Kenilworth

Denise Coomber, 38, from Massachusetts, USA, wrote:

Having lived in Kenilworth for 10 years, we visited the castle many times. My favorite visit was with one of my children's classes at school. The head teacher is a mine of historical information and guided us through the history of the castle from its beginnings, its role as a fortress and later as a home for Robert Dudley. Elizabeth the first was extravagantly entertained here and Henry the fifth made Kenilworth one of his residences. It's a place where you need to use your imagination to transport you back into its medieval splendors. The castle also entertains by re enacting past battles and having various concerts, pageants, plays and so on within the castle grounds.

Missy, 31, from Boston, wrote:

I spent a great deal of time investigating the wonders of Kenilworth. If you sit there real quietly you can almost feel the history. A place that was once one of the most beautiful structures known to man, it still holds its majestic aura and would never disappoint.

Robyn, From Southwest, USA, wrote:

We visited Kenilworth in 1993; it was by far my favorite. Although largely in ruins, it was very romantic. The surviving window tracery is beautiful -- it's amazing that stone can be carved to look like lace. I think part of the reason this castle appealed to me is because of its association with John of Gaunt, who figured as a major character in one of my favorite historical novels, Katherine, by Anya Seton. When we were at Kenilworth, there were two gardens; one was a very formal Elizabethan knot garden and the other a more informal, small and secluded flower garden. Both very beautiful, although in completely different ways.