New ‘Queen’s Eye’ view over Kenilworth castle

[dutchman]

Visitors to Kenilworth Castle could soon be getting a ‘Queen’s Eye’ view over the ruins if brand new plans to create a viewing platform get the green light later this year.



English Heritage has revealed draft plans to install a series of viewing platforms in Leicester’s Building which, if successful, would allow people to view the ruins in their entirety for the first time in centuries.

The building was built ahead of Elizabeth I’s visit in 1571 to provide the Queen and her retinue with appropriate accommodation and views over Robert Dudley’s estate.

But it has stood in ruins since the Civil War and at the moment the inside can only be viewed from the basement and ground floor levels.

The proposed platforms would allow visitors a better appreciation of its vast scale and allow them for the first time in centuries to stand where Elizabeth stood, see what she saw and gain a better sense of the way in which the castle dominated the town and surrounding countryside.

The designs and proposals for the scheme are due to go before Warwick District Council planners in the autumn. Subject to approvals, work on the platforms will begin in December and be completed in time for Easter 2013.