Bumper event programme for days - and nights - at English Heritage sites in the West Midlands and Cheshire

An event programme so packed that it continues into the evenings – that’s the promise for English Heritage’s sites in theWest Midlandswhere the planning team has turned to twilight for inspiration for a number of events!

English Heritage will play homage to the Diamond Jubilee in 2012 with a distinctly royal theme to many of the events at properties such asKenilworthCastle &   ElizabethanGarden, Witley Court & Gardens and the castles of Stokesay and Goodrich. Looking at kings and queens past and present, a collection of trails, hands-on activities and even royal tournaments awaits visitors stepping through the gates.

Indeed,KenilworthCastle’s events celebrate the most significant reigns in its 900 year history, providing visitors with entertainment that would have pleased any Royal visiting the site from the 12thcentury onwards. “Much of what you see at Kenilworth Castle today, including the Gatehouse, stables and Elizabethan garden, were specifically built to entertain royal visitors, and we’ll be making good use of the tiltyard this year for another royal pursuit, when we kick off the school summer holidays with our Grand Medieval Joust in July,” says events manager, Karen Pike.

A more modern treat awaits Jubilee weekend visitors to Witley Court & Gardens, with a special Picnic Party on Sunday 3 and Monday 4 June – everyone is invited to bring a blanket and picnic basket, with a fun trail for children, too!

In May,KenilworthCastleandWitley Courtwill take part in the Museums at Night initiative. On Friday 18 May, visitors can enjoy dusk tours and talks around the ruins and gardens of Witley Court to see some of the wildlife that returns to the site when the visitors have normally gone home, whilst at Kenilworth Castle, families are invited to spend the whole night in the castle on Saturday 19 May – a unique experience for young and old alike when they can sleep in Leicester’s Stables and enjoy a twilight wander around Britain’s largest ruined castle. “Normally, it is only camping re-enactors who get to stay on the site overnight, but we ran a pilot event last summer which was a huge success, so this year, we’re opening up Warwickshire’s most exclusive ‘B&B’ for one night only again,” adds Karen.

Details of all of English Heritage’s events throughout the West Midlands are available from the English Heritage website at www.english-heritage.org.uk/events, with a leaflet available by calling 0870 333 1183.

ENDS

For further media information, please contact:

Jay Commins – PRO English Heritage (West Midlands)

Tel: 0113 251 5698

Mob: 07810 546567

Email: jay@fim.org.uk