Queen Victoria’s journal: Victoria and Albert’s tour of Warwickshire (part 3), Wednesday 16th June 1858

In June 1858, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert embarked on a three day tour to Birmingham. Over the next few days I will be sharing her journals from throughout their trip before sharing an in-depth blog about her stay at Stoneleigh Abbey. I hope you enjoy!

“A fearfully hot night & a violent thunderstorm between 1 & 2, which however does not seem to have cooled the air much. Frequent showers & the air like a vapour bath. At 12 we went over the house with Ly Leigh, — saw the very pretty Chapel, & the old part below, where the passages are very narrow & low & arched, looking exactly like a Convent, part of which they were. The servants room were former cells. Gave Ly Leigh, who is a dear little person, a bracelet, in remembrance of our visit. Just before going away, at 1, we went out & planted 2 trees. Started for Warwick Castle (by road), the Dss of Atholl going in our carriage, Ld Leigh riding near it & the Germany escorting us. Fine Country, but fearfully oppressive, & quite thick & steamy. We passed through Leamington, a pretty town, also very gaily decorated, & at 2 reached Warwick Castle, the position of which, surrounded by trees, & just overhanging the Avon, is beautiful. The old entrance, through the battlements, cut out of the rock, is very curious, & there is a Keep, just in the style of the one at Windsor, — with a courtyard, only not walled in! The Castle is beautifully restored, though not yet completely finished. Great parts of it are very old, going back to time of Richard IInd, & before that there was a fortress, in the time of the Romans. Ld Warwick met us at the door, & Ly Warwick, a pretty, graceful person but in delicate health, having to be wheeled about in a chair, received us at the top of the stairs. One first enters a magnificent Hall, which was deliciously cool, & then passes through several fine rooms, with beautiful furniture &c splendid Vandykes! The rooms I had, — very fine, in one was a state bed. The Leighs, Westminsters, & the Dss of Sutherland had also came over, & we found there, Ld & Ly Elcho, her sister Ly Louisa, & Mr Wells, Mr & Mrs B. Percy, Col: & Ly S. Lindsay, & Col: & Mrs Scott. Luncheon was served in a very handsome room, & after it we walked about in the most beautiful grounds with wonderful cedar trees, & looked, in a sort of green House, at the celebrated Warwick Vase. We also here planted 2 trees. Everyone was melting! — At 5 we left Warwick Castle, driving along a beautiful road, under magnificent trees (Ld Warwick riding with us), & came to the curious old town of Warwick, which has very picturesque, quaint, old wooden houses, & passed close by Leicester Hospital, a most curious old House, founded by Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, as a Charitable institution for 80 old men, who still are supported there. Everywhere the kindest reception. A thunderstorm began, just as we got into the train & were moving out of the station, & the rain came down with fearful violence. Got to Buckingham Palace, a little before 8. — We dined with Alice, & in vain tried to get fresh air. — Ld Derby is ill with the gout. —“

Stay tuned for tomorrows blog about her stay at the Abbey, along with some of it’s history!

I hope you have enjoyed todays journal entry. Please feel free to leave any questions in the comments section below or message me on Instagram and I will do my best to help. You can also support my research by visiting and subscribing to my Ko-fi page. Don’t forget, you can also subscribe to by blog for email updates about new blogs! Thank you again, Shannon x

http://www.queenvictoriasjournals.org/
© Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2012 © Bodleian Libraries © ProQuest