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THE
DOOMSDAY BOOK
Facebook
is suing a company called Teachbook , which operates a social
networking site for teachers, apparently because it has "book" in its
name and "competes" with Facebook. Teachbook is described as "a
professional community for teachers". Sounds like a threat to
Facebook's existence doesn't it? Well we know of a book that
predates Facebook and tells us all about Warwickshire.
Yes "The Doomsdaybook! The Domesday Book was commissioned in December
1085 by William the Conqueror, who invaded England in 1066. The first
draft was completed in August 1086 and contained records for 13,418
settlements in the English counties south of the rivers Ribble and Tees
(the border with Scotland at the time). Read about Warwickshirein The Doomsday Book
The Saxons came
here for a visit 1514 years ago and liked it so much they have stayed. WARWICKSHIRE HISTORY
(All Our Sites are based on England's Anglo-Saxon Heritage)
Warwickshire situated in the English Midlands. Historically,
bounded to the north-west by Staffordshire, by Leicestershire to the
north-east, Northamptonshire to the east, Worcestershire to the west,
Oxfordshire to the south and Gloucestershire to the south-west. Areas
historically part of Warwickshire include Coventry, Solihull, Sutton
Coldfield and a small area of central Birmingham including Aston and
Edgbaston. These became part of the metropolitan county of West
Midlands (Sutton Coldfield becoming part of Birmingham) following local
government re-organisation in 1974 after the passage of the Local
Government Act 1972.
Much of northwestern Warwickshire, including that area now forming part
of Coventry, Solihull and Birmingham, was covered by the ancient Forest
of Arden which was still the case at the time of the Domesday Book but
much of which was later cut down to provide fuel for industrialisation.
Thus the names of a number of places in the northwestern part of
Warwickshire end with either the Old English "ley" or "leah" meaning a
clearing in a forest[2] or laterly the phrase "-in-Arden", such as
Henley-in-Arden, Hampton-in-Arden and Tanworth-in-Arden. Even at the
time of the Domeday Book the forested area has been calculated to be a
quarter of the whole county or half of the northern area, the "Arden".
The remaining southern area, not part of the forest, was called
the Felden - from fielden. Historically, two towns dominate the
county, Warwick, the county town and Coventry an important medieval
city.
After the Romans left Britain in the 5th
century, the Warwickshire area was settled by Anglo Saxon tribes
becaming a part of the kingdom of Mercia. While its earliest boundaries
will never be known, there is general agreement that the territory that
was called "the first of the Mercians" in the Tribal Hidage covered
much of south Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire,
Staffordshire and Northern Warwickshire.
Following the decline of the Mercian kingdom during the early 9th
century, large parts of Mercia to the east of Warwickshire were ceded
in 878 to Danish (Viking) invaders by King Alfred's Treaty of Wedmore
with the Danish leader Guthrum. Watling Street, on the north-eastern
edge of Warwickshire, became the boundary between the Danelaw (the
kingdom of the Danes) to the east and the much reduced Mercia to the
west. There was also a boundary with the kingdom of Wessex to the south.
Owing to its location at the frontier
between two kingdoms, what is now Warwickshire needed to establish
defences against the threat of Danish invasion. Between, 911 and 918
this task was undertaken by the "Lady of the Mercians"Ethelfleda,
daughter of King Alfred, who was responsible for defences against the
Danes at Tamworth (see Tamworth Castle) in 914 and the building of the
first parts of Warwick Castle in 916. Periodic
fighting between Danes and Saxons occurred until the 11th century. The
establishment of the burh by Ethelfleda in 914 and Warwick's subsequent
status as a shire town must have given some impetus to economic
development. The town was, at any rate,
sufficiently important to have had one of the two royal mints set up in
Warwickshire (the other was at Tamworth).
Coins are first known to have been issued in the reign of
Athelstan (925-39). In the early 11th century, new internal
boundaries within the Mercian kingdom were drawn and Warwickshire came
into being as the lands administered from Warwick. The county was
initially divided into ten hundreds. The first recorded use of the name
Warwickshire being in the year 1001, named after Warwick (meaning
"dwellings by the weir"). Warwickshire was invaded in 1016 during the
Christmas period by Cnut as part of his ultimately successful invasion
against Æthelred the Unready and his son Edmund Ironside,
destroying Coventry and massacring the local saint, Osberg, virgin and
martyr.
The Norman conquest in 1066 brought with it the most active and notable
period of military architecture resulting in the building of much of
Warwick Castle and others at Kenilworth Maxstoke and Tamworth. Others
existed at Anesley near Arley, Aston Cantlow, Baginton, Beaudesert,
Bickenhill, Birmingham, Brandon, Brinklow, Caludon at Wyken near
Coventry, Castle Bromwich, Coleshill, Fillongley, Fulbrooke, Hartshill,
Rugby and Studley, but in many cases only the earthworks can now be
seen.
Many of the main settlements of Warwickshire were established in the
Middle Ages as market towns, including Birmingham, Bedworth, Nuneaton,
Rugby and Stratford-upon-Avon amongst others.Many of the main
settlements of Warwickshire were established in the Middle Ages as
market towns, including Birmingham, Bedworth, Nuneaton, Rugby and
Stratford-upon-Avon amongst others.
