Review: Adventures at Warwick Castle

We made our visit on one of the warmest days of the year so far and had a fantastic day out. With plenty for young and ahem … older ones to do we had a fantastic day out.

We arrived early enough to take advantage of the number of displays that are scheduled throughout the day (it's worth checking the website before your visit to ensure you get the most out of the day). Starting off with the fantastic trebuchet display, we watched form the bank at the marvel of medieval warfare. This drew many observers but with a great expanse of grounds from which to witness this marvel, you will be sure to get a good view. Over lunch we took our optimal viewing spot for the bird of prey show and were entertained to an informative and at moments breath taking display of the beautiful creatures who glided elegantly through the air in and around the castle grounds. You can go down to visit these splendid creatures while they devour their dinner in situ – a gruesome sight. We took a picnic but there are plenty of places to dine whether you fancy a quick bite to eat from the 'fast food' outlet or prefer a seated dining experience both are available; as well as the obligatory ice cream stalls which we of course took full advantage of. I was super impressed to be offered a tray for the Little Lady's ice cream to save on the splashes of the melting dribbles that often occur. Although having said that, she is becoming quite the master at wolfing down a one scoop.

We climbed the imposing towers of the castle and peered out over the kingdom pretending we were knights of the realm. Not one for heights, I was quite pleased with myself! I could certainly feel the burn in the thighs when I made it back down to ground level. As you'd expect, the castle grounds has original flooring such as cobbled stones through the portcullis but we were able to get the pushchair through with ease. Obviously, you have to leave the wheels outside of the main buildings simply because it's not practical to lug them around the levels of the historic site but there are 'allotted spaces' for them.

Inside of the main building there are displays of knights and coats of armour. The wax works of famous figures conversing about high society is really quite engaging. The Little Lady was smitten with the portraits and exclaimed that she wanted 'to meet her' but we had to explain that Queen Victoria wasn't about for a meet and greet! For an extra charge you can enter the dungeons but with a 3 year old and a baby, we decided not to go down in case it was too scary but we will definitely factor this in for future visits. If you take advantage of the Premium Passes, you can visit the dungeons at no extra cost.

The Little Lady and I enjoyed a princess story time session, which was held in one of the towers of the main building. Welcomed by 'fair maidens' (their words, not mine) we were entertained with a tale of adventuring. If fairy tales aren't for you, you could try your hand at archery (additional cost applies) or throw insults at the jester (free fun) but be warned he has a dagger like tongue.

New to the attraction is the Horrible Histories maze to entertain and trick you. There is also a great outdoor play area for under 12s. This has benches too for the adults. Both attractions should be factored into your day to take advantage of the fun!

Cash machines and baby changing facilities are available. The grounds are immaculate and there are ground staff present ensuring the standards are maintained.

We will definitely be back for another day out. We learnt lots, had great fun observing the events and could relax in an attraction that isn't over commercialised. We made our visit during term time but it was still busy so factor this in. Parking is available at an extra cost (unless you are Premium Pass holders) at various sites around the castle – see the website for locations.

For more information visit www.warwick-castle.com

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