On the 18th of July, at eight o’clock in the morning, I left Birmingham in a post-chaise and proceeded by a circuitous route to Oxford. I sent on my baggage by the direct course in the stage. I went out of my way for the purpose of visiting the ruins of Kenilworth and Warwick castles. The distance from Birmingham to Oxford by this road is seventy-one miles, the turnpike at times hilly, but invariably good. Our route lay through Knowles, a very charming country town. Kenilworth, on the contrary, is a small ill-looking place, but inclosing splendid ruins of the old castle, which have become universally notorious by the romance of Kenilworth. Excepting the ruins of Paulinzelle, those of Kenilworth are the most beautiful I ever beheld. The castle was built at three different periods. The most ancient northern part erroneously called Cæsar’s tower, was erected about the year 1120, by Geoffroy de Clinton, and was a fortress during the early inland strifes between the barons, the scene of many important events. Towards the close of the fourteenth century, it fell into the possession of John of Gaunt, who added to it the western and largest wing, called after him Lancaster buildings. At a later period Queen Elizabeth bestowed it upon her favourite, the Earl of Leicester, who, in 1571, erected the southern portion, called Leicester buildings; he also built between two towers a tilting yard for tournaments, and erected likewise, the large portico, which now is occupied as a dwelling. In this palace he entertained his queen with a splendid feast, that lasted seventeen days, and which is described in a particular book. After the earl’s death, the castle with its extensive domains, escheated to the crown. Cromwell partitioned it among several of his officers, who drained the ditch, that circumscribed the greater portion of the castle walls, and likewise destroyed the park, and ultimately the castle, to sell the timber. Nothing but the tower, containing the portico, remains standing, because one of the officers occupied two rooms over the gateway, he turned this building into a dwelling place. This is still to be seen, and is now inhabited by Lord Clarendon’s agent, whose forefathers received a grant of this castle from Charles II.
Through this building you enter the grounds belonging to the castle, after passing through a file of beggarly children, who offer you a description of the ruins for eighteen pence. Near the old house, called Gateway, there is a sign saying that the chimney-piece may be seen for sixpence. A tidy girl receives this stipend with a smart courtsey, and opens the door leading into an old room; it is one of the two which have been made out of the gateway. The chimney-piece was probably transported from the castle during the sacking of it. It is of alabaster, and bears the inscription, “Droit et Loyal,” and on each side the initial letters R. L., Robert Leicester; beneath it is Leicester’s coat of arms, surrounded by the order of the garter; below is inscribed the year 1571, and the motto, Vivit post funera virtus. Over the chimney-piece there is a square frame, containing the initial letters E. R., Elizabeth Regina; in the centre of it are holes, which lead one to believe that weapons were formerly fastened in them.
The garden lies to the right of this building. Close thereto is the dungeon, which stands on rising ground between the castle and the moat, which is now transformed into meadow-ground, and it runs north, west, and south, round the castle to the tilting ground. The bank of the moat was lined by a wall, crowned with several towers, one of which was called the Swan-tower. On the left hand one perceives a large yard, in the rear of which are the out-houses, and behind them lie the fortified walls with several towers. On ascending to the right of the castle, you arrive at the grand court, which is now only encompassed on three sides by ruins of edifices; of the buildings that were situated on the fourth side, no trace is remaining. The first ruin that you discover on the right is that called Cæsar’s tower; of this building, which was quadrangular, three sides are still standing; the walls are on an average sixteen feet thick. Here a flight of stairs lead to a door, now built up, which opened to the garden. Here is the only fountain which has as yet been discovered among the ruins. It is, like the whole castle, built of red sandstone, and cut, farther down, out of the hard rock; it is seventy feet deep, but is gradually filling up by the many stones cast into it. The kitchen adjoins Cæsar’s tower, and must have been a considerably large building, but there are only a few remains of it. The place where the furnaces and large kettles stood is still perceptible.
