Guys Cliffe is a strange complex of buildings and caves clustered on a cliff overlooking the River Avon in Warwickshire. The ruin of Guys Cliffe House dominates the area, first built in by Samuel Greatheed but by the 20th century the estate was broken up and sold off.
As the s wore on the house was used variously as a private school, a hospital for wounded troops then a home for evacuated children before falling into dereliction. Although plans were made to convert the great house into a hotel this came to nothing and the state of the building became worse, eventually being half burned down after a pyrotechnical accident. The site was first occupied during the Anglo Saxon era when a tiny chapel was built and solitary monks took to living as hermits in the naturally occurring caves below where the house is now.
These caverns were extended out with one of them in particular being carved and built into many separate cells, and an inscription from this period is still visible at the back of this chamber. Above the caves is a chapel dating to the early s which is on long term lease to the Freemasons. It is exclusively for their use and definitely not open to the public but open days are occasionally held so you might be lucky this year perhaps.
So why is it called Guys Cliffe? When we think of English heroes from myth and legend the names Robin Hood and King Arthur spring to mind but here is one that deserves to be known more Guy of Warwick. Guy fell in love with Felice, the daughter of the Earl of Warwick but although she loved him too, because of his common birth she could not accept his proposal unless he could somehow prove himself exceptionally as worthy of her. Guy set out to do this in spades, first killing the Dun Cow.
This was a monstrous auroch bull that terrorised the area before Guy finally defeated the beast on nearby Dunsmore Heath. A rib from this monster a whale bone in reality was kept on display in Warwick Castle until recently along with the sword he allegedly used to slay it.
