Day 164 - June 13th

Tomorrow we are going to the BBC Gardeners World Live and Good Food Summer Shows at the NEC in Birmingham.

We decided to drive to Birmingham today and stay over, ready to go to the shows nice and early and on the way stopped at Kenilworth Castle.

Kenilworth Castle is managed by English Heritage and much of it is in ruins. The castle was founded after the Norman Conquest of 1066; with development through to the Tudor period. It has been described as "the finest surviving example of a semi-royal palace of the later Middle Ages".

The castle was built over several centuries. Founded in the 1120s the castle was significantly enlarged at the beginning of the 13th century. In the late 14th century the medieval castle was turned into a palace fortress. 

Kenilworth’s greatest period began when Elizabeth I’s childhood friend, Robert Dudley took possession of the castle in 1563. He spent fortunes turning it into a showpiece mansion to impress the queen.

2025 marks the 450th anniversary of Elizabeth I's most famous visit to Kenilworth Castle, in July 1575. The spectacular garden Dudley created just for this visit, including a Renaissance aviary, flower beds and an imposing fountain have all be restored.