Warwick Castle,rises majesticallly from the banks of the River Avon, just a few miles from Shakespeare's Stratford, on a site fortified by William the Conqueror in 1068. From its soaring towers to the depth of the dungeon, Warwick Castle epitomises the power and grandeaur of the medieval fortress.

For centuries, Warwick Castle was home to the mighty Earls of Warwick, who were to play such key roles in the Wars of the Roses and the Hundred Years War with France. Richard III once owned the Castle and started new fortifications before meeting his death at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485. Later, the Castle was a Parliamentarian stronghold during the English Civil War. With its dark, dank dungeon, gruesome torture chamber and splendid armoury, the middle ages came to life at Warwick Castle.

Later, as the military importance of the Castle declined, the main living quarters were converted and refurbished into a residence in the grandest style befitting the station of the high ranking noblemen. The magnificent interiors date from the late 17th to the late 19th centuries and most of the main fortifications have altered little from the 14th century.

Peacocks roam the sixty acres of beautiful grounds and gardens, landscaped by the great "Capability" Brown during the 1750s. The Conservatory, build in 1786, overlooks the Peacock Garden and the Pageant Field, which runs gently down to the river.