Kenilworth Castle and Elizabethan Garden

About the museum

Kenilworth Castle was founded in the 1120s by the royal chamberlain Geoffrey de Clinton, who built most of the Norman keep. King John added an outer ring of stone walls and a dam that created a great lake in the early 13th century, making it one of the strongest fortresses in the kingdom. In 1266 supporters of the late Simon de Montfort held it against Henry III for six months, one of the longest sieges in medieval English history.

In the 14th century John of Gaunt turned the castle into a palace and built the Great Hall and its grand apartments, and later Lancastrian kings such as Henry V also favoured it. In 1563 Elizabeth I granted it to her favourite Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, who rebuilt it as a lavish palace. In 1575 he entertained the queen here for 19 days, and he created the garden for her visit.

The castle's defences were dismantled in 1650 after the Civil War, but many buildings survive from the Tudor period and the ruins became famous through Walter Scott's 1821 novel Kenilworth. English Heritage now cares for the site. Visitors can climb Leicester's Building for views from the queen's apartments, walk through the restored Elizabethan Garden with its aviary and marble fountain, and see exhibitions in Leicester's Gatehouse and the Tudor stables.

Highlights

• Norman keep with walls 14 feet thick
• John of Gaunt's Great Hall
• Climb Leicester's Building to the queen's apartments
• Recreated Elizabethan Garden with Renaissance aviary and Carrara marble fountain
• Leicester's Gatehouse exhibition on Elizabeth I and Robert Dudley
• Interactive exhibition in the Tudor stables, with trebuchet balls to touch

Permanent exhibitions

• Leicester's Gatehouse exhibition – An exhibition on the royal romance between Elizabeth I and Robert Dudley, with the Elizabethan bedroom and the Oak Room.
• Meet Kenilworth Castle's people – An interactive exhibition in the Tudor stables showing how the castle changed over 900 years, with dressing-up clothes and trebuchet balls to touch.

Founded

1122

Operated by

English Heritage

Admission & discounts

Prices depend on the day (off-peak, standard or peak). The lowest advance online prices are shown: adult £13.85, child £6.88, concession £13.09 and family £34.76. Advance online adult prices range from £13.85 to £17.00, and tickets bought on the day cost more, from £16.30 to £20.00 for an adult. These prices exclude the optional Gift Aid donation, which adds about 10%. Booking online by midnight the day before saves up to 15%. English Heritage members enter free, with up to six children free with an adult member. Visitors arriving by train, bus or bicycle get 20% off a walk-up ticket on showing a ticket or cycle helmet.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The kitchen area and Great Hall have level access, but the upper floors of the castle are mainly reached by spiral staircases. The garden has compacted gravel paths and smooth grass, and Leicester's Gatehouse and its exhibition can be reached on all floors by lift. A low-level introductory display in the stables is accessible. The ground is undulating, with some steep slopes. Three accessible parking bays are provided and set-down is allowed outside the visitor centre. An accessible toilet is at Leicester's Gatehouse. Wheelchairs can be borrowed, and there are benches around the site. An induction loop is in the admission area and the tearoom, and braille guides and torches are offered, and audio tours are available; some objects such as trebuchet balls may be handled. A sensory story helps visitors plan a visit. Assistance dogs are welcome.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Hands-on stations
• Stroller-friendly
• Baby changing facilities

The stables exhibition has dressing-up clothes and trebuchet balls to touch, and a sensory trail with free cards leads through the Elizabethan Garden. A children's audio tour and a World Builder trail are available. Baby changing is at Leicester's Gatehouse, and the tearoom has three highchairs, child-size portions and hot water on request. Pushchairs are allowed, but access to Leicester's Gatehouse is limited. Kites are not allowed. Seasonal family events such as half-term activities and Father Christmas visits.

Getting there & parking

The castle is in Kenilworth, off the A46, and is signposted from the town centre off the B4103 (sat-nav CV8 1NG). National Cycle Network Route 52 links Coventry, Kenilworth and Warwick, and bike racks are available.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Restaurant: not available
• Museum shop

The Stables Tearoom, in the Tudor stables, serves soups, cakes and light lunches. The shop sells heritage gifts, and there is a second-hand bookshop. The site accepts card payments only. Picnics are welcome on the grass and at benches outside the tearoom.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events
• Weddings / ceremonies

The castle is available for event hire and civil weddings, and a meeting room for up to 12 people can be hired Monday to Friday.

Plan your visit