A Hurried Visit To Warwick

[poliphilo]

The wedding was in Southampton, which if you travel in a straight line from here, heading South, is as far as you can go without hiring a boat. We stopped off in Warwick- for no better reason than we'd never been there before- to eat a hurried picnic lunch and (of course) visit the church. Ailz didn't like the church because there was no provision for wheelchair users and there were people on the door intimidating you into making a donation. It's very handsome.  It was partly burned out in the 18th century and- though Christopher Wren submitted a plan- the commission to rebuild went to a man called Wilson who pulled off an eccentric but impressive design that dresses up a wild gothic idea with respectable Graeco-Roman detail. The Eastern part of the church survived the fire and is full of wonderful things- mainly tombs. Fulke Greville- the gay Elizabethan poet who was murdered by his boyfriend/manservant and whose playful spirit haunts the "Ghost Tower" at Warwick Castle- has a great, slabby thing that takes up most of the floor space in the little medieval chapter house and the remarkable Beauchamp Chapel is full of dukes and earls. 

Most notably- or famously- there's Elizabeth I's favourite, Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester- who lies here with Lettice, the wife of his old age, who outlived him by 46 years. 

Comments

[saare-snowqueen.livejournal.com]

I'm not opposed to leaving a donation to churches and historical buildings for their upkeep and restoration. The operative word that i object to is 'intimidated'

I am a local tourism guide here on my island and one of the loveliest of the 13th century stone churches here is in Karja. Unfortunately it is guarded by a gorgon who demands payment before allowing groups to enter. She is so unpleasant that I go out of my way to take my groups to other of the island's historic churches where we are received more graciously.
As for Warwick Castle - the word's operated by Tussauds says all there is to say.

[nostoi.livejournal.com]

I loved Warwick Castle; we've been twice and it is fabulous value for money. The waxworks are done exceptionally well and the whole thing is a lot more fun and interactive than the sterility of National Trust properties where you're barely allowed to take a breath.