Warwick (England)

A Medieval fortress, now part of Merlin Entertainments, which also runs Madame Tussauds, Alton Towers, Legoland, Chessington World of Adventures, and the Blackpool Tower. Whether your heart sinks or soars at this corporate portfolio will tell you whether their concept of life in Warwick Castle is for you. Extra charges for the haunted tower and dungeon, where medieval unfortunates were trapped, too poor to exit through the gift shop. The oldest parts of the castle date back to the late 14^th century when the Beauchamp family lived in the castle.

The main attraction, though much of it was ravaged by a fire which makes most of the decor inside fairly recent. The Grevilles lived there in the late 19th century. Waxwork figures and audio narration tell the story of the royal party of 1868 with attendees including Sir Winston Churchill, Lord Curzon and Lord Cavendish. One of the oldest exhibits is a 500-litre copper porridge pot.

Clarence Tower dates back to the late 15^th-century making it genuinely medieval. It takes 500 steps around a very narrow claustrophobic spiral staircase to get up to the top. The view is astounding and you can see St. Mary's church where the Earls of Warwick were buried and the River Avon.

"Hospital" here means hospitality, shelter or hospice. The oldest parts are Norman, but since Elizabethan times it's been – and remains – a retirement home for ex-servicemen. A charming set of 14^th-century timber-framed buildings, the main areas being the Guildhall, Brethrens' Kitchen, and Knot Garden.

Founded in the 12th century; the fine 14th-century Beauchamp chapel is the burial place of the Earls of Warwick. The Nave and Tower were rebuilt in the 17th century after the Great Fire.

Early life in the city and surrounding country.

Set in a Jacobean mansion, this is only open school holidays - term time it's booked out for school use. It covers Victorian life and incorporates the museum of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment of Fusiliers.

This striking castle of a church was founded in the 11th century and restored in the 19th century. It used to serve the village of Chesterton, but the population died or fled when the plague hit in the 13th century.