Warwick Castle ranks amongst the most popular of all Britain’s many historic attractions due to its size, picturesque location and turbulent history. The castle was created as a fortification in AD 914, to protect the small hilltop settlement from Danish invaders who posed a threat to the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia, and was later enlarged by William the Conqueror who turned it into a bailey fort in 1068. Fortifications were added by King Richard III up until his death at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485. Today, visitors can explore the varied history of the castle’s dungeons, fortifications and living quarters, as well as the Rose Garden and the formal gardens. The Private Apartments contain a display of waxwork figures, showing how the rooms would have looked at the weekend parties hosted by the Countess of Warwick for some of the most prominent figures of Victorian society in the late 19th century. Across the River Avon is the Island, where jesters, archers and craftsmen show off their skills in the summer months alongside re-enactments of battles and tournaments.