Parking
A car parking charge applies to ensure that English Heritage members and paying visitors have priority. The charge is refunded on admission, except on Bank Holiday weekends.
On the Sunday and Monday of Bank Holiday weekends the charge is £2 for the whole day (for members and non-members). Alternatively, as the car park can get quite busy on bank holidays, we offer a free shuttle bus from the town centre for visitors who choose to use the town centre car parks. These car parks are not managed by English Heritage so parking charges are likely to apply.
Free shuttle buses leave every 10-15 minutes from 10am to 6pm from the Kenilworth clock tower stop, outside the Holiday Inn.
Food and Drink
The Stables Tea Room offers a seasonal menu of daily specials together with home-baked cakes and Fair Trade tea and coffee. Our ingredients are locally sourced where possible. Ample seating.
The tearoom is open daily (10.30am - 4.30pm) from April to October. From November to March it is open Sat and Sun only (11m - 3pm). Groups by prior arrangement - please phone the site to book.
Kids lunchbox and portions available.
Picnic Area
There are benches situated at the picnic area outside the cafe. There are also large grassed areas around the site that are ideal for picnics.
Shop
Shop sells an extensive range of heritage gifts and souvenirs, including armour, swords, books, jams, alcohol, kids toys and tapestries.
Toilets
Unisex toilet located in Leicester's Gatehouse with baby changing facilities. Disabled toilet is located at Leicester's Gatehouse.
Dogs
Allowed in grounds on lead only. Assistance dogs welcome throughout the site.
Exhibition
An exhibition detailing the history of the castle can be found in the stables, next to the tearoom.
Leicester’s Gatehouse is displayed with the chambers on its lower floors re-created as they might have appeared when the gatehouse was last inhabited in the 1930s.
There is an additional display on the top floor of Leicester's Gatehouse titled ‘The Queen and the Castle: Robert Dudley’s Kenilworth’. Featuring items both from museums and private collections, this exhibition tells the story of Elizabeth I’s relationship with Dudley and her four visits to Kenilworth.
Gardens
Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, created a special, fabulous garden for Queen Elizabeth I in 1575.
This garden, lost for centuries, has been brought back to life by a pioneering team of historians, archaeologists, plantsmen and plantswomen, designers, craftspeople and gardeners. Featuring a fountain and aviary, it presents the most complete evocation of an Elizabethan garden anywhere in the world.
Large grassed areas surround the castle. There is plenty of room for children to run around, but kites not allowed due to large trees.
Audio Tours
- Audio Tour Availability
- Audio tours included in the price available from the visitors centre (English, French, German and a children's version), except Bank Holiday weekends.
Family Friendly
- Baby Changing Facilities
- Unisex toilet located in Leicester's Gatehouse with baby changing facilities.
- Bottle/Food Warming
- Please ask for hot water.
- Children's Audio Tour
- Children's audio tour included in the price available from the visitor centre.
- Children's Cutlery
- Yes
- Child Sized Portions
- Yes
- Highchairs
- Three highchairs available in the Tea Room.
- Pushchairs Allowed
- Yes, limited access to Leicesters Gatehouse.
Education
- Family Learning
- Various Family learning activities including dressing-up clothes in the Stables exhibition. Please see the Events page for more details.
Please be aware
Some traffic may need access to Leicester's Gatehouse for weddings on Friday/Saturday.
A high area in the Castle Strong Tower may be closed in high winds.
International
- Foreign Language Audio Tours
- French and German.
Venue Hire
- Available for Event Hire
- Yes.
- Civil Weddings
- Yes.
Commercial Photography and Filming
English Heritage welcomes all photographers to our sites and we hope you will share your pictures with us on Flickr and Facebook.
We do have some restrictions at certain locations, so if photography is your main reason for visiting, please call the site ahead of your visit to check if any parts of the site are restricted.
If you are interested in using English Heritage sites for commercial photography this must be arranged in advance. Please go to: Sarah Eastel Locations (http://www.film-locations.co.uk) for more information.
