- Type
- Castle
- Origins
- 1068 · 11th century per Wikidata: founding, first mention or construction
- Location
- England, United Kingdom
- Style
- medieval architecture
- Visiting
- probably – Wikidata lists it as a museum or gives tickets, opening hours or visitor numbers; check before you go
- Coordinates
- 52.2796°, -1.5856°
History
William the Conqueror founded the castle in 1068 as a timber fort on a mound above the Avon. In the 14th century the Beauchamp Earls of Warwick rebuilt it in stone and added the formidable Caesar's Tower and Guy's Tower. In the 15th century it was home to Richard Neville, the Kingmaker, who briefly held the captured Edward IV here in 1469. In 1604 James I granted the decaying fortress to Fulke Greville, who turned it into a grand country house, and during the Civil War it held out against a Royalist siege. The Greville family sold the castle in 1978, and it has since been run as a commercial visitor attraction.
What to see
You can climb the towers and walk the ramparts, explore the medieval dungeon and the state rooms, where waxwork figures recreate a Victorian house party. A full-size working trebuchet stands on the riverside meadow, and in season there are birds of prey displays and jousting shows. The grounds, landscaped by Capability Brown in the 18th century, run down to the banks of the Avon.
Wikipedia article Official website Wikidata Q941276
Popularity: articles about this site in 35 Wikimedia projects (Wikipedia language editions and others).