Adjoining the kitchen is the strong tower, forming the north-west corner; it is here that the Lancaster buildings commence. In this tower, which is also supported by uncommonly strong walls, are several tolerably well preserved winding stairs, by means of which one can ascend the walls to enjoy a fine and delightful prospect. Here are likewise cellars, still in good condition. The corners of this tower lead to small outer-towers provided with port-holes, which must have served for the defence of the place. Left of this building you reach the great hall. You observe in the basement story the servant’s hall, vaulted and furnished with central columns, which support the broken arches to the right and left. Over those arches is still to be seen where the flooring of the grand banquet-hall stood. The windows of this hall are very high, in a Gothic style, with columns in their centre. In the recesses of the windows are still several stone benches, and there are also two chimney-pieces to be seen in this hall. A smaller room is connected with it, having likewise a fire-place, which served as a chapel; and there is also a small closet, which the folks here call Queen Elizabeth’s dressing-room.
The great hall forms the south-west corner of the castle, and the ruins connected with it, belong to the southern wing. Close to the great hall, there are two ruins, of which but little remains to be seen, the first is called the white hall, the other the presence chamber. The so called privy chamber is next to them, in which a window and fire-place are still distinguishable; they say, that the chimney-piece, now in the gate-house, was taken from this place. Here begins the newest part of the castle, or the Leicester buildings. They consist of a large, quadrangular tower, four stories high, in which the place for the staircase, as well as the different stories, may still be clearly distinguished. And here terminate these uncommonly interesting and picturesque ruins, to the beauties of which the creeping ivy, which has grown very thickly over them, adds considerably. Fortunately, Lord Clarendon has forbidden, that any portion of the ruins should be taken away, for previous to the prohibition of such an abuse, the peasantry were in the habit of carrying away stones from the ruins to build their houses and for repairing their garden-walls.
From Kenilworth I travelled five miles through a lovely country to the town of Warwick, the capital of Warwickshire, to behold the Earl of Warwick’s castle, at that place. Two miles from this town, lie the now much visited and fashionable springs of Leamington, where with the exception of the company, nothing remarkable is to be seen. Warwick stands on stony heights, on the banks of the river Avon, contains about nine thousand inhabitants, and though a very ancient city, has a tolerably agreeable appearance. The principal church has an ancient and venerable aspect, as also two gateways, the remains of the old city walls, now standing in the middle of the streets. The court-house is a new edifice, and as the town assizes were then holding, several splendid equipages were drawn up in front of it.
I immediately afterwards proceeded to the castle close to the city. It is a very old building, the foundation of which, it is said, was laid before the conquest of England by the Normans; the walls and towers still standing, which environ the court-yard of the castle, are said to have been erected at that period. The castle stands upon a rock by the bank of the Avon, and commands a view of a surprisingly romantic country. At the foot of this ancient castle, at the water’s edge, are the castle mills, which on account of their venerable appearance, and the waterfall, caused by a dam in the river, greatly enhance the beauty of the scene. Behind the mill are to be seen the ruins of a bridge which led over the river, and is now overgrown with ivy. Quite in the back ground, one discovers the new bridge over which the road from Leamington runs. These groups produce an uncommonly pleasing prospect.
On approaching the castle from the city, you see a gate with a Gothic tower, which serves as a habitation for the gate-keeper. Hence, after inscribing your name in a book, you continue on your way to the castle. This road leads through the park, and is mostly cut in the rock, the sides of which are very picturesquely overgrown with ivy.
On attaining an open space, the whole castle stands in view; it is approached over a stone bridge, through a gate furnished with a portcullis, and then you find yourself in a spacious court-yard, the castle standing to your left, in front, and to the right the lofty walls that surround the court-yard, studded with towers. Grated gates lead underneath the towers, to the park that surrounds the castle. I entered the castle up a handsome spacious staircase, and there I found the neat house-keeper, who for money and good words, shows strangers the interior of the castle.
First you enter the great hall, the walls are lined with carved oak wood, and ornamented with scutcheons and ancient arms, and with three real colossal elk-horns, the largest of which was found in Ireland, and the other two in America. From this hall there is a fine view into a considerable suite of rooms, and from the windows the charming prospect of the Avon, and the before-mentioned mills and bridges.