The Great Hall is the largest room in the castle and throughout history has been its heart.
It is thought that originally, in the early middle ages, the Great Hall was where the Cedar Drawing Room is now.
Straw and dirt covered the floor. Burning in the centre of the room would have been a large fire, its smoke turning the air acrid. The only natural light filtered through narrow lancet windows.
Here it was that the nobility ate, drank and even slept.
The Hall as it stands today, was first constructed in the 14th century. It was rebuilt in the 17th century and then restored in 1871 after it had been badly damaged by a fire which swept through
part of the castleThe carved scenes that decorate it, which include such famous Elizabethans as Philip Sydney, Francis Drake, William Shakespeare and
Walter Raleigh, are reputedly taken from Sir Walter Scott's 19th century historical novel, 'Kenilworth'. After its display at the Great Exhibition, where it
won the woodcarvers a prize medal for their skill, the buffet was presented to George, later the 4th Earl of Warwick, in 1852 as a wedding gift from the people of Warwickshire.
In two of the window bays can be seen superb examples of equestrian armour. The horse on the left is shown with 16th century Italian armour, and the knight
wears 16th century Italian 'field' (battle) armour. The horse to the right is in a German 'bard' (armour for a horse) of the 16th century whilst the knight wears Italian jousting armour circa 1540.
In the window is a huge cauldron known as 'Guy's Porridge Pot', named after the 10th Earl of Warwick. About 500 years old, it was used to cook stew for the castle's garrison of soldiers.
The miniature suit of armour is said to have been made for the 4-year old son of Robert Dudley, the Earl of Leicester. Also named Robert, he never grew up to
fight. He died at the age of 6 from one of the many illnesses that made war on children and from which there was no protection.
Chapel Sir Fulke Greville, the first Lord Brooke, authorised the building of the small chapel in the early 1600s. It may be on the site of another chapel founded as long ago as 1119.
State Rooms Retaining portions of the mediaeval Castle of the 14th Century, the State Rooms have been extended, altered and embellished during virtually every century since
to lavishly entertain the noblest of guests, and to display the family's most prestigious possessions.
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