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Warwick




Warwick is a town that has been populated for about 1000 years. It is best known for its medieval castle founded by William the Conqueror on the banks of the Avon River. 


Warwick has two lesser known attractions that we loved (Mill Garden and the Warwickshire Museum).


Mill Garden


Mill Garden is on the picturesque Avon River and beside the castle. The river runs clear; but not too fast in the shallows. The river is full of life and Monet-esque with its water lilies, willows and stone bridge ruin. 




Mill Garden is an English cottage garden in the truest sense and about 1/3 of an acre in size. It is colour filled with contrasting foliage and flowers; it is also teeming with butterflies, small birds, bumblebees and dragonflies. 




The garden can be found at the end of Mill Lane in Warwick. It is privately owned and entry requires a donation to their local charity.  


Warwickshire Museum 



The Warwick Museum is in the centre of town. The 17th century sandstone market place was converted into a museum in the 19th century. The museum is small. It is about the size that you would expect a town and not a city museum to be. It is a museum that punches above its weight. 



What makes the museum unique is both its theme and strong narrative.  The museum theme was "taking Warwickshire to the world". 



The exhibit included fossils collected locally and a geological  display; locally produced clothing including 19th century hats, shoes, waistcoats, etc; a 16th century silk and wool tapestry map of the shire; a honey display including a live indoor bee hive; taxidermied local animals; and much more. 



Each display connected to the theme and each section was curated with a strong narrative and a few well-chosen display items that supported the narrative. Most of the display items were world class, and many had been borrowed. 



The museum takes no more than 1 hour and can be done in 30 minutes. It's free, but a donation is encouraged.



The museum inspired us. It was a great example of storytelling and cultural preservation, in an engaging and informative way. It also demonstrated that through partnerships world class resource can be accessed. 


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  1. Anonymous5 August 2019 at 03:30

    Well now you have me feeling homesick! My brother lives around the corner and we spent a lovely day in the grounds of Warwick Castle entertaining cousins and nephews. It looks like the weather is being kind and its nice to see a Squirrel!

    Take care both,
    Mark and Juliet xxxx

    ReplyDelete

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