Time+Place: Warwick Castle – A Visit to Medieval England

If you want a taste of Medieval England without having to give up modern amenities like plumbing, I would highly recommend a day at Warwick Castle in Warwickshire England. While on a trip through England, we stopped here for an afternoon with our 2 kids. Since our kids were pretty young, we weren’t sure how much “castle ruins” they would enjoy… it’s quite hard to convince a 4 year old that a princess truly lived here, if the place is in ruins. To our surprise, we were happily mistaken.

Touring Warwick Castle is a great blend of walking through an old castle, filled with crumbling spiral stair cases, turrets, arrow slits, and great halls, but it also is a place that brings Medieval times alive with loads of themed activities, tours and exploration. There’s simple exploration like the stockades and trying on armor, or more elaborate areas to watch pageantry, jousting, a trebuchet, and more. There’s also special tours (which we didn’t go on) for Princesses, Merlins and Dungeon Keepers.

For those who truly want to explore just ruins, this isn’t for you. The Renaissance Fair aspects and a hint of a themed amusement park may turn some off – but to bring alive an era from long ago, especially for kids, Warwick Castle is a must visit.