Warwickshire’s county town, Warwick, is a place with a fascinating history. With 15 centuries of history to take in, we’ve highlighted the key attractions you must visit when you’re looking for what to do in Warwick for a day.
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Where: Warwick, Warwickshire, United Kingdom
Why go: Warwick is a town with a lot of history. First founded in the 6th Century AD, the town has been inhabited ever since. As a result, it has some incredible sights you can visit to learn more about this market town.
How to get there: Warwick is easily accessible by car via the M1, M5, M6, M40, and M42. Leave the M40 at junction 15 and take the A429 to Warwick. Warwick town center is just a few minutes’ walk from the train station. Birmingham International Airport is the closest major airport to Warwick.
What to do in Warwick: Itinerary
Here are our top 3 recommended attractions when you’re wondering what to do in Warwick for a day.
Warwick Castle
You can’t even contemplate a visit to Warwick without visiting Warwick Castle. In fact, we’d recommend starting your visit here.
Warwick Castle is a medieval castle that was developed from a wooden fort, originally built by William the Conqueror during 1068. Today it is a grand fortress and fantastic attraction for visitors of all ages. It tells the history of the town itself, from the 6th Century AD to the present day.
We’d recommend starting your tour by taking a stroll along the towers and battlements. From here, you are treated to some stunning views of the town. Be warned though, the walk does involve some steep, spiral steps and you are required to follow a one-way system.
Once you have completed the battlements walk, you can journey back to 1471 in the Kingmaker exhibition. This clever reconstruction of the period follows Richard Neville as he prepares for battle. You really get immersed in the display that re-created the streets and rooms of the period and used life-sized mannequins and atmospheric music.
Within the main building of the castle, you can admire the grandeur of the Great Hall and State Rooms. You can also gain a glimpse of how the other half lives by joining the aristocracy of 1898 at a lavish party.
The Time Tower exhibition is an immersive audio-visual experience that presents the full history of the town and the castle. It is a great way to gain a full picture of the history of the place through informative and interesting videos and displays.
Beyond the castle buildings, you can also explore the Conqueror’s Fortress, the oldest remaining feature in the castle. There is also the beautiful Peacock Garden where you are likely to be greeted by some feathered friends!
As well as the castle itself, there are various informative shows throughout the day. Falconry shows, archery, jousting and trebuchet demonstrations all take place at various times during the year. These shows cater to all ages and you are sure to leave having learned something new.
For an additional charge, you can visit the Castle Dungeon. This walk-through experience featuring live actors isn’t one for the faint-hearted!
Lord Leycester Hospital
For your second stop in Warwick, head to Lord Leycester Hospital. Lord Leycester Hospital is located on High Street and is one of the best-preserved examples of medieval courtyard architecture in England.
The building has never been used as a medical institution. Instead, it is a home for local retired servicemen and their wives. These brothers act as guides for guests, and upon arrival, you will be greeted by one, who will give you an introduction to the building and its history.
The first stop on your tour after the introduction is the chapel. This ancient chapel is stunning to behold. Be sure to look above the door through which you entered to see the small stained-glass window by William Morris.
After the chapel, make your way into the impressive Great Hall. The Hall has changed very little in appearance since the 1300s. It was designed to be used by the Guilds for public functions and this continues to this day.
Following the Great Hall, the tour will take you to the Guildhall, via the courtyard. The Guildhall features a display of historical items that Brethren have donated including a large collection of weaponry from various historical periods.
As you pass, we’d recommend stopping in the Brethren’s Kitchen for a spot of lunch. There is a great selection of homemade foods for lunch, including the best scones we’ve ever eaten!
After lunch, finish your visit in the gardens. The knot garden is a small garden that was designed to commemorate the millennium. This is followed by the beautiful Master’s Garden, which comprises of a lawn, summerhouse, pineapple pit, and an impressive nileometer.
There is so much to see at Lord Leycester Hospital. It is easy to pass a couple of hours at least soaking in the history. The Brethren are incredibly knowledgeable and are happy to answer all of your questions.
St Mary’s Church
St Mary’s Church is located in the center of the town and it is visible from almost everywhere, making it an icon of the town.
This stunning church was built almost 900 years ago. It was created by Roger de Beaumont, 2nd Earl of Warwick, in 1123.
The original church was almost completely destroyed by the great fire of Warwick in 1693. The church was rebuilt in 1704 in the Gothic style.
Entry to the church is free, but donations are encouraged. Upon entering you will be provided with an information sheet, which will guide you around the church and highlight points of interest.
Other ideas:
If you have some extra time and you would like to explore more of the local area, why not include day trips to the following towns on your trip:
- Stratford-Upon-Avon: visit the birthplace of the world’s most famous bard and explore what William Shakespeare’s life was like in his hometown.
- Royal Leamington Spa: this historic spa town has some beautiful parks, museums, and shops that are well worth a visit.
- Cotswolds: see the pretty villages of the Cotswolds first-hand and fall in love with the quintessential English countryside.
