For more than 400 years, the magnificent Elizabethan garden at Kenilworth Castle was lost to the world. In May 2009, it was re-created for all to enjoy once more and now, one year on, it is an established feature of one of the greatest castle ruins in Britain and a must see for all garden lovers, history enthusiasts and those that just enjoy a great day out.
Originally created for Queen Elizabeth I by Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester at a time when he still hoped to marry her, this was a garden designed to seduce and beguile its visitors.
Using advances in garden archaeology, along with the survival of an extraordinary eye-witness description from 1575, it was possible to re-create the sights, sounds and scents that would have greeted Queen Elizabeth I when she first walked its paths, as she made her progress around England.
Magnificent carved arbours; a bejewelled aviary; planting abundant in colour, perfume and fruits and an 18-foot-high fountain carved from dazzling Carrara marble are just some of the glories that make Kenilworth Castle's latest addition the most complete picture of an Elizabethan garden anywhere in the world.
The re-creation of the garden marked the end of a £3 million investment project including the refurbishment of Leicester's gatehouse and stables, meaning there is now more than ever to see and do as you step back in time at Kenilworth Castle.
