Video and pictures: Warwick Castle team put together 14ft animatronic horse ahead of the opening of new hotel
A specialist team has installed a 14ft animatronic rearing horse inside the new hotel at Warwick Castle this week ahead of its official opening on July 22.
Warwick Castle’s team carefully lifted and assembled the 14ft tall horse figure, complete with a knight riding on its back, into place before giving the armour a final polish.
The new centrepiece to the hotel’s medieval themed foyer depicts a knight boldly greeting guests.
With the pull of a sword, visitors can make the figure spring into action and see the armoured knight gallop and neigh to life.
The figure took the team 11 hours to install and designers six months to create – it weighs 300kg, the same as around 12 suits of steel armour – and is made from steel and iron.
The horse sits with a gallery of talking portraits, including Richard Neville, the 16th Earl of Warwick better-known as The Kingmaker.
Edward Neville, Merlin Magic Making senior creative at the Warwick Castle Hotel said: “It’s a truly magnificent sight to see this knight and his noble steed make their grand entrance into the Warwick Castel Hotel after so many months of hard work designing and creating this one-of-a-kind figure.
"It’s positioning in the foyer with the talking portraits – including the 16th Earl of Warwick, my great ancestor – is an honour, as they will proudly greet families every day as they enter the hotel’s foyer.”
The 60-room Warwick Castle Hotel will soon open its doors and the exterior resembles a medieval long hall, with a rough cast render, timber cladding and shingle roof tiles.
Each room, sleeping two adults and up to three children, gives a nod to the Wars of the Roses, with rose motifs, chambers draped in rich coloured fabrics, bespoke tapestries and shields.
There is also a treetop walkway linking the hotel to the Knight’s Village.
A stay at the Warwick Castle Hotel starts from £159 for bed and breakfast for a family of four, or from £199 for a family of four which includes bed and breakfast and a one-day ticket.
For more information or to book online go to: warwick-castle.com