Live like a knight for the day at Warwick Castle

Rosie the Andean condor has a wingspan of nine feet. So when she swoops low over your head, you know about it. The flight of this majestic bird, the largest flying bird in the world – whose habit along the western coast of South America stretches from Ecuador to Argentina – is part of the new Falconer’s Quest show in the grounds of Warwick Castle.

The peregrine falcon itself is another undisputed star of the show as it flies at more than 200mph, sometimes following the course of the River Avon which flows through the grounds, behind which is a trebuchet, the biggest working medieval war machine in the world.

Featuring some 70 different birds in a dynamic display of aerial acrobatics, The Falconer’s Quest is a brand new show this year at Warwick Castle and is included in the price of an admission ticket.

Think of what a castle looks like and Warwick could be close to what you are imagining in your head. It has high walls enclosing a central courtyard, the remains of its original Norman keep still standing on the highest point on a large earth mound, a narrow entrance originally protected by a drawbridge and a pair of portcullises, surrounded by a sunken ditch which was also originally first constructed in Norman times.

First built in 1068 on the orders of William the Conqueror, the Conqueror’s Fortress formed the most important Norman fortification of the original motte and bailey castle

The earliest military strategist to make use of the area’s natural defensive features was Ethelfleda, the daughter of Alfred the Great, as Danish Vikings threatened the Kingdom of Mercia. Construction of what we now know as the castle was begun in 1068. Almost a millennium later and the castle is now owned by Merlin Entertainments, who also run attractions such as Alton Towers, Legoland and the London Eye.

I have never visited a castle with quite so much piped lute music and opportunities to buy souvenirs around every corner. To be fair, since 2007 the Tussauds Group and later Merlin Entertainment have invested £26m in Warwick Castle, so at least the money raised from commemorative photographs, family heraldry, and plastic breastplates and helmets is going to literally keep the castle standing.

At various points throughout the day, children with small wooden swords bought from various gift shops dotted around the place, can take part in knight classes, learning the basics of swordfighting. My four-year-old daughter Lois absolutely loved her swordfighting training, learning a variety of moves that she later put to good use during a daring surprise attack on her eight-year-old sister Mersina, who preferred to eat her ice cream while the lessons took place.

Children can put their new skills to good use walking around the high castle walls that wind around battlements and towers, including a rare 39m-high polygonal tower dating from the late-14th century; get lost within the Horrible Histories Maze; or test their bravery in the dungeons where actors cut off limbs, pull out poor prisoners’ insides and sentence one or two unlucky visitors to long periods of imprisonment.

“Where are you from?” an actor playing a power-crazed judge asked Mersina. “Bristol,” she confidently replied. “Guilty!”the judge shouted without missing a beat.

Inside the main castle, a walk through the rooms can take you through centuries of history, from a collection of different suits of centuries-old armour in the great hall to a party held in 1898 by socialite and philanthropist Daisy Greville, Countess of Warwick (after whom the Victorian music hall standard Daisy, Daisy is named), featuring guests including the Prince of Wales, the future Edward VII; and a young Winston Churchill, back then still a lowly journalist.

Guests can stay in lodges within the Knight’s Village made out to look like miniature castles

The four-poster beds on display were slept on as recently as 1978, when David, the 8th Earl of Warwick, sold the castle and its estates to the Tussauds Group. After a busy day of swordfighting, exploring and getting sentenced to a day in the stocks, our own beds were only slightly less grand. They were located within a collection of lodges known as The Knight’s Village, just a five-minute walk from the castle to the edge of the grounds.

Each lodge has a double bed and a second bedroom with two bunkbeds, with the lodge we stayed in easily fitting in our family of four. Also available is glamping and a pair of suites located in the castle’s 14th century Caesar’s Tower. It’s just one more way that centuries of history at Warwick Castle is brought vividly to life.

The Falconer’s Quest at Warwick Castle takes to the skies until November 3 2019 as part of the castle’s daily show programme. Short breaks at Warwick Castle include one night’s accommodation in the Knight’s Village; two-day entry to the castle so you can catch your favourite shows again or see those you’ve missed on the first day, buffet breakfast served in the Knight’s Village Banquet Hall and car parking. Prices start from £172 per night, based on a family of four sharing a Woodland Lodge. A medieval themed dinner is available in the Knight’s Village Banquet Hall for an additional £18.95 per adult or £9.95 per child. Find out more at www.warwick-castle.com