28th of September, 2025 - Leamington to Ludlow

Warwick Castle, Kenilworth and The Lord Leycester Hospital in Warwick today! Busy day!

I remember walking around Warwick Castle with mum and dad and clinging to mum's skirts because it seemed very high up and very narrow and very, very serious. Not these days! Warwick is definitely aimed at engaging children. Lots of dragons everywhere and hidden mazes and games. I went on a tour of the Castle, which turned out to be a tour about how haunted Warwick Castle is, which ghosts are real and which are made up for the tourists. I mean, the ones that aren't made up they seem to be pretty invested in being real! 

This is the seat of the Neville family. The Earl of Warwick (the Kingmaker) who helped Edward IV (House of York) knock off (literally, history seems to pretty much believe that Edward IV's brother, later Richard III knocked him off) the incumbent Lancastrian king, Henry VI. The Kingmaker married his two daughters to Edward IV's younger brothers and then tried to overthrow Edward so that his daughters would become Queen. Isabel's husband was executed by drowning in a vat of wine and Anne's husband became Richard III, so she did become Queen - for a little bit.

Today the Castle is all about pomp and pageantry and engagement, whereas all the others I've been to have been somber and historical and reverent. I guess this made a nice change? I'm still deciding.

For Warwick!






I spent the afternoon at Kenilworth Castle. Home of Robert Dudley, Elizabeth I's great favourite (and probably secret-side-love-muffin?!). He spent the modern day equivalent of millions of dollars doing the place up for Elizabeth's 19 day visit in 1575. It was the longest visit she made to the home of any of her courtiers. Robert was special. It's believed this was his all-in-last-ditch effort to get her to marry him, but Liz said "nope, I'm married to my people". Poor Dudley. Yet again I've run my hands over every stone wall I could reach - you know, just in case.




That's the front door way up there. If they were beseiged they
could set fire to the wooden steps leading up to it.



Elizabeth's bedroom was here - on the top floor

I climbed up and stood in her bedroom doorway

I had just enough time to duck back into the town of Warwick to see The Lord Leycester Hospital. It used to be a merchant's Guild, but Henry VIII put an end to the Guild (it wasn't just monasteries!) and later, the hero of our tale, Robert Dudley, took it over and turned it into a hospital and forever-home for war veterans. Huzzah!
It still operates under Robert Dudley's original 34 rules
and yes, there are still Brothers (war vets) who live here
and have to obey all these rules!


I ran out of time to go to the Church where Dudley is buried - apparently it's a "don't miss", "divine" place and I'm in trouble from our Anne Boleyn Tour Guide for not getting there, so at some point before I fly out, get ready for a mad dash across the country back to Warwick!













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