The history of Warwick Castle dates back almost 1,100 years. In 914AD
Ethelfleda, daughter of Alfred the Great, ordered the building of the ‘burh’ or an
earthen rampart to protect the small hill top settlement of Warwick from Danish
invaders. The first castle, however to appear on the site was a wooden motte and
bailey constructed in 1068 at the command of William the Conqueror. The castle
is now open for the public to come and visit and see this historical attraction.
In our presentation we will compare and contrast Warwick Castle and Cardiff
Castle and evaluate what the two castles offer for primary school children. We
will show what the castles have to offer and contrast them on how well the
castles are set out, what activities they provide, what interaction the children can
get involved in and what facilities there are in the castles.
We shall also talk about the history and importance of the two castles and then
come to a conclusion on which castle would be better for school children to visit.
The Pageant Playground is a superb picnic
spot and is a great place for children. With a
fortress like environment set amongst the
most picturesque grounds in Warwick,
Pageant Playgrounds is fir for any little Prince
or Princess!
Children can let off steam among the various
ropes, swings, nets, tubes, ramps, spiral
slides, high level walkways and rock climbing
fences. Even toddlers haven’t been forgotten
as it includes a mini playground, so there is
something for even the tiniest feet to enjoy!
NEW in 2009 was the Castle Dungeon. It takes
you back to 1345 when Warwick town was
gripped by 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!
The re-enactments bring the
dungeon to life. They highlight what
life was like through the Plague,
elements of torture, a court trial and
even a gruesome beheading!
The Princess Tower - Opens 11th July
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.
This is the perfect attraction for little princesses.
Activities start 18th July
Everyday throughout the summer Warwick they have a full
range of activities such as jousting, archery, falconry and
combat shows.
The trebuchet will be shooting twice a day and there is also
a NEW Ballista which will be situated next to the castle
ditch, as many would have done during ancient times.
Warwick Bowman will also be taking up residency in
Warwick Castle again this summer. He will be telling tales of
battle and demonstrating the art of archery.
Also, there will be a cooks tent and Medieval Camp and the
resident Knight and Princess will walk through the castle.
The trebuchet will be firing twice daily in a jaw dropping
environment on the Castle’s River Island. This catapult is
an authentic recreation of one of the biggest and deadliest
military machines of all time. Siege machines were
developed in the 13th Century to attack solid castle walls.
As the defence of castles improved, so did the attacking
weapons. The trebuchet was the largest and most
formidable of siege machines and was a huge catapult.
Clarence Tower was formed as part of the great keep or
fort of which Richard of Gloucester, later Richard III
started to build in 1478. The two towers of the fort which
extended into the courtyard were demolished in the early
17th Century. The Clarence Tower room gives an
impression of what they would have been like if
completed. The room was small and confined and the
hard working conditions would have been treacherous,
along with the noise from the cannons. There is nowhere
to escape the noise which caused soldiers to go deaf.
Caesar‘s tower was built on the orders of
Thomas de Beauchamp and is a masterpiece of
the 14th Century military architecture. You walk
around the top battlements of the castle and
come across Caesar’s Tower built in 1350. The
tower has steep steps which spiral all the way to
the top until you come out into daylight. You then
walk all the way down the spiral stairs again to
come out of the three storey tower.
The Ghost Tower in Warwick Castle was first built
in the 14th Century to guard against enemy
approaches from the river. The tower is
supposedly haunted by the restless spirit of Sir
Fulke Greville, who was murdered by his
maidservant. It is decorated in Jacobean style
with a gateway leading from the base of the river.
Retaining parts of the medieval 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 pay display to the family’s most prestigious possessions.
These rooms include:
The Chapel- Sir Fulke Greville ordered the building of this small chapel in the early 1600’s. It might be
on the sight of another chapel founded as long ago as 1119.
State Dining Room- commissioned by Francis Greville in 1763, the dining room was designed and
built by some of England’s 18th Century finest craftsmen.
The Great Hall- this is the largest room in the castle and throughout history has been in the very heart
of Warwick Castle.
The Red Drawing Room- with its read lacquer panelling, this is the first of five state rooms which
Robert Greville refurbished in the late 17th Century.
The Cedar Drawing Room- intricate cedar panelling gives the rooms its name. It was completed some
time in 1670’s by two local men, William and Roger Hurlbult.
The Green Drawing Room- called green drawing room because of the painted green panelling. The
rooms 18th Century is made up of octagonal panels, each with its own individual motif.
The Queen Anne Bedroom- this room doesn’t take its name from Queen Anne herself but from her
bed. The bed hangings are of crimson velvet with sea-green panels.
The Blue Boudoir- this is the last of the state rooms. This room looks as much as it did in 1870’s.