The county was dominated throughout the medieval period by Coventry
which became one of the most important cities in England and an
important centre of wool and textiles trades. The city has held the
title of episcopal see, Lichfield and Coventry, from the time of Earl
Leofric early in the 11th century arising from the monastery he and his
wife, Godiva, founded in 1043. Henry VI and his queen Margaret of
Anjou made several visits to Coventry, and in 1451, as a mark of
favour, Coventry and certain hamlets and villages adjacent became an
entire and separate county, the County of the City of Coventry and the
Bailiffs raised to the rank of Sheriffs. The Parliamentum Diabolicum
assembled in Coventry in 1459 to pass bills of attainder for high
treason against the Duke of York and other Yorkist nobles at the start
of a new stage of the Wars of the Roses. The citizens remained loyal to
Henry, and the Lancastrian cause, in his struggle with Edward IV and
when Edward reached the city in 1470, the gates were closed against
him. However, when Edward was safely seated on the throne, he withdrew
the privileges of the city, only restoring them on payment of a fine of
500 marks
From the accession of Henry VII in 1485 till the accession of the
Hanoverian dynasty under George I in 1714.
Mary Queen of Scots was imprisoned at Coventry in 1566, where she
lodged in the house of the mayor and again in 1569 where she was
confined in the Bull Inn.
The Gunpowder Plot of 1605 was a
Warwickshire conspiracy. The conspirators' principal aim was to kill
King James, however another important objective was the kidnapping of
the King's daughter, third in the line of succession, Princess
Elizabeth. Housed at Coombe Abbey near Coventry, the Princess lived
only ten miles north of Warwick, convenient for the plotters, most of
whom lived in the Midlands.
Once the King and his Parliament
were dead, the plotters intended to install Elizabeth on the English
throne as a titular Queen.[30] Robert Catesby, the prime mover in the
consiratory, was a Warwickshire man, born probaly at Bushwood, near
Lapworth and [[John Grant (Gunpowder Plot) ]], whose house at
Northbrook, Snitterfield, was the rendezvous and powder magazine of the
conspirators, was of the gentry of the county. Other conspirators
rented houses in the neighbourhood, Ambrose Rokewood rented Clopton
House, near Stratford, Everard Digby, to whom the task of rousing the
Catholic gentry of the Midlands was assigned rented Coughton Court the
home of the Throckmortons under the guise of a "hunting party". The
Wrights moved to Lapworth and the rooms in London were rented by Thomas
Percy from Henry Ferrers whose home of Baddesley Clinton was in turn
rented to the Vaux sisters, relatives of Catesby.
After
the discovery of the plot and the arrest of Guy Fawkes was known, the
conspirators rode from London to Warwickshire, meeting Digby's hunting
party at the Red Lion at Dunchurch to discuss their plans The
final flight took place on 6 November, the fugitives raided Warwick
Castle for supplies and continued to Norbrook to collect weapons.
From there they
continued their journey to Huddington. Thomas Bates left the group and
travelled to Coughton Court to deliver a letter from Catesby, to Father
Garnet and the other priests, informing them of what had transpired,
and asking for their help in raising an army. Garnet replied by begging
Catesby and his followers to stop their "wicked actions", before
himself fleeing. The closing events now take place out of Warwickshire
as they continued on to Holbeche House on the border of Staffordshire
where they were captured
During the
English Civil War in the 17th century the county was generally on the
Parliamentarian side, Lord Brooke of Warwick Castle being one of the
fiecest enemies of the king. ]The Battle of Edgehill (1642) was fought
in Warwickshire, near the Oxfordshire border. Prince Rupert, who was in
charge of the Royalist forces, marched his soldiers through Henley in
Arden in 1643 on his way to Birmingham and pillaged the
neighbourhood. Charles II was assisted in his escape following
his defeat at the Battle of Worcester in 1651 by Jane Lane who,
disguising the king as her man-servant accompanied him across the
county, passing through Wooton Wawen, Stratford-upon-Avon and Long
Marston. The footpath the Monarch's Way commemorates the events
and approximates the route of his escape where the modern landscape
permits.
During the 18th and
19th centuries Warwickshire became one of Britain's foremost industrial
counties. The coalfields of northern Warwickshire were amongst the most
productive in the country, and greatly enhanced the industrial growth
of Coventry and Birmingham. One notable exception was the town of
Leamington Spa which grew from a small village to a medium sized town
during the 19th century on the back of the fashionable spa water
tourist movement of the time.
Warwickshire became a centre of the national canal system, with major
arterial routes such as the Oxford Canal the Coventry Canal and later,
what is now the Grand Union Canal being constructed through the county.
One of the first intercity railway lines: the London and Birmingham
Railway ran through Warwickshire. And during the 19th century, the
county developed a dense railway network.
Towns like Nuneaton, Bedworth, and Rugby also became industrialised.
The siting of a major railway junction in the town was the key factor
in the industrial growth of Rugby.
Towards the end of the 19th century Birmingham and Coventry had become
large industrial cities in their own right, and so administrative
boundaries had to change. In 1889 the administrative county of
Warwickshire was created, and both Coventry and Birmingham became
county boroughs which made them administratively separate from the rest
of Warwickshire. Solihull later followed as a county borough. These
boroughs remained part of the ceremonial county of Warwickshire, which
expanded into Worcestershire and Staffordshire as Birmingham annexed
surrounding villages.
This situation lasted until 1974, when the two cities were removed from
Warwickshire altogether, and along with parts of Staffordshire and
Worcestershire became a part of the new West Midlands metropolitan
county.
The remaining post-1974 county of Warwickshire was left with a rather
odd shape, which looks as if a large chunk has been bitten out of it
where Coventry and Birmingham used to be.