What to do in Warwick
So we’ve outlined all of our favorite attractions in Warwick, but which ones are on your list to visit? Let us know in the comments!
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Hello, I’m Hannah! I’m a writer and photographer who loves experiencing the wonders of Yorkshire. My guides will help you escape from your daily routine by showing you that you don’t have to go far to find an adventure.
I love touring castles, so this Warwick Castle is right up my alley. The gardens would also interest me. Are there a lot of peacocks in the Peacock Garden even in the cold weather?
Yes, there were a lot of peacocks roaming around and even a family of them with some babies! They all seemed quite at home despite the cold weather!
Now I’m sad we’re leaving England tomorrow! We can keep this for next year though, it looks amazing. My partner’s family live in Oxfordshire so we should make more effort next time to explore a bit more. The castle looks really beautiful!
Hi Jenni, we hope you’ve enjoyed your visit to the UK! Warwick is definitely worth squeezing in a trip if you get a chance when you’re next here. It’s also really close to Stratford-Upon-Avon and the Cotswolds so you can see several beautiful places in one trip.
Warwick is awesome – I visited once quite a while back but I realise I missed quite a lot now! I’ll have to go back for sure. Thanks for sharing 🙂
We were pleasantly surprised by how much Warwick had to offer! So much so we went back for an extra visit because we loved it so much. It is definitely worth a day of exploration to take it all in!
Oh this looks like such an adorable place! When I return back home to Europe, I plan on going backpacking in the UK. Definitely adding this to the list of places to visit!
Warwick is well worth a visit. It is beautiful and has so much history to take in. It’s also really close to Stratford-Upon-Avon and the Cotswolds so you can see several beautiful places on a short trip.
Great post! I’d love to explore more of the UK – I’ve only been to Belfast, London, and Edinburgh!
Krystianna @ Volumes and Voyages
The UK has some wonderful little towns that are worth exploring and aren’t your typical tourist attractions. Even living here we’re constantly discovering new places to explore!
I have yet to visit Warwick, but it really seems like a classic European destination. I love the beautiful village and the warm interior of the castle. Very very cool. My husband would really love this place.
Warwick is really lovely. It has so much more to see than we first expected! The castle is a great attraction with so much to see and do!
This is such a great itinerary! I didn’t know there was so much to do here and now I really want to go see the Warwick Castle! Thanks for sharing so many great things to do and see!
Warwick has so much more to offer than we first thought! Especially the castle, you could easily spend a day in summer viewing it all and seeing all of the activities. It is well worth a visit!
Warwick seems like a really interesting destination with a lot of things to do. Thanks for all the tips, I would never know about it if I wouldn’t see your post!
We think Warwick is a great place for a day trip! The UK has so many fantastic little towns that are well worth a visit. We hope you get an opportunity to visit!
I love all of the old architecture here! I’d love to especially check out Warwick Castle as I have a thing for castles 🙂
The castle is stunning and has so many wonderful exhibitions and things to see!
While the castle is famous, I didn’t know about Lord Leycester Hospital. The building is stunning and I’d love to admire it up close! Cool itinerary!
Lord Leycester Hospital is beautiful. We nearly missed out on a visit as the BBC was wrapping up filming A Christmas Carol when we first went. We’re so glad we re-planed our schedule to go back!
I had no idea Warwick was like this? I love history and architecture so this is the kind of places I like to visit. Plus the city seems to have lots of interesting things to do. I shall add it to my UK bucket list. Thanks for sharing!
The Uk has some fantastic little towns so full of history. York is another one of our favorites! The advantage of a trip to Warwick is the location as it is so close to Stratford-Upon-Avon and the Cotswolds so you can cram a lot of places into a short visit! We hope you get a chance to see Warwick in person.
Omg! Those castles are so dreamy! How have I never heard of this place!? Thanks for sharing girl!
The castle is stunning! It is well worth a visit. We’re glad you like the post!
I LOVE Warwick Castle!! I went there a few times as a kid, as some of my family was from Stratford-upon-Avon so I spent a lot of time there. But weirdly, I don’t think I ever actually went into Warwick itself. I’ll have to check it out next time! That chapel is beautiful!
Warwick castle was amazing…there was so much to see and do! Warwick really surprised us, if you go there we’d definitely recommend a visit to Lord Leycester Hospital. It was a wonderful experience from start to finish!
I’ve only ever been to London (and very briefly), but there’s so much else I’d love to see in the UK. That castle, for starters!
The castle is stunning! We’d definitely recommend a visit if you get a chance! The UK has some beautiful places. As amazing as London is there are many other places worth exploring if you make another visit!
Thought about going to Warwick Castle, but found that to enter on the day is £39 + £8 for dungeon pass….so for my wife and I it would cost £94…absolutley ridiculous !!!!!!!!!!!
You need to update your site with these prices.
Thanks for the heads up Gordon, it has been quite some time since I last visited. I’ve removed the prices to avoid any future confusion!