Bucketlist Destination | Warwickshire Local Adventures

Warwickshire is a non-metropolitan and landlocked county located in England’s West Midlands. The county is not only picturesque but is famous for being the home of William Shakespeare. When we put together the Warwickshire Local Adventures itinerary, we want it to be flexible. The places mentioned in this article are those that we spent more time exploring whilst in Warwickshire.

Our Warwickshire Local Adventures were an impromptu decision on a lazy weekend with lots of free time. When I wrote the 2019 Bucketlist, I put Warwickshire because of our visit to Ardencote Hotel and Spa and wanting to explore the county more. We had heard of Warwick Castle but not much else and for that, the Warwickshire Local Adventures was born.

The Warwickshire Local Adventures post will focus only on a small part of the beautiful Shakespearean county. Another visit to the county is on the cards to explore Shakespeare’s home of Stratford-on-Avon. For those who’ve visited the county, what other places would you recommend? In the meantime, here is a variety of things that you can do on your Warwickshire Local Adventures day trip.

Bucketlist Destination | Warwickshire Local Adventures

The county of Warwickshire is divided into 5 districts with Nuneaton being the largest and Warwick is the county town. Majority of the places we visited were in the county town of Warwick most because of the various town parks and the Castle. Our Warwickshire Local Adventures guide is family friendly with lots of places to explore.

The Castle

Warwick castle is a medieval castle originally built by William the conquerer, today its a popular tourist destination. For non-members, the fee to enter the castle fee is £20, this allows you to explore the castle and the grounds. Purchasing the annual membership (£30) is more cost-effective, it allows you to visit as many times as you want across 12 months.

The Parks

Throughout the country of Warwickshire, it is filled with an abundance of city parks, a nice place to relax in or take a walk around. Jephson Gardens are one that we recommend highly, we spent a lot of time enjoying the weather in these gardens. Hill Close Gardens are also a very popular place for families to hang out and let the kids run wild.

The Museums

We are huge museum lovers and every place we visit, we have to check out the local museums. Shakespeare’s county has plenty but in Warwick, we spent time at St John’s museum, a small museum near Warwick Castle. A few other ones we didn’t get a chance to see but wanted to check out the Market Hall Museum.

The Churches

When it comes to churches, England has its fair share of some of the most majestic old churches ever. In Warwick, I was specifically interested in seeing St. Mary’s Church which even on a busy Saturday was pretty hard. Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-on-Avon is another church that I wanted to see the most but alas I run out of time.

The Cobbled Streets

When I visit Prague, I always enjoy walking around the city filled with so many cobbled streets, the same thing with Brno. I loved that near Warwick Castle, most of the side streets were covered in cobbled stone. There is something enchanting about cobbled streets and adding Warwick Castle as the backdrop makes for a mesmerising scene.

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English Heritage Properties

English Heritage is a charity that manages over 400 properties across England these include medieval castles, historical sites, monuments and places. As a member of this charity, I explore these historical places for free for a small annual fee of £56. During my Warwickshire Local Adventures, I was able to visit Kenilworth Castle thanks to my English Heritage Membership.

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National Trust Properties

The National Trust is similar to English Heritage and as a member, I have access to more than 500 places across the UK. Over the last few years, I have visited almost all the National Trust Properties in Oxfordshire. Every town in the UK that I visit, I always check to see if they have any NT properties and Warwickshire has plenty. I was able to visit Charlecote Park as it fitted perfectly into the itinerary we had compiled for the Warwickshire Local Adventures.

No solo adventure is complete without venturing off course because something caught my attention. Walking around in Warwick, I stumbled upon Lord Leycester Hospital – a charity supporting ex-servicemen in Warwick. Then on my drive to another location, I saw the remains of Guys Cliffe – thought to be a haunted house in Warwick. I did not need to hear more, I saw what I could and left, haunted places are not my kind of thing.

I am glad to have ticked off another Bucketlist Destination from our 2019 Travel & Staycation Bucketlist. In January we ticked off Devon, February was Phuket and April will be Lagos, Nigeria. How are you doing with your 2019 travel bucketlist?