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©Copyright The Francis Frith Collection

Contrasting with this beautiful county town, built mostly in Queen Anne style, stands Warwick Castle which, according to Lord Torrington, is the most perfect piece of castellated antiquity in the kingdom.

The castle, which was begun in the 11th century by Thomas de Beauchamp 11th Earl of Warwick (1329-69), became the home of the Earls of Warwick. Richard (1382-1439), the 13th Earl who was responsible for the execution of Joan of Arc, and Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick (1428-71) and known as the "King-maker", were amongst those who chose the castle as their residence.

Its fortifications have remained essentialy the same since the 14th century, although its interior was largely restored in 1871 after a fire which destroyed a great deal of its original ornamentation. In 1978 the castle was sold to the owners of Madame Tussaud's who have introduced an exhibition called the Kingmaker exhibition. The exhibition is a spectacular display of waxworks models, lighting and sound effects and portrays the rise of the Earl of Warwick in the Wars of the Roses. In another exhibit, a royal weekend party of 1898 has been beautifully recreated and gives the visitors a glimpse of what was like to be a royal at that particular time in history.

In the inside, the castle has a very rich collection of fine furniture and paintings, including works by Van Dyck, Lely, Dahl and furniture by Boulle, and for those who are brave enough, there is also a haunted tower and a torture chamber.

The castle is surrounded by beautiful grounds with calling peacocks and the River Avon winding past creates a perfect atmosphere for a calm and relaxed walk through this magical scenary.

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