Plan your trip

We have a wide range of materials to support your visit and make school trip planning easy. You can find all our site-specific information and tools below, and for Covid-19 risk assessments and measures we’ve got in place please visit our what to expect page.

Download our free resources to help you make the most out of your visit and create unique learning experiences before, during and after your trip. We also offer free planning visits for group leaders once you have made a booking. Visit our bookings page to start planning your trip!

• Facilities
  • PARKING: Car park with coach parking opposite entrance.
  • TOILETS: Unisex toilet located in Leicester's Gatehouse. 
  • SHOP: The shop is open for small groups of 10 students accompanied by a leader. Alternatively, you can order goody bags, which can be booked in advance paid for on the day.
  • EDUCATION SPACE: The education space is currently unavailable.
  • LEICESTER’S GATEHOUSE: Entry to Leicester's Gatehouse cannot be guaranteed. Please inquire at the Visitor Centre on arrival if you wish to book a timed entry slot.
  • LUNCH: You are welcome to bring a picnic to eat in the grounds. There are picnic benches and grassed areas to sit on. In the case of wet weather we will try to provide an indoor space, but this cannot be guaranteed. 
  • ACCESSIBILITY: There are accessible toilet facilities on site. Please also note that much of the site has uneven surfaces. Some areas of the castle are accessed via steps and stairs.

• Hazard Information

  A useful tool to help with your risk assessments. 

  • Kenilworth Castle and Elizabethan Garden Hazard Information.pdf (53.5 KB)

• Discovery Visits

  A Discovery Visit Guide provides you with everything you need to know about our expert-led Discovery Visits at Kenilworth Castle. It includes a breakdown of the learning objectives and details on how to prepare for the sessions, plus ready-made Risk Assessments, to take the hassle out of planning.

  • Kenilworth Castle and Elizabethan Garden Discovery Visit Guide (KS1-4).pdf (1.7 MB)

• Risk Assessments

  Our ready-made Discovery Visit Risk Assessments take the hassle out of planning. 

  • GCSE Tour Risk Assessment.pdf (58.4 KB)
  • Life in a Castle Risk Assessment.pdf (56.5 KB)
  • Medieval Castle Quest Risk Assessment.pdf (56.6 KB)

• Learning Resources

  A Teachers' Kit is a free educational tool packed with everything you need to give your group a deep insight into the place you are visiting. Featuring historical information, suggestions for activities, and high-quality images, this resource is a comprehensive toolkit for group leaders of various subjects and key stages. Kits also include key site information, facilities, and plans.

  • Kenilworth Castle and Elizabethan Garden Teachers' Kit (KS1-KS4+).pdf (34.9 MB)

   

  We've worked with the OCR exam board to create this guide to Kenilworth Castle, supporting OCR History A: Explaining the Modern World. 

  • OCR GCSE History A - Explaining the Modern World - Teachers' Guide to Kenilworth Castle.pdf (1.1 MB)

  
  With all history GCSEs now requiring a study of the historic environment, we’ve also created a site proposal form to help you with your planning in conjunction with OCR.

  • Kenilworth Castle OCR Spec B: History Around Us (GCSE).pdf (232.3 KB)

• Education Site Opening Times

  We offer free self-led education visits during school term time^*. From November until March we open exclusively for education groups at selected sites when booking an expert-led Discovery Visit. See our education opening times below for individual site information.

  ^*Free education visits are not offered on UK public holidays or during the operation of additional fee paying public events at English Heritage sites.

  • April-June: Monday-Sunday 10-5pm. Discovery Visits available Monday-Friday
  • July-August: Monday-Sunday 10-6pm. Discovery Visits available Monday-Friday
  • September-October: Monday-Sunday 10-5pm. Discovery Visits available Monday-Friday
  • 1 November-23 December: Saturday-Sunday 10-4pm
  • 26 December-1 January: Monday-Sunday 10-4pm. Discovery Visits available Monday-Friday
  • 2 January-17 February: Saturday-Sunday 10-4pm
  • 18 February-26 February: Monday-Sunday 10-4pm. Discovery Visits available Monday-Friday
  • 27 February-31 March: Wednesday-Sunday 10-4pm. Discovery Visits available Wednesday-Friday