Bus
& Rail information 01926 414140 National
Coach Enquiries National
Express 0870 580 8080 National
Rail Enquiries 0845 748 4950 Rail
Europe 0870 584 8848
Rail
Europe 0870 584 8848 Birmingham
Airport 0121 767 5511 East
Midlands Airport 01332 852852 Gatwick
Airport 01293 535353
The Olympic Flame will arrive in
the UK on 18 May 2012 and will embark on a 70 day journey around the
UK- known as the Olympic Torch Relay. Lloyds TSB, as a proud partner of
the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, are excited to share with
you a Community Celebration Event in Coventry on Sunday 1st July
Tourist
Information Centres in Warwickshire are the place to go to pick up
information on the town or area you're visiting and local events. As
well as giving advice on local attractions and having an excellent
array of leaflets, TIC's can also help with booking accommodation or
even with what local restaurants are best for your tastes. They're also a
great place to pick up that special reminder of your visit including
souvenirs, confectionary, greeting cards, books, postcards and maps. Tourist
Information Centres are not just walk in centres, they have friendly
and helpful staff that will answer queries via the telephone or via
email. See below for contact details of all Tourist Information Centres
in Warwickshire.
The city centre Visitor Information
Centre is located within the tower of St Michael's Cathedral ruins.
Climb the Cathedral Tower for the best view in Coventry!
Coventry Cathedral, Priory Street Coventry CV1 5AB Tel: 024 7622 5616 or 024 7622 1413
Email: tic@cvone.co.uk
Contemporary art & craft
exhibitions; museum showcasing the Tripontium Collection of Roman
artefacts & Rugby's Social History; the Rugby Collection of 20th
century & contemporary British art(annually); fun activities for
children/families.
Rugby Visitor Centre Rugby Art Gallery &
Museum Little Elborrow St Rugby CV21 3BZ
Tel: 01788 533217 Fax: 01788 533212
Email: visitor.centre@rugby.gov.uk
At Stratford TIC you will find friendly welcoming people who
will be only too happy to help and provide you with current information
on things to see and do.
Whilst visiting Warwick make your first stop the Tourist
Information Centre situated in the Court House, Jury Street, in the
centre of town
The Court House Jury Street Warwick CV34 4EW
Tel: 01926 492212
Email: touristinfo@warwick-uk.co.uk
Enjoy
Warwickshire is a gateway to visitor information about Warwickshire and
the City of Coventry, to help you make the most of your visit to the
area. Visitors can enjoy both city excitement and country
relaxation in an area world renowned for its heritage and culture. It's
all here, and this website aims to help you decide where to stay, what
to do plus lots more to make your visit to the county enjoyable! Enjoy
Warwickshire is the official Warwickshire County Council Tourist Site.
The Mercia Tourist Board has no connection with the Enjoy Warwickshire
Site other than recommending it.
WARWICKSHIRE COUNTY CRICKET CLUB Warwickshire
County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make
up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the
historic county of Warwickshire. Its limited overs team is called the Warwickshire
Bears. Their kit colours are black and gold and the shirt sponsor
is Gullivers Sports Travel. Its home is Edgbaston Cricket Ground in
south Birmingham, which regularly hosts Test and One Day International
matches.
Alcester
is the quintessential English market town, an architectural gem with a
lively community feel set in the attractive, rolling 'Shakespeare's
Countryside', just seven miles west of Stratford-on-Avon, home of the
bard.
Situated on the River Arrow, its medieval street pattern survives
almost intact, along with many ancient properties including the
wonderful church of St Nicholas with its 14th century tower and the
early 17th century town hall.
Alcester's history extends back to the Romans. The town has been the
subject of numerous archaeological digs and is now one of the best
understood Roman settlements in the country. The town centre boasts
some of the finest Tudor buildings and the whole area is steeped in
history and some beautiful natural surroundings. In the heart of
Shakespeare country it is no wonder that many visitors compare Alcester
to Stratford on Avon and seem to appreciate Alcester all the more for
its timeless surroundings. Nestling alongside the River Arrow the
street scene is very much as it was in medieval times and if you are
visiting then a trip to the church of St Nicholas is worth the effort.
The church of St Nicholas dates back to the 14th century although it is
said that a church has been in this location since the 11th century,
whilst the hall is said to date from the 17th century. For the visitor
there is a delight around every corner and a trip around the heritage
trail will reveal more of the town’s history and its buildings and if a
this becomes too tiring then there are plenty of old inns and
hostelries to enjoy whilst the traditional stores in the town centre
have, in the main, retained their independence and offer a wide range
of goods. Alcester
and Local District History Society - Lots of articles about the
history of Alcester Windows on Warwickshire - A great website showing
old photographs of Warwickshire. There are 100s of pictures of
Alcester, just type Alcester in the quick search box and press find. Alcester
Train Station - The Warwickshire Railways web site contains
interesting information and photographs of the old train station. This
site is created for the railway enthusiast, local historian and railway
modeller by fellow enthusiasts. Haselor & Walcote:
Through The Lens Of Time Roman Alcester - A partnership between Stratford on
Avon District Council, Alcester Heritage Trust and Warwickshire County
Council. Roman Alcester Catalogue Roman Britain - A great introduction to Roman
Alcester - This on-line version of the book is a
photographic survey of the buildings within the Parish of Haselor in
the year 2000. Coupled with this survey there are many old photographs
that have been located in order to show a 'now and then' concept. -
Explore archaeological finds from Alcester's early history
COUGHTON COURT
Coughton Court near Alcester has been the ancestral home to the
Throckmortons since 1409, a Catholic family with members directly
involved in the Gunpowder plot of 1605. The house features a number of
priest holes and a magnificent hall and award-winning gardens that are
owned, managed and entirely funded by the family.The
name Coughton (pronounced "Coat-un") suggests a settlement or farm
known for the hunting of woodcock or gamebirds. It is believed that
there was a medieval house on the site when John de Throckmorton
arrived in 1409 to marry into the de Spiney family. Behind the Tudor gatehouse house you will find the courtyard
with its fine Elizabethan half-timbering, where a knot garden leads to
lawns and fine vistas of the Warwickshire countryside.
