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Warwick Leasing

Did You Know?

Warwick castle can be traced back to 914 AD when Alfred The Great’s daughter built a fort on the site. The original castle was built in 1068 by William The Conqueror, out of wood. In order to make room for the castle in the existing city.

During the 20th century the succeeding earls increased tourism at the castle, and in 1998 it was sold to the Tussauds Group, which installed a collection of torture instruments, waxworks, and tableaux. Since 2007 the castle has been managed by Merlin Entertainments.

When Henry de Beauchamp, the 1st Duke Of Warwick and owner of the castle, died in 1446, he didn’t have a son to pass down his property to, so it went to his daughter Anne. But Anne was just two years old, and she only owned it for three years before passing away at the age of 5.

King Edward IV was also locked up in the Warwick Castle during the Wars Of The Roses. Richard Neville, the Earl of Warwick, captured him and then attempted to reign but was not welcomed by the nobility, so released the King after a few months. The Castle Dungeons are now open for visits so you can witness precisely where the tortuous imprisonments took place.

The trebuchet was an old medieval launching weapon, and the most powerful one in the world lives in Warwick Castle, and is roughly the height of three houses! It got the record in 2006 when it launched a 29lb missile 800ft (that’s ten tennis courts) at a speed of 160mph!

The Warwick Student Union is one of the largest in the UK, and uses its profits to employ students in its offices. I like it. There are over 260 societies, so there’s not much excuse for having no friends here. 

The town was founded in 914 by the Mercian as defences against the Danish invaders. The original meaning of 'Warwick' is "dwelling by the wier". The town was made the administrative centre of the local shire by the Normans, and it remained under the control of the Earls of Warwick during the Middle Ages.

The most famous Warwick occupant was probably Richard Neville (1428-1471), nicknamed "the Kingmaker". He was the richest man of his time in England and managed to depose Henry VI in favour of Edward IV, then back again to Henry VI before being killed in battle by Edward IV's forces.

Warwick has played a central role in England's storied history, one that's still preserved in the town's grand fortifications and medieval architecture. See ancient dinosaur fossils and medieval siege engines, admire ancient archery and falconry techniques, or relax with a drink in the town's snug period taverns.

There is evidence of human activity at Warwick as early as the Neolithic age, and of constant habitation since the 6th century. A Saxon fort was created in Warwick in 914 AD as a defence against the Danes, and Warwick Castle was established in 1068 AD as part of the Norman conquest of England.

Two towns in the district, Warwick and Kenilworth, grew up around castles. Royal Leamington Spa, chartered in 1875, still functions as a watering place with both recreational and health facilities.