“Really interesting” Court House Tour

Guests who joined our socially-distanced Court House Tour on September 5th said it was ‘really interesting’ to hear about the history of Warwick and the construction of the building after the Great Fire of Warwick that had taken place on that very day 326 years ago.

Some of the group live in the Warwick area; others had travelled from further afield, including a couple from Yorkshire who were visiting Warwick for the first time. 

Unlocking Warwick’s Karen Parker managed to cover a great deal of the town’s history and its leading figures in just 45 minutes, including Aethelflaeda the Anglo-Saxon lady of the Mercians who founded the town, Thomas Oken and Nicholas Eyffler the town’s benefactors, Robert Dudley the Earl of Leycester who managed to acquire the Guildhall, forcing the town Burgesses to move into a tavern on the present site of the Court House, Kellynge Greenway the banker who lost people’s savings, and Francis Smith who designed and built the Court House, now Grade-1 listed.

Starting in Pageant Garden at the back of the building, the tour included a look at the Town Council Chamber, and finished in the Regency Ballroom on the first floor. 

The final Court House Tours of this season will be on Saturday 19th September as part of the Heritage Open Days events. They will start at 11am and 2pm, and last about 45 minutes. The tours are free, but numbers are limited to ensure distancing, and guests must book in advance at the Visitor Information Centre on the corner of Jury Street and Castle Street. Or phone the staff on 01926 492212.