Joyce and Alan
Griffiths have experience in providing guides for visitors from many
different countries. We use professional Blue Badge Tourist Guides and
fees are based on rates recommended by the Guild of Registered Tourist
Guides. We can provide several guides for major events and individual
guides for walking and car/coach tours in many places. We can cover
specialised visits to places such as museums, country houses and
gardens, and tours including religious connections, industrial sites
etc. We can cover other parts of the country too and we will prepare
itineraries for specific, general or educational tours/visits, whether
by car, by coach or on foot.
HILLIERS
We love good food and if you do too, why not visit Hillers, a family
run enterprise that is passionate about bringing you the best in
quality local produce and customer service that’s second to none!
So whether you want to browse in the award winning farm shop, enjoy a
delicious meal in the café, walk round the beautiful display
garden or find a gift for that special someone, visit Hillers where
you’ll be assured of a warm welcome.
The Hiller Garden & Plant Centre Dunnington Heath Farm
Dunnington ALCESTER
B495PD HILLIERS CLICK
Tel:
01789 491342
JERWOOD SCULPTURE
PARK
Since 2004 Jerwood Sculpture Park has been set in the magnificent
grounds of Ragley in Warwickshire, home of the Marques and Marchioness
of Hertford. The collection is set along a two-mile sculpture trail,
featuring some of the most inspiring pieces of sculpture from the 20th
and the 21st centuries. Works on display include pieces from eminent
sculptors such as Elisabeth Frink, Lynn Chadwick and Anthony Gormley.
KINWARTON
DOVECOTE
A lovely and rare 14th-century circular
dovecote with metre-thick walls, hundreds of nesting holes and original
rotating ladder, nestled in the heart of the Warwickshire countryside. National Trust property circular 14th-century dovecote that
is still home to to doves.
RAGLEY HALL PARK
& GARDENS
Whether it’s an action-packed day out for the whole family, a stunning
venue at which to hold your corporate event or wedding, or somewhere
tranquil to get lost in your own thoughts, Ragley has it all...With so
much to see and do, visitors often begin with a tour of the delightful
Palladian House designed by Robert Hooke in 1680. Ragley has been, and
remains, the family home of the Marquess and Marchioness of Hertford
and manages to retain it’s family charm despite the thousands of people
who visit each year. The House itself stands majestically in
well-maintained formal gardens within beautiful ‘Capability’ Brown
parkland. As well as being architecturally stunning, the Stables house
an impressive collection of carriages really bringing to mind the
extravagance of times past.Ragley Estate includes: • Ragley Home Farm –
3,300 acres cattle and sheep rearing, rape, onion and
wheat crops • Ragley Woodlands and Sawmill – 1,000 acres
Forestry management and Sawmill with sales to public • Ragley
Estate Meats – butchery and sales of meat and prepared foods to
public You are now able to purchase Ragley Estate Meat
products direct from us. Click here to see our range
of products available via mail order. • Ragley Property Management
& Maintenance Rental properties and maintenance of Estate
property
• Ragley Hall Park & Gardens – 400 acres Open to the public
for summer season and throughout the year for civil wedding
ceremonies, corporate functions, wedding receptions, seminars,
educational
and schools.
Alcester
Warwickshire
B49 5NJ
E-mail
ragley@ragleyhall.com RAGLEY HALL
CLICK
Tel
01789 762 090
ROMAN ALCESTER
HERITAGE CENTRE
Roman Alcester is an exciting new exhibition interpreting and
displaying objects from Alcester's Roman past.
-Alcester is one of the most investigated Roman small towns in the
country, with over 100 archaeological digs in the last 80 years. Recent
excavations have revealed much about the area of the Roman town which
would have been outside the boundary wall built in the 3rd century AD.
Skirmish Paintball
Games - Operating for 25 years. Privately run venue prices start from
just £9.99 per person. Suitable for adults, juniors (minimum age
11 years and above), groups, individuals, stags, hens of just a group
of friends.
TOWN HALL
The Hall is held in Trust for the people of Alcester as a Village Hall
and is not a municipal building. It is situated at the junction of
Henley Street, Church Street and Butter Street, and provides the Town
with important Function Rooms. The lower storey of the Town Hall
was built circa 1620 by the then Lord of the Manor, (Sir Fulke
Greville)as an open market, replacing the original market cross. It was
later filled in to form a covered market, which also contained the town
"lock-up", the door of which is preserved and can be seen in the
entrance hall. Also to be seen in the Hall are the Town Stocks. The
upper room, with its outstanding hammerbeam roof has remained largely
as it was constructed in 1641.Following a public meeting in 1919, the
building was purchased on behalf of the people of Alcester for
£620. from the Marquess of Hertford, to serve as a memorial to
the men from Alcester who gave their lives in the First World War. A
plaque to this effect can be seen on the wall facing the "Hollybush",
unveiled in 1938. The administration of the Hall at this time was
entrusted to the High Bailiff during his term of office. The Hall is
now administered as a Charity and is run by a committee of Trustees and
Townspeople who are duly elected each year. The committee has been
responsible for extensive renovations in recent years, leaving the Hall
in very good shape.
