book: https://tinyurl.com/DaysOutandMealsOutWarwick
Car Parking
• Stratford Road Car Park £7 (main car park) CV34 6AH. 10 -20 min walk to castle
• Stables Car Park £10 (Limited spaces available) Just off Castle Lane, limited express car parking next to the castle entrance. CV34 4QU. 5-10 min walk to castle.
• Warwick Railway Station is around one mile from the castle.
Press Visit July 2024
I was invited to visit Warwick Castle for the purpose of this review, however all thoughts and views are of my own.
This review contains affiliate links.
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