Medieval Mayhem

The annual Year 7 trip to Warwick Castle was another resounding success. Intrepid reporter, H Pedersen, chanced his luck with vicious birds of prey, lofty towers and a  fraught battle in the maze… 

Everyone arrived at the bus turning circle at around 7:15 am, with many lathered in sun cream for the heat that was yet to come. Before we could board the coach we were split into ten groups. I was in group seven, led by Mrs Brennan, with most of my friends. Our group was first on the coach so we got the best seats (the back, of course) for the two-hour-long journey which went surprisingly quickly. When we arrived, the castle wasn't even open. We were actually ahead of schedule.

Since we had arrived early, our group leaders sat us down on the grass and we chatted for around five minutes until the castle opened. When we finally stood up, we went for a loo break where there was a picture frame with Zog the Dragon along with two male peacocks. We snapped a picture of a real one as we waited. 

"It was a scramble to the exit but we made it out alive"

No castle grounds is complete without a maze, and Warwick Castle is no exception – it has a Horrible Histories themed one. When we arrived at the maze we were each handed a booklet for collecting stamps as we went around the maze in pairs. The chase to collect all the stamps was tense. It was a scramble to the exit but we made it out alive. We were certain we had won, but as we approached the exit we caught sight of another team. We had been defeated by our foe, however it was not in vain as we had lots of fun; even though the activity was quite tiring on such a hot day.

Louie standing beside a trebuchet - a hinged capapult with phenomenal destructive power

After we left the maze we headed to the time tower. The journey up the stairs was brutal, but as we approached the top we realised that we were only on the castle wall. This meant there were even more stairs up to the top, with the spiralling climb creating an illusion that the stairs were endless! As we saw the light, a cheer erupted. We had made it. The view from the top was absolutely magical but many were too scared to look over…the Edge. 

"We ate our lunch whilst birds flew barely twenty centimetres over our heads!"

The stairs down were steep and dark, and you could only see one step in front. It was easier going on the descent however so we made it to the bottom quite quickly.

After the time tower we took a quick pit stop at the shop. The prices were questionable but worth all the memories. We finished our shopping spree and headed to the jousting. 

A non-man eating peacock showing off

The event was very entertaining and everyone got involved, even if it was just cheering for your team. Once that had finished we next went to the bird show, which was my personal favourite. It was really scary but cool at the same time. We ate our lunch whilst birds flew barely twenty centimetres over our heads! 

Sadly, this highlight was our last activity, so we headed to the exit. The bus journey home was much more quiet because everyone was really tired, and we finally returned home at around 4:15 as this eventful day came to an end.

Photos: H Pedersen