ATHERSTONE
Atherstone town is located near the northernmost tip of Warwickshire,
close to the border with Staffordshire and Leicestershire. The town has
a Saxon origin, its original name being Ardeston, the “town in Arden”,
or in the great wood. Its name in Domesday Book is written
Aderestone.Atherstone has a long history dating back to Roman times. An
important defended Roman settlement named Manduessedum existed at
Mancetter near the site of modern day Atherstone, and the Roman road,
the Watling Street (now known as the A5) ran through the town. It is
believed by some historians that the rebel Queen of the Britons,
Boudica was defeated at the Battle of Watling Street by the Romans in
her final battle near Manduessedum. The Domesday Book of 1086, records
that Atherstone was held by Countess Godiva
The ancient St. Mary’s Chapel in Atherstone dates from the early 12th
century when the monks of Bec made a donation of 12 acres (4.9 ha) to a
house of friars and hermits, later referred to as “Austin friars”.
According to Nichols the chapel was granted to Henry Cartwright in
1542, then left abandoned and neglected until 1692 when Samuel
Bracebridge settled a yearly sum for the parson of Mancetter to preach
there every other Sunday in the winter season After this, St.
Mary’s Chapel seems to have experienced something of a revival. Its
square tower being rebuilt in the fashionable “Gothic” style in 1782.
This drastic alteration probably aroused some controversy. although the
fine architectural drawing of the chapel made by Mr. Schnebbelie in
1790 prompted Nichols to assert that “the new tower provides a good
effect”. St Mary's was further redesigned in 1849 by Thomas Henry Wyatt
and David Brandon. It is said that the Battle of Bosworth
actually took place in the fields of Merevale above Atherstone.
Certainly reparation was made to Atherstone after the battle and not to
Market Bosworth.Atherstone was once an important hatting town, and
became well known for its felt hats. The industry began in the 17th
century and at its height there were seven firms employing 3,000
people. Due to cheap imports, the trade had largely died out by the
1960s and ended completely in 1998.
ATHERSTONE
BALL GAME
This famous ball game has kicked off in the town centre every Shrove
Tuesday since the 13th Century. Not even wars could stop it going
ahead! The game sees hundreds of participants charging through the town
trying to be the last man standing with the giant water-filled ball
after two hours. The ball, made by the famous manufacturers Gilbert of
Rugby, weighs a mighty four pounds and has four ribbons attached, one
in red, one blue, one white and one gold. Participants struggle to
gather a ribbon each and receive a prize if they're ribbon holders at
the end of the game.The main prize though is the ball itself and the
game can frequently turn into an extremely physical encounter with a
series of scrummages taking place as the game progresses.No one knows
exactly where the ball game comes from - whether it came from border
disputes or as a challenge between young men from different areas - but
the tradition remains and is only one of two such events that survives
today. It is a no-holds-barred contest, and players are not precluded
from any tactic necessary to get hold of the ball. It pays to be of
stern stuff if you want to take part! For further details contact
Atherstone Library on 01827 712 395.
Tel:
01827 712 395.
GARLANDS OFF ROAD
& CORPORATE LEISURE
Outdoor Adventure Events for Corporate Entertainment, Stag and Hen
Parties & Private Groups based at Mythe Farm in the Midlands 30
minutes from Birmingham We are centrally located
between Birmingham, Coventry, Leicester and Burton Upon Trent in the
heart of the Midlands. Set in 100 acres of beautiful Warwickshire /
Leicestershire countryside Garlands Off Road & Corporate Leisure
offers a wide range of outdoor activities for corporate activity days ,
team building, stag & hen parties and other group
occasions. All of our activities are available as single
activity sessions or can be combined to create multi activity half or
full day corporate or private party packages. We offer great
flexibility in tailor making activity packages to suit individual
requirements. We work closely with several local hotels and arrange
accommodation and conference facilities as part of the service. Whether
you are organising a single activity event or a conference with
overnight accommodation and a corporate multi activity day, our event
organisers are experienced in making your job as easy as possible, and
our trained instructors and marshals supervise the activities
throughout to ensure your maximum enjoyment and safety.
MEREVALE CHURCH
(Church of Our Lady)
Situated near Atherstone on Merevale Lane (B4116) off the A5 - accessed
through the archway of the gate house.The ruins of the Abbey (founded
in 1148), have now been incorporated into farm buildings and can be
seen to the east of the churchyard. Opening Times: Limited opening -
key-holder notice on display Facilities: Limited parking, kitchen and
toilets. Gifts on sale including books and information on the church.
Disabled access to the church (not toilets). Originally the Gate Chapel
of Merevale Abbey, the church dates back to 1240. It is the only
Cistercian Gate Chapel in the United Kingdom which is still used
throughout the year. Features include an important Jesse stained glass
window of 1340, and a rare 1777 organ by Johannes Snetzler. The ruins
of the Abbey (founded in 1148), have now been incorporated into farm
buildings and can be seen to the east of the churchyard.
TWYCROSS ZOO
Twycross Zoo is dedicated to preserving threatened species whilst
providing education, study and wonder for our many visitors. Through
our successful breeding programmes we are providing a safe haven for
wildlife in an increasingly crowded planet. Your visit here will help
us build upon past successes and maintain our strong commitment to
conservation, education and research.
