As well as Grand Interiors Britain's Ultimate Castle offers some stunning outdoor experiences.
Conservatory & Peacock Garden
The beautifully proportioned conservatory, which acts as a focal point in the landscape, was built in 1786 by a local mason, William Eborall.
Originally, it was designed as a home for the Warwick Vase, a magnificent piece of ancient Roman pottery excavated near Tivoli in 1771.
The original vase is now on display at the Burrell Collection in Glasgow. There is, however, a full-size replica standing in the conservatory, which has since been converted back to its Victorian use as an ornamental glasshouse for growing exotic plants.
Directly in front of the conservatory is the Peacock Garden, designed by the Victorian landscape gardener Robert Marnock. Running gently down to the river is Pageant Field, flanked on either side by trees, of which some, like the Cedars of Lebanon, are over 200 years old.
The Mound
First built in 1068 on the orders of William the Conqueror, it formed the most important part of the Norman castle's defence system.
Advances in military architecture, however, made it more and more of an outpost. By the 17th century, it had been absorbed within Sir Fulke Greville's garden, topped by a single Scots pine.
Today, it is the perfect vantage point, not for defending against marauding English troops but for taking in the beautiful unfolding views of these peaceful grounds.
Victorian Rose Garden
First laid down in 1868, the Rose Garden, like the Peacock Garden was designed by Robert Marnock.
By the end of the Second World War, though, it had disappeared under a tennis court. Fortunately, two of Marnock's original drawings survived, so the plot was lovingly brought back to life in 1986.
Its charm stems from the contrast between the very precise geometry and proportions of the beds and the garden's informal, almost secretive setting.
The roses are all of the old-fashioned type, many of them popular with the Victorians. To commemorate the recreation of the garden, 120 years on, a new English rose was bred and named 'Warwick Castle'. The best time to see the display is in late June and the whole of July.
The pair of unusual icehouses date back to the 1830s and were built in the earth bank facing away from the sun. They were still being used in 1869 when in December of that year 16s 4d allowance was paid 'to men filling the ice houses'.
The River & Island
Downstream from the mill, a bridge takes you across the Avon and onto the island.
In the 1890s, the island used to be inhabited by, amongst others, some Japanese deer, a flock of Chinese geese, an emu, assorted racoons, an ant bear and a baby elephant.
They were part of a menagerie collected by the Countess of Warwick. The elephant got rather big, as elephants do, and had to be given to an animal trainer in Leamington Spa. The emu, on the other hand, entered the pages of emu history by chasing a bishop through the castle grounds.
The popular activity of pleasure boating saw much innovation at Warwick Castle when the Earl and Countess purchased an electric launch. Delivered to the castle by the Great Western Railway company in 1898, the luxurious launch had comfortable fittings, such as carpets, blinds and awnings and was powered by a number of batteries which were re-charged in the millhouse.
