Enjoy the sights, sounds, smells and taste of Christmas past at Kenilworth Castle

Saturday 27th - Sunday 28th November 2010, 11am - 4pm
Kenilworth Castle is celebrating the countdown to Christmas with a weekend of family fun, heart warming stories, mulled wine and festive food, on Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th November.

In the true spirit of Christmas, Leicester’s Gatehouse will be decorated with Christmas trees and play host to Kenilworth Castle’s resident story-teller, a Scrooge-like character with ghostly looking skin, who will be regaling visitors with two of the greatest Christmas stories of all time – A Christmas Carol and The 1914 Christmas Truce. Young and old alike will delight in the way that historic interpreter, Kevin Hicks will bring Dickens’ iconic tale to life. With the help of puppets, Kevin will take the audience back to the filth and squalor of Victorian England on a fun, and sometimes scary, journey accompanied by the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future, to rediscover the joy of Christmas.

In his moving account of The Truce, Kevin will draw on the real experience of local regiment, The Royal Warwickshire, and his own understanding of battlefields as an ex-soldier. Another dimension will be added in the shape of weapons, which literally help the audience reach out and connect with history. The story times are 11am, 12 noon, 1.30pm, 2.30pm and 3.30pm daily.

A hunt for Christmas around the castle provides ongoing entertainment and a chance for the whole family to get together to solve a fun trail of clues. There is a festive treat for every winner! For lovers of Christmas gastronomy, food will certainly be in plentiful supply at Kenilworth Castle’s shop this year, where visitors have an open invitation to sample mulled wine and some of the products. Alongside heritage-inspired gifts and Christmas cards, visitors will find a wide variety of locally sourced goodies, such as Forest of Arden 1086 preserves, and things like Christmas mead, traditional Christmas puddings and plum puddings that are only available at this time of year. The beautifully wrapped and presented cakes, tins of biscuits, jams and chutneys, make lovely gifts and tempting treats. Hampers are also available to order.

For a Christmas toast with a difference, there is a selection of award-winning Lyme Bay countryside wines, including Elderberry and Port Liqueur, Whisky and Mead Liqueur and Damsen Liqueur, Mead or the new Chase Williams Crisp Gin, which is made from organic apples. The shop also stocks ales from the local Tunnel Brewery, including ‘Let Battle Commence!’ which would be a novel way to start the proceedings at Christmas lunch this year!

Other gift ideas include: • Jacquard weave tapestries made on looms in Brussels - wall hangings and cushion covers, priced from £84 to £400 • Replica swords from Medieval and Tudor times, priced from £60 to £250 • ‘Dressing up’ swords and shields for children, priced from £3.50. Kenilworth Castle will be holding similar Christmas events on Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th December and Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th December, from 11am to 4pm each day. Don’t forget, the site and shop are also open daily from 10am to 4pm. On Tuesday 7 December, the shop is holding a 10% off promotion exclusively for holders of Kenilworth Local Residents’ Passes.

Tickets include entry to both the event and the site and are available on the day. Prices are £7.60 for adults, £6.50 for concessions and £3.80 for children, with a family ticket available (two adults and up to three children) for £19.00. English Heritage members get in free. There is a car parking charge at Kenilworth Castle, redeemable against admission.

For more details, please call Kenilworth Castle on 01926 852078 or visit www.english-heritage.org.uk/kenilworthcastle
ENDS
For further media information, please contact: Jay Commins PRO – English Heritage Tel: 0113 251 5698 Mob: 07810 546567 Email: jay@fim.org.uk