BEDWORTH
Bedworth is a market town in the Nuneaton and
Bedworth district of Warwickshire, England. It lies 101 miles (163 km)
northwest of London, 19 miles (31 km) east of Birmingham, and 15 miles
(24 km) north northeast of the county town of Warwick. It is situated
between Coventry, 5.5 miles (9 km) to the south, and Nuneaton, 3 miles
(5 km) to the north. In the 2001 census the town had a population of
32,268.
Residents are known as "Bedworthians". Bedworth is often
pronounced "Beduth" by many (but not all) residents of the town and
inhabitants of nearby Coventry and Nuneaton, though the standard
"Bed-worth" pronunciation is used virtually everywhere else.
Originally a small market town with Saxon origin, Bedworth developed
into an industrial town in the 18th and 19th centuries, due largely to
coal mining and the overspill of ribbon weaving and textile industries
from nearby Coventry The opening of the Coventry Canal in 1769
and later, the railway in 1850 enhanced the town's growth ] Until quite
recently Bedworth was primarily a coal mining town, but the last
colliery was closed in 1994. In the middle of the Nineteenth
century, the large number of public houses, and thirsty miners lead to
the town being called 'Black Bedworth'.
Due to its good transport links, and proximity to major cities such as
Coventry, Birmingham and Leicester, Bedworth is now growing rapidly as
a dormitory town.From 1894 Bedworth was a civil parish within the
Foleshill Rural District. In 1928 Bedworth was incorporated as an urban
district in its own right In 1974 the Bedworth Urban District was
merged with the borough of Nuneaton to create the borough of Nuneaton
and Bedworth.
Based in
Warwickshire, Astley Book Farm is the biggest second-hand bookshop in
the Midlands. Boasting a stock of over 75,000 used, rare and out of
print books we can comfortably accommodate even the most extreme
literary tastes. We encourage customers to visit the farm to sample the
range of books we carry, but we also offer an internet-based store
allowing you to buy from us any where, any time. There's a Children's
Hayloft, Science Fiction and Fantasy Barn, all housed in a range of old
farm buildings.
Astley Book Farm
Soar End Astley Lane
Bedworth
CV12 0NE
E-mail
info@astleybookfarm.com
BEDWORTH ARTS CENTRE
A combined coffee bar, lounge & exhibition gallery, studio theatre
with lighting & sound for both professional and amateur, regular
workshops for artist, drama, music, yoga, decoupage, family history,
T’ai Chi Ch’uan. Workshops cover young people, the disabled and the
older generation.
BEDWORTH
CIVIC HALL
The Civic Hall is truly a regional venue attracting customers from a
wide area covering Coventry, Rugby, Nuneaton, Hinckley, Leicester and
Tamworth.The auditorium is multi-purpose with 763 seats in its theatre
setting and over 400 capacity in a flat floor arrangement. Our huge
sprung dance floor is one of the largest in the Midlands and is ideal
for ballroom to northern soul dancing. Shows vary from rock bands to
ballet and our annual pantomime is always a popular event. In recent
years Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council have, through the Civic
Hall, actively promoted high quality arts and entertainment events. The
Civic Hall has become established on the touring circuit of most
promoters throughout the UK, bringing "star" names to the venue. The
venue also has excellent conference and meeting facilities.
BEDWORTH HERITAGE
CENTRE
This building is a beautiful piece of architecture, representative of
some of the finest building work that went on in this area of the
Midlands. The house and Almshouses have been converted into a
fascinating museum that is dedicated to the history of this borough.
There is a large collection of artefacts, maps and documents that are
not only interesting but extremely well arranged to bring history to
life.
BEDWORTH LEISURE
CENTRE
Set in the Miners Welfare Park, Bedworth Leisure Centre boasts a 25
metre main and learner pool, an 81 metre flume, a brand new fitness
studio with over 40 stations, dance studio, creche, squash court and
cafe facilities. There are also outdoor facilities including a floodlit
multi sports area known as 'The Brink', a skate/BMX park with 7 pieces
of equipment, tennis courts and pitch & putt facilities. Whether
training or simply keeping fit, the centre offers something for
everyone.
Coventry Road, Bedworth, Warwickshire, CV12 8NN
BEDWORTH LEISURE
CENTRE CLICK
Tel: 024 7637 6714
NICHOLAS
CHAMBERLAINE ALMSHOUSES
The magnificent 1840 Nicholas Chamberlaine Almshouses are named after a
17th Century rector who left money in his Will for the original
Almshouses (that were on another site opposite the Civic Hall) to be
built. The buildings today continue to provide the care they were
originally set up to do all those years ago. They continue to be on the
public register of social landlords and look after residents in 27
sheltered housing apartments in the almshouses.
BIDFORD ON AVON
Bidford-on-Avon is a large village and civil parish in the English
county of Warwickshire. In the 2001 census it had a population of
4,830.William Shakespeare is said to have joined a party of Startford
folk which set itself to outdrink a drinking club at Bidford-on-Avon,
and as a result of his labours in that regard to have fallen asleep
under the crab tree of which a descendant is still called Shakespeares
tree. When morning dawned his friends wished to renew the encounter but
he wisely said "No I have drunk with “Piping Pebworth, Dancing Marston,
Haunted Hillboro’, Hungry Grafton, Dodging Exhall, Papist Wixford,
Beggarly Broom and Drunken Bidford” and so, presumably, I will drink no
more. The story is said to date from the 17th century but of its truth
or of any connection of the story or the verse to Shakespeare there is
no evidence. The Falcon Inn was a favorite tavern in his day. There is
also an ancient Saxon burial ground under the free car park located
just behind Spice Avon, formerly the pub "The Anglo-Saxon".