Warwick Castle has a Conservatory and Peacock Garden which was
built in 1786 by local mason, William Eborall. It was originally
designed as a home for the Warwick Vase which is a magnificent
piece of ancient Roman pottery excavated near Tivoli in 1771. The
original vase is now on display at the Burrell Collection in Glasgow but
there is a full size replica standing in the conservatory. Directly outside
the conservatory is the Peacock Garden which was designed by
landscape gardener Robert Marnock.
First built in 1068 on the orders of William the Conqueror, its formed
the most important part of the Normans castle defence system.
Advances in military architecture made it more and more of an
outpost. By the 17th Century it had been absorbed within Sir Fulke
Grevilles garden so is now hidden in-between many bushes.
The Victorian Rose Garden is another amazing outdoor attraction. It
was first laid down in 1868 and was also designed by Robert Marnock.
By the end of WWII it has disappeared under a tennis court.
Fortunately, two of Marnocks original drawings survived so the plot
was restored and brought back to life in 1986.
In the 1890’s, under the guiding and lavish hand of Frances, (fondly know as
Daisy), Countess of Warwick, the castle became a favourite retreat for some of the
most important figures in late Victorian society. In 1898 the countess hosted a
weekend party at which the principal guest was the Prince of Wales, later Edward
VII. Most of the furnishings and fittings which are in the castle were actually there in
1898.
The rooms were;
The Library, The Music Room, Smoking Room, Ladies’ Boudoir, Daisy’s
Bedroom, Carnation Bedroom, Dowager’s Bedroom, Earl’s Dressing Room,
Kenilworth Bedroom, and the Chinese Bedroom.
There were 42 Earls of Warwick, dating back from 1088 all the way
through to the present day. Here are just a few Earls:
•1088-1119 Henry de Newburgh
•1119-1153 Roger de Newburgh
•1263-1268 William Mauduit
•1319-1396 Thomas de Beauchamp
•1416-1449 Anne Beauchamp
•1561-1590 Ambrose Dudley
•1618-1619 Robert Rich I
•1773-1816 George Greville
•1816-1653 Henry Richard Greville
•1924-1928 Leopold Guy Greville
•1996- today Guy Greville
BOOKLET FOR LOGO
Much more history has happened in Warwick but here is a selection of dates:
1068 William the Conqueror built a motte and bailey fort.
1264 Warwick Castle was successfully attacked.
1395 Cersars tower and dungeon was constructed.
1471 Richard Neville, kingmaker, died at the Battle of Barnet.
1572 Queen Elizabeth I visited Warwick Castle.
1695 King William III visited Warwick Castle.
1763 The State Dining Room was completed
1871 Fire damaged the castle, damaging the Great Hall
1986 Victorian rose Garden was restored
2004 Nearly 400 years after his brutal murder, Sir Fulke Greville’s ghost has
come back!
On 7th July we visited Warwick Castle. The first thing we did was go to the
Dungeons where you could see re-enactments of what life was like in the Dungeon
during Plague. This was terrifying as you didn’t know what was coming as it was in
darkness. The tour round the dungeon started off with monks and then we moved
onto the doctor. In each section, the actors told us about what they knew but were
in character so acted as if they were from the Plague. The doctor died from the
Plague so the actor telling us about him was actually cook. There was a plastic
body laid upon a table which the cook opened up and pulled out organs to show us
how Plague infected the body. We then moved onto the torture chamber where the
woman showed us different implements of torture. There was one for removing the
tongue, one for hanging people from heights by the back of their necks and one for
removing men's sexual organs. Next we went to the court where Mrs Davies was
put upon trial for witchcraft. She was found guilty so was told to move into the next
room where she screamed loudly and didn’t come back out! We then all moved
onto the next room where there was a room full of mirrors like a mirror maze.
Around you, you could see hanging ropes and sticks with heads on and various
people hanging from the ceiling. We came across another actor who showed us a
beheading and she cut off Ameya ear, not head. As this happened the lights were
turned to, the seats dropped forward and water was spayed everyone for a ‘blood
affect’
After the tour of the dungeon we went into the museum which was a tour of the
Royal Weekend 1898. this had various scenes where plastic people played the
parts of what have really happened that weekend. We walked through and came
across the music room, smoking room, Daisy’s bedroom and many more. In each
room there was a sign explaining how this room played a part in the Royal
Weekend. There was also posters in a couple of rooms which explained a family
tree of one of the people located in the room.
After this tour we went to watch the bird show. Here we were shown four birds of
prey. The trainer showed us how they fly the birds, what they feed them, where they
live, how they grow and breed. We were amazed at how big they were and how
long their wingspan was. The longest was around 6 foot.
We walked around the top battlement of the castle and up to the motte and bailey
castle William the Conqueror build. There were supposedly 500 steps to walk all
the way around the battlement.
Cardiff Castle is located in the heart of Cardiff. Started off with the Romans
establishing the fort. If you look at the outside of the castle near the bottom
of the walls you can see a wall of unorganised stones and then they are
sectioned off with a line of red bricks and then the walls of the castle are
built on top. This shows the division of the two different walls of the castle
built by the two different types of people in different centuries. The bottom
is Roman and the top is modern day.
