We visited 955-year-old fairytale castle with live shows and events

ON a beautiful sunny day there are few places in England more spectacular than Warwick Castle.

This impressive 955-year-old castle is like something from a fairytale with its perfect turrets and stunning landscaped gardens.

Here, the castle comes alive with 20 live shows and attractions, expertly put on by actors, stuntmen and women and birds of prey.

Twice a day an exhilarating War Of The Roses jousting battle takes place in a reconstructed arena.

Part theatre and part stunt show, you’re near enough to feel the thud of the joust hitting the opponent.

My two kids, Reggie and Dot, watched open-mouthed as the riders charged about, hanging off the side of their horse or standing on their backs.

Next door to the joust is the mighty trebuchet — a gigantic catapult that Warwick boasts is the “largest siege machine in the world”.

The formidable weapon is in full working order and you can watch as it sends “ammo” flying.

But by far the best flying thing at Warwick Castle is the incredible bird-of-prey show.

Sixty beautiful birds, including the huge Andean condor, bearded vulture and peregrine falcon, zoom over your head in The Falconer’s Quest.

“Watch your sandwich, mum- my,” warned my daughter Dot, fearing a theft from above as we scoffed our picnic during the show.

Between performances, you can also wander the grounds, explore the Great Hall and State Rooms, and try your hand at archery.

If you have young kids, there’s various Zog-themed play- grounds and shows or you could get lost in the Horrible Histories Maze.

Or you could just chill out with a cup of tea in the lovely Peacock Garden.

Because when the weather is this good, doing nothing can be as much fun as anything else.