BUNGOS FAMILY PLAY
BARN
Come and visit our massive themed play barn in Bidford-on-Avon ... from
the Deadly Drop Slide and Chill out zone with internet and plasma
screen TV for older children to the under 5’s soft play area with a
farmer Bungo’s tractor track there is something for the whole family.
The Play Barn is decorated with fun farmyard characters ' JBC the
tractor, Bitz and Honey the dogs and Jaffacat the cat ... come and see
if you can spot them and many others!
BULKINGTON
Bulkington is a large village and former parish in the Nuneaton and
Bedworth district of Warwickshire, UK. In the 2001 census it had a
population of 6,303. It is located around 6 miles (10 km) north-east of
Coventry, just east of the towns of Nuneaton and Bedworth and 4 miles
(6 km) south-west of Hinckley. Despite historically having stronger
links with Bedworth, the northern edge of Bulkington is separated from
the Whitestone area of Nuneaton by only a small area of green belt land.
Bulkington was mentioned in the Domesday Book as Bochintone, meaning
"estate associated with a man called Bulca" The parish originally
contained seven hamlets, two of which were subsumed by Bulkington
village following residential building expansion which began in the
1930s. Historically the main industry in Bulkington was ribbon
weaving.[5] Today Bulkington is largely a commuter village for larger
nearby urban centres such as Coventry, Nuneaton, Bedworth, Hinckley and
Leicester. Bulkington has connections with the locally-born author
George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans), who knew the village well. She referred
to it as Raveloe in her book Silas Marner (1861). The church of St
James is where George Eliot's uncle and aunt are buried.
COLESHILL
Coleshill is located on a ridge between the rivers Cole and Blythe
which converge to the north with the River Tame. It is just to the east
of the border with West Midlands county outside Birmingham. According
to 2001 census statistics it is part of the West Midlands
conurbation, despite gaps of open green belt land between
Coleshill and the rest of the conurbation. The Green Belt narrows to
approximately 150 yards to the north near Water Orton, and to
approximately 700 yards at the southern tip of the settlement boundary
where Coleshill meets Chelmsley Wood, Solihull but is in excess
of a mile at some points in between. In the 1970s, Coleshill narrowly
avoided being absorbed into Birmingham. Coleshill began
life in the Iron Age, before the Roman Conquest of 43 AD, as the
Grimstock Hill Romano-British settlement, north of the River Cole.
Evidence of Hut Circles was found by archaeologists at the end of the
1970s. These excavations showed that throughout the Roman period there
was a Romano-Celtic temple on Grimstock Hill. It had developed over the
earlier Iron Age huts and had gone through at least three phases of
development. The area was at the junction of two powerful Celtic Tribes
- the Coritanii to the east from Leicester, and to the west the
Cornovii from Wroxeter. In the post Roman or
Arthurian period (The Dark Ages) the nucleus of Coleshill moved about a
kilometre to the south - to the top of the hill. Here the present
church is set and the medieval town developed around it. By 1066 the
town was a Royal Manor held by King Edward the Confessor and is
recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as land held by William the
Conqueror. Henry II granted the manor to the de Clinton family, then it
passed to the de Montford's who had moated manor houses at Coleshill
and Kingshurst. King Henry VII granted the lands to Simon Digby in
1496. His descendants (Wingfield-Digby) still hold the titles.
Coleshill was granted a Market Charter by King John in 1207, alongside
Liverpool, Leek and Great Yarmouth.
During the Coaching Trade and the Turnpike Trusts Coleshill became
important as a major staging post on the coaching roads from London to
Holyhead and from London to Chester to Liverpool. At one point there
were over twenty inns in the town. The Coleshill to Lichfield Turnpike
dates from 1743
.Coleshill affords easy access to nearby attractions including the
Bosworth Battlefield site near Nuneaton, family attractions like
Drayton Manor Theme Park and a choice of premier golf courses including
Ryder Cup favourites the Belfry and the Forest of Arden golf courses.
Kingsbury Water Park is also just a 10 minute drive from
Coleshill. Coleshill town centre is well serviced with a good mix
of high street and independent shops. The town features a striking
medieval church with a high steeple and the historic Market Square is
the site of Coleshill's famous stocks with Pillory and Whipping Post.
Traditional pubs in Coleshill are a highlight in the town, many of
which are historic 17th and 18th century coaching inns, a legacy of
Coleshill's former coaching stop heyday on the London to Liverpool
road. Coleshill also offers an excellent choice of restaurants and bars
giving the town a lively nightlife edge. Farmers markets in Coleshill
are monthly on the fourth Friday of each month.
At the top of Coleshill, just past Packington Lane, is a red post box
that bears the Royal Seal of Edward VIII. It is one of a small number
to have been placed in the UK before his abdication, of which only 14
remain..
COLESHILL OLD
MARKET HALL
Having undergone extensive restoration by Coleshill Civic Society, the
Old Market Hall was opened by the Duke of Gloucester in May 1999. The
building has seen a variety of uses including a Victorian reading room,
a Magistrate's Court and a weekly market. Today, the building with its
magnificent roof trusses and market arches, houses a heritage centre
and exhibition area. The Civic Society also presents lectures and hosts
a varied events programme.Local hall open for youth groups, dances and
community events. Archives open Saturdays from 10am-Noon.
