Helen Werin visits Warwickshire
12 November, 2008
Warwickshire may be the county associated with Shakespeare, but there are plenty of other delights here unconnected to the bard, as Helen Werin and her family discover …As we inched our way slowly through some of the oldest parts of Warwick Castle getting ever nearer to its latest attraction, The Dream of Battle, flickering images and disturbing noises made our hairs stand on end. Six-year-old Sophie, in particular, was a bundle of nervous anticipation, yet excitedly curious at what we’d been told in the PR blurb was ‘total immersion’ in a young squire’s nightmare.
But the final film sequence – albeit with scenes of combat, lots of flames and startling cries of battle – rather left us wondering what all the fuss was about. Indeed, what really made us jump out of skins was when one of the thoroughly convincing ‘waxworks’ in one of the castle’s many tableaux waved at us.
It goes to shows how amazingly realistic these figures are, though perfectly understandable once you know that the owners of Warwick Castle also operate the world famous Madame Tussauds.
Yet I still can’t understand why the owners invest so much money in the very latest gizmos and gadgetry when the history, beauty and atmosphere of this magnificent castle alone is undoubtedly enough to satisfy the hordes of visitors.
Favourite
We all had our favourite bits, of course. Photographer Robin was fascinated by the formidable trebuchet – the world’s largest - used in the 13th century to catapult huge rocks in a bid to penetrate the walls. I’m not sure how well it worked, judging by how thick the walls are; possibly the ‘flying’ pigs and manure, chucked over to try and spread disease, had more effect on those inside the castle.
Teenage daughter Elena and I loved the interiors. The feel is more of a stately home than a traditional fortress, probably because it was lived in until relatively recently – 1978, anyway. Each room setting boasts rare works of art, exquisite furniture and, in one, the prettiest of Marie Antoinette clocks, originally from the Palace of Versailles. We could have spent hours marvelling at the incredible craftsmanship and years of dedication that must have gone into creating the fabulous Belgian wall tapestries depicting a garden scene. The perspective; the capture of the tiniest details - the folds of a gown or a splash of water from a fountain - is simple awesome.
Sophie, though, was awestruck by the dungeon, with its display of cruel implements of torture which left nothing of the suffering of prisoners to the imagination.
Charming
I couldn’t help thinking later, as we wandered around Warwick, which has some beautiful medieval buildings, that modern-day town planners should be tied up in those same leg irons for the crimes of constructing such hideous monstrosities of council offices and grey concrete shopping precincts in what is otherwise a very charming town.
Unfortunately on the day of our visit the Lord Leycester Hospital was shut because of a wedding. This is not, in fact, a hospital, but a group of timber framed buildings clustered around the Norman gateway into the town, which have been continuously lived in for over 600 years. In the reign of Queen Elizabeth 1 it became a place of retirement for ex servicemen and their wives. So it remains today, with the ‘brethren’ - as they are called - living in delightfully well-preserved surroundings.
Another little gem of Warwick is the Warwickshire Museum in the Market Hall, just one of a cluster of fascinating museums in the town, including three devoted entirely to the military. A massive prehistoric elk’s skeleton, with the biggest antlers I have ever seen, looms over the ground floor area and there are mammoth bones which draw gasps of wonder, even from people who are not usually interested in fossils.
But it was altogether more lively creatures that we had close encounters with when we ventured to Stratford.
Shakespeare
Of course, Stratford is synonymous with Shakespeare. But it has plenty of other attractions unconnected with the bard, including a wonderful butterfly farm just beside the river. We found this not only the perfect place to catch our breath away from the swarms of mostly Japanese and American tourists, who seem to shoot everything that moves, but also a very fun, educational – and for Sophie – a particularly memorable experience.
Whilst the rest of us were hiding behind our boyfriends or, in some cases, wives, Sophie enthusiastically held her hands out for a huge and hairy tarantula, a giant millipede and a very ugly hissing cockroach, obviously revelling in the awestruck admiration her bravery invited.
Back in the butterfly house, manager Richard Lamb showed us how he ‘glued’ hundreds of pupae to sticks lined up in a glass case. Whilst we watched enthralled, one somewhat bedraggled creature after another emerged and shook itself off to reveal a beautiful moth or butterfly.
Richard was gently picking out the insects and placing them on a sunny wall to dry their wings before they flew off into the lush green humidity of the butterfly house.
As we wandered around, butterflies – or perhaps they were moths – of every possible colour that you could imagine, fluttered around our heads. Some even spent a few minutes attached to us, which caused considerable amusement.
Naturally, we had to be careful where we put our feet in a place like that. There was quite of lot of evidence of accidental fatalities, which the staff were quick to remove.
Open-topped Bus
Outside once more in the international hubbub we could have taken an open-topped bus tour, probably the best way to get around the many Shakespearean ‘sights’. Instead, we opted for a short stroll towards the magnificently well preserved building of Shakespeare’s birthplace, in Guild Street, and the informative exhibition about his life and work next door.
Knowledgeable guides in each room told tales of Shakespeare’s family, from the fate of his siblings to his father’s profession as a glove maker. A nice touch this, particularly for engaging youngsters like Sophie who have yet to learn about Shakespeare and even more so for her teenage sister, Elena, whose interest in history is very obviously zero. There was also a peaceful sunny garden between the two museums with plenty of benches for visitors to rest awhile and absorb the revered atmosphere of the place.
The best way, we discovered, to escape the crowds at both Stratford and Warwick is to hop onto a boat. Both towns lie on the pretty River Avon and, at Warwick, we could take our pick of pedaloes, kayaks and rowboats or, at Stratford, tour boats with commentaries.
Castle
To my mind, the most beautiful view of all of wonderful Warwick Castle is from the river. Here you can sense the real majesty and splendour of this Norman fortress. It’s just such a shame that the latter day architects of both Warwick and Stratford have failed to show even a fraction of the incredible vision the builders of Warwick Castle had in the 11th century.
FACT FILE
www.butterflyfarm.co.uk
www.warwick-castle.com
www.lordleycester.com
www.shakespeare-country.co.uk
For information and discounted attraction tickets in Warwick and Stratford call South Warwickshire Tourism on 0870 160 7930.
