Wow….. that’s how I would sum up our stay at the woodland lodges in the Knights Village at Warwick Castle, it was truly a unique and memorable experience.
This is our review of the woodland lodges at Warwick Castle during our visit to Warwickshire and Shakespeares England during half term.
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to stay at a medieval castle? We had the chance not only to visit the fantastic Warwick Castle for their Haunted Castle event but also stay at one of their lodges at the Knights Village and we’re so happy we did.
A lot has changed at Warwick Castle since our last visit 4 years ago including the addition of on-site accommodation. The Knights Village contains 28 medieval themed timber lodges that have been built within the beautiful woodland surroundings in the grounds of Warwick Castle, next to the River Avon.
As we were staying at the woodland lodges, car parking was complimentary at the designated VIP parking bays (its currently £6 per day for guests visiting the castle) and is conveniently located just a short walk from the main reception area.
Even before we got to the check-in desk we caught our first glimpse of the medieval theming with shields attached to the wooden walkways, which just added to our excitement.
Check-in at the main lobby was welcoming, fast and efficient, the main difference at Knights Village compared to a hotel was that the lobby area was set in a medieval themed building which also housed the banqueting hall where breakfast and dinner was served.
Once all the paperwork was finalised, we received our key cards for our lodge and our 2 day tickets for Warwick Castle (another benefit of staying on-site) and set off along the raised wooden walkways which run through the woods to our lodge.
Our first impressions were just how beautiful the location was, the girls loved the beautifully carved wooden bears and seeing the squirrels darting in front of us and scrambling up the nearby trees, you would never have known that we were in the centre of Warwick.
Even though the lodges in the Knights Village are brand new having opened in 2016, they have been brilliantly themed to look much older, it is a medieval knights village after all.
We were staying in one of the charming semi-detached woodland lodges and as we opened the door to our lodge the look on the girl’s faces was priceless, it was like stepping back in time with great medieval theming. Within the lodge were faux swords and shields on the walls, velvet drapes and beautifully beamed high ceilings.
The quality, theming and attention to detail is what makes these lodges so special, with swords and shields on the walls, stone clad walls, bespoke furniture and in the girls bedroom a huge colourful tapestry covered one of the walls.
We absolutely loved this level of medieval detail but modern day travellers expect all the mod cons for a relaxing stay and the lodge delivered this including wifi, flat screen tv, tea and coffee making facilities, power showers and central heating yet it does not detract from the authenticity of staying in wooden lodge. The only amenity that was lacking from the lodges was a fridge, which would provide much more flexibility for families.
The spacious lodges have two distinct sleeping areas, one for adults and one for children. By having these two separate sleeping areas was perfect as it meant that the girls could go to bed without being disturbed by lights or the noise of the TV.
The girls loved having their own space and after a busy day it’s safe to say, they both slept well in their little enclave. There was also a pull out truckle bed in the children’s room so the lodge could accommodate two adults and up to three children.
A gorgeous medieval themed bed was the centre piece of the main bedroom, with fluffy cushions and soft sheets. I mentioned that the lodges had all the mod cons and this was evident with the amount of electrical sockets dotted around the lodge, so there were no worries with charging phones, cameras and ipads.
The impressive wet room was super stylish, finished in wooden clad tiles and lovely Eco Boutique products.
Windows look out over the beautiful scenery down toward the river it felt totally and utterly peaceful and serene, yet was only a 15 minute walk into Warwick Castle via a private gated VIP entrance, another benefit of staying at the Knights Village. As impressive as the lodge were, there are so many activities to take part in and see at Warwick castle it really does encourage guests to get out and explore and not spend all their time in their rooms.
Having this flexibility of being so close to the castle from your accommodation is something you don’t have when staying at a nearby hotel, which meant that shortly after settling in and unpacking we set off to explore Warwick Castle for their Haunted Castle Halloween event, which was made even spookier as it was getting dark! (you can read our review here)
After taking in some of the Halloween festivities at the Haunted Castle event including visiting the witches at the tower and the haunted hollows at Warwick Castle we made our way back along the well-lit boardwalk to the Medieval Banqueting Hall in the Knights Village for our evening meal.
This medieval themed buffet dinner was definitely aimed more toward the children rather than adults, with lots of child friendly dishes available. At £19.95 per adult and £9.95 per child it was expensive and something to factor into the cost of your stay although the quality of the meals especially for adults was a little disappointing given the cost of the meals. However you are paying for much more than a meal here.
The medieval dining experience offered was fantastic with a princess and knight greeting you as you entered followed by evening entertainment which the girls thought was amazing. Another plus point the children loved apart from helping themselves to deserts was the self-service soft drinks machine.
After a cold autumnal night the central heating in our lodge kept us all nice and warm and after a great night sleep, we were up early excited to spend Halloween at Warwick Castle.
Breakfast the next morning is included in your stay and is held in the Medieval Banqueting Hall. Breakfast is buffet style and was to a good standard with a range of options on offer from hot cooked breakfasts to small pastries, yogurts, fruit and cereals.
Outside the lodge was a private decked veranda and bench, which we made the most of whilst waiting for the castle to open at 10am. Having this outside space was fantastic, providing a space for us to relax outdoors whilst the girls had fun running around in the autumnal woodlands.
There were large barrels and carts placed throughout the grounds which added to the medieval theming whilst providing additional things for the girls to explore.
After a quick change the girls were transformed into cute little witches ready for our second day of exploring Warwick Castle.
Overall
Not only are the Woodland Lodges a fantastic addition to the Warwick Castle experience they were the highlight of our trip. What you get when you stay at the lodges within Knights Village is an experience like no other which was really special for the children. Our only disappointment was that our fantastic visit was over too quickly, it was so much fun.
Prices at a Woodland Lodge in the Knights Village start from a very reasonable £140 which can sleep up to 5 people when booking direct at https://warwickcastle.merlinbreaks.co.uk and includes breakfast and a 2 day ticket for Warwick Castle.
Rather watch than read?
We were guests of Shakespeares England and Warwick Castle for our visit