WARWICK

Warwick Castle

The history stretches back almost 1,100 years. In 914AD Ethelfleda, daughter of Alfred the Great, ordered the building of a 'burh' or an earthen rampart to protect the small hill top settlement of Warwick from Danish invaders.

William I ordered a wooden motte and bailey fortress to be built on the same site. This led to the building of a magnificent stone fortress in the 1480s.
It is now owned by the Tussauds Group, and is constantly being voted as England's Best Historic Attraction - a title it richly deserves.

These are pre-digital pictures. I really need to go back and have a good look round. Without having the pictures to show, it's pointless going into the rich trappings of history that marked Warwick Castle and its' owners as a vital part of British History through the centuries

Wroxall Abbey

Now, this isn't a visitor's attraction, it's a hotel. However, it does have a good history behind it.
Once the country seat of Sir Christopher Wren, Wroxall boasts a magnificent collection of listed buildings and private grounds. The House itself, is beautiful. 

The stables and coach house have been sympathetically turned into further accommodation for the hotel.

In the grounds, are a private 14th. Century church, 

and the ruins of Wroxall Abbey itself.

When I was there the spacious gardens and the lake were still in the process of being restored. I'm certain they are stunning by now

I had the pleasure of staying here a couple of times on business, and the hotel lived up to my expectation of how a country house hotel should be.
And it has a one-eyed cat called Nelson!