Warwick Castle
For our final trip of the year we decided to spend a few days at the Club’s Warwick Racecourse site as our pre-Christmas trip. Previously we had stayed at Chatsworth and Longleat in December because of their Christmas events. Although we have been to Warwick before we have never visited the Castle which we did on the first day of our stay. The Castle is not too far from the site but is uphill, as most things seem to be as you get older! You use what is called the Town entrance which saves a long walk around to the main way in but is tucked away behind the High Street. On arrival we decided to have a coffee which turned out to be a wise move as the heavens opened whilst we were in the café! The best way to buy tickets for the Castle is online before your visit as buying then at the gate is quite expensive. The Club have an online offer which saves a useful amount.
Fortunately the rain had stopped as we made our way in to the Castle. It was built by that prolific castle builder William the Conqueror in 1068. It was the home of the Greville family (Earls of Warwick) for 374 years until they sold it to the Tussauds Group who since that point have run it as a tourist attraction. You can climb the battlements if you wish. We tried but found the tight circular stair cases quite wet and slippy. We toured the Great Hall and Staterooms some of which have some interesting wax tableaux, well I suppose they would have being owned by Tussauds! There seem to be some nice gardens as well but the weather was not really in our favour to allow further exploration. We made our way into the town. Warwick has some attractive buildings, including half-timbered ones, although these are not always complimented by their modern equivalents!
The next day the weather had refused to brighten up but at least it was dry if dull. We headed for Royal Leamington Spa. There are a couple of buses that run every half hour from Warwick Bus Station. We got off near to Jepson Gardens which is opposite the Pump House. The Springs were known to the Romans but it was not until the late 1700’s that they were developed for commercial purposes. The town has a wonderful array of grand Regency buildings and the main shopping street is called The Parade. Leamington I think will be worth a second visit but perhaps when there is a chance of better and brighter weather.
If you prefer to leave your car or motorhome on site the local public transport is quite good with regular services to Coventry and Stratford upon Avon. The office also has details of walks from the site so no shortage of things to do.
We had a lazy last day on site as it was quite wet in readiness to make our way home the following day.
Comments
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The Warwick site is one of our favourites: we returned on Saturday from a 6 night stay there. The X18 bus from near the site gates whisks you to Stratford and ,as you say, there are other routes from the bus station. Warwick itself is a delight, though uphill for us oldies.
Thursday was a race day. Gypsies had occupied the Owners' car park the previous night and so the campsite was pressed into service as a car park. Every last space on the site had a car on it. No apologies or warning this was going to happen! We enjoyed our stay anyway and Cath enjoyed the racing.
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Chas
I did wonder what happened on race days as we were parked in front of a small stand!
David
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The small stand has never been used on our previous race-day visits. A large TV screen comes on to site to face the main stand across the track; otherwise the site is still caravan site not open to the public. Last Thursday the site was turned into car park for owners, riders and bookies. Every space on the site had a car on it. we had two both sides of our pitch. The Jockey Club official, who came to apologize for a parking attendant's swearing at me for taking a photograph, said the Club was told the previous night that the 'invasion' would happen!
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It's a race course and things can get lively, I expect the New Years racing will be quite noisy! I think if you're staying there on race days you might have to expect the unexpected. OH spent a relatively quiet race day there but having been brought up just over the road from the site he knew it might not have been.
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"It's a race course and things can get lively" but not a wholescale occupation of the site Brue! This was extraordinary: cars parked right up to your door, every scrap of tarmac or grass parked on. No point in complaining as no one in the office to complain to.
Sorry David for hijacking you story - still like Warwick and your story
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