The county of Warwickshire - Shakespeare country - lies in the heart of England and is a one of Englands most historic counties with the splendid medieval castles of Warwick Castle and Kenilworth. The county is only 2 hours from London and 30 minutes from Birmingham International Airport. Warwickshire (from the Anglo-Saxon meaning "The farm by a river dam") was split in 1974 when Birmingham, Englands second largest city was relocated in West Midlands. Warwickshire features the remains of the Forest of Arden portrayed by Shakespeare in As You Like It and Edgehill - the English Civil War battleground.
The countys main industries are engineering and textiles and most of its products agricultural. The most famous son of Warwickshire is, without doubt, William Shakespeare. Historic Warwick has many buildings of interest to the visitor including Warwick Castle - the finest Medieval Castle in England, the Lord Leycester Hospital which was established as an old soldiers home in 1571.