Cardiff Castle is one of Wales’ leading heritage attractions and is a site of
international significance. Located in the heart of the capital of Wales, within
parklands, the Castle walls and fairytale towers conceal 2,000 years of history.
There are tours in Cardiff Castle which the public can freely walk around, school group tours
or general booked tours.
There is a falconry enclosure which people can go and look at the several birds they have out.
There was a barn owl, perlin, European eagle owl, and various other ones.
We visited the Education Centre where the woman showed us the various artefacts and
weaponry and talked about how it changed over the centuries because weapons improved.
Recently there has been a new restraunt and shop built in the castle. The main entrance has
changed and there is a shop and also a new restaurant has been installed with another shop
so the facilities and new.
Cardiff Castle Banquet Hall can be let out for weddings and graduation parties. The hall is
regularly used so Cardiff Castle Banquet Hall is often busy!
The motte and bailey keep on the mound was originally built in wood but was then made out
of stone to keep and make sure it would stay there.
The layout of the castle is in a simple square. The castle has been added to with each family
and century its been through.
The castle has been occupied by various people in many different centuries.
Romans 55-400AD
Normans 1091-1216
The Clares 1216-1306AD
The Despencers1306-1411AD
The Beauchamp's 1411-1445AD
The Neville's 1411-1483AD
The Tudors 1485-1550AD
The Herbert's 1550-1766AD
The Butes1766-1947AD
Own by Cardiff City Council and open to the public 1947-present day
On 8th of July we visited Cardiff Castle. On our visit we got to see loads of interesting
architecture and weaponry. There was a number of fascinating rooms in the castle
including the smoking room. The men were only allowed in and women were forbidden.
William Burges the designer of these rooms had a sense of humour he showed this by
scaring any women who tried to enter the smoking room by putting a gargoyle on the
ceiling before the doorway. Also, he had a lot of creativity in the smoking room. The
great furniture and decoration was not just there to look good, everything in the room
took time, including the windows. The women also had a room and this was called the
Arab room. This was one of the most amazing rooms of the whole castle as the
decoration was inspired when the family went on holiday. The ceiling was covered in 22
karrot gold, that room was insured for 16 million! In the castle there was a children's
room. This has tiles all over the walls which had pictures of children’s stories and were
beautifully decorated. There was also a large fireplace which had a figure of a woman
above it. The figure had ears of a donkey to remind the children not to make and ass of
themselves. There was another figure with was also to remind the children not to blow
their own trumpet of they will look like asses as it will backfire on them. The Banquet
Hall was a large room with a raised area for a choir to sing and an orchestra.
We then went to Lord Butes bedroom which had a ceiling of mirrors and there was also a
wardrobe which was made to the shape of a confessionary which was the ‘joke’ of the room. There
was also an en-suite with a full size bath, marble sink and marble flushing toilet. Flushes and
warm/cold running water was the cutting edge of technology. There was a single bed in this room
which Bute didn’t use much because soon after it was finished he married and had to move into a
larger with a double bed. Later in our tour we went to the roof top garden. It was open and light
and had buckets for flowers, a large statue and a water fountain. On June 21st of every year, light
through an arrow slit would shine right onto the statue and light up both the statue and water
fountain. All around the roof top garden there were tiles with 21 different languages written upon
them. We then went down to the family dining room. There was an original table in the room which
had a hole in the middle for a grape vine to be put through. This was a unique, one of a kind table
which had been made especially for the family. After the family meal, the gardener would bring out
the plant and place it under the table so the family could eat fresh grapes straight off the vine. Next
we moved to the family room which was like their everyday lounge. This room had a number of
large pictures which showed members of the family which lived in the castle. For example, on one
wall there was a picture of the man who moved the family back to Scotland in 1947. The last room
we visited was the library. This had a number of book which the family took with them but the
castle library now keeps the minutes of Cardiff City Council in the bookcases.
We also visited the Education Centre where we were shown weaponry and armour which we were
allowed to try on. This was factual as we were shown how weaponry had changed over various
time periods.
We decided that Warwick Castle is the better place for school children to visit.
Although the two castles are similar in various ways, Warwick Castle has better
facilities for school children. They provide an adventure play area, interaction
for children, a dungeon with re-enactments, a garden to visit, birds flown in
front of your eyes, The Royal Weekend Museum, guided tours, various gift
shops and restraunts. Cardiff Castle also offers guided tours, birds, reenactment days, gift shop and a restraunt. Cardiff Castle has an education
centre but no dungeon which we found disappointing as we enjoyed this
experience. This is just one of the reasons we thought Warwick was better than
Cardiff. Another reason is the playground. This is good for young children and
school pupils as they can let off steam by running around before they go back
to school. There was also the Royal Weekend Museum, gardens and bird show
which are added to the highlights and activities in Warwick which are not in
Cardiff. Both Warwick and Cardiff have special school tours.