Church Hill
Coleshill
B46 3AS
COLESHILL OLD
MARKET HALL CLICK
01675 465 557
COLESHILL PILLORY
Coleshill pillory, a wooden frame with holes for the offender's neck
and wrists, which dates back to the Medieval period. The pillory also
has stocks attached and acted as a whipping post. Originally situated
in front of the Market Hall it is now on Church Street, Coleshill
.It has a post about 4.6m high with a turned moulded head, a platform
or standing board and a transom with holes for the heads and hands of
two persons. Lower are the shackles for whipping and at the foot one of
the former pair for the stocks.
The pillory is unique in Warwickshire, and almost the whole
country, because it has a three-fold combination of pillory, whipping
post and stocks. It was last used in 1863. An act of the British
parliament, dated June 30th, 1837, put an end to the use of the pillory
in the United Kingdom, a mode of punishment so barbarous, and at the
same time so indefinite in its severity, that we can only wonder it
should not have been extinguished long before.
Church Hill
Coleshill
B46
FACE PAINTING BY
MADICA
Provides face painting for parties and events.Face Painting and Glitter
Tattoos by Madica is based in Coleshill and takes bookings for parties
and events in the Coleshill, Solihull, Tamworth, Birmingham, Coventry
and Warwickshire areas. Face painting is a great idea for a childs
party. It will complement any party, whether at home or in a hired
venue. Children love having their faces painted - making the boys into
pirates and soldiers and the girls into pretty butterflies with dots of
glitter.
Faces
I offer a wide selection of options for the children, who will chose
the face they want from the pictures I have. The faces include
Butterfly, Tiger, Soldier, Pirate, Dalmation Doggy, Panda, Princess
Butterfly, Ladybird and Spiderman plus a range of cheek art.
MAXSTOKE CASTLE
This 14th century moated castle was built by William de Clinton, Earl
of Huntingdon. Although the original wooden bridge and drawbridge have
been replaced by a stone bridge, the gatehouse, crenulated curtain
walls and corner towers remain complete. The Castle was bought by Sir
Thomas Dilke in 1599 and the Fetherston-Dilke family still live in it
today.It is only open one day a year under the National Gardens scheme;
Nr Colehill,
Warwickshire,
B46 2RD
Situated in Castle Lane 3 miles east of Coleshill (Junction 4 on the
M6). MAXSTOKE CASTLE CLICK
Tel: 024 7669 6521
ST.PETER &
ST.PAUL CHURCH
Church of St Paul and St Paul, Market Square. Church dating from the
13th century with a 52m spire Inside there is a 12th century font of
Norman origin, which is one of the finest examples in the
country. There are also medieval table tombs with effigies
of Knights, including John de Clinton.
Just outside the south door are the preserved remains of a medieval
cross
Our church has been standing for Christ at the heart of the community
for hundreds of years. Our aim as God's people in this place has always
been to serve the Lord Jesus Christ, make his name and love known as
widely as possible, and to serve the community in which God has placed
us.
CITY OF COVENTRY
THE 9th LARGEST CITY IN ENGLAND
In ancient times, much of the land traditionally covered by
Warwickshire was made up of two main areas known as Arden and Feldon.
The River Avon formed the boundary between the two, running from
north-east to south-west. It was near the eastern reaches of the forest
of Arden where a settlement formed which was to become Coventry.
Whereas most of the Feldon area to the south east was open countryside
which was readily farmable, the dense clay soil of Arden was relatively
hostile to crop growing but was, however, a suitable condition for oak
trees of which much of the forest comprised.
From necessity, many of the hamlets that developed in the Forest of
Arden were created in clearings, either man-made or perhaps natural
openings in the woods. The old English word for a clearing was "lea",
and derivatives of this include leah, ley and leigh, so we can see how
many of the settlements with which we're familiar today gained their
names. Examples are: Keresley, Henley, Corley, Whoberley, Binley,
Allesley, Fillongley, plus many others. The name Henley-in-Arden in
fact contains a double reference to its ancient roots. The area from
which Coventry grew did, however, contain a particularly good
resource.... water. The Sherbourne was much larger in Saxon times, and
a large lake called Babbu Lacu filled much of the low lying land along
the northern edge of the hamlet. Therefore, a supply of fish and
drinking water was always plentiful, and the land was also more easily
defended in times of trouble. The only remnant of the lake is now a
small pool - the Swanswell. With the forest being mostly
unsuitable for the cultivation of crops, the Saxon settlers in this
area concentrated on cattle and sheep, and so it was this which would
eventually lead to Coventry's great wealth in the middle ages with its
wool industry.
Although Coventry's documented history stretches back at least a
thousand years, its true beginnings are still shrouded in mystery.
There is good reason to suggest that the first settlement here grew
around a Saxon nunnery, which had been founded around 700 AD by St.
Osburga, and which stood in the vicinity of St. Mary's Priory.
Coventry Tourist
Information Centre
Coventry Cathedral, Priory Street Coventry CV1 5AB
Email: tic@cvone.co.uk Coventry
Tourist Information Centre
Tel: 024 7622 5616 or 024 7622 1413
AIRBASE
AIRBASE is far from your typical aeroplane ‘museum’ – this is a working
museum, where aeroplanes are maintained and prepared for flight.
AIRBASE visitors can see, hear and even smell these historic aircraft
as they reach for the skies. Meet the crew and photograph the aircraft
in action.
Among the gems on show is the world’s only airworthy Gloster Meteor
Night Fighter. This aircraft was built at... Coventry Airport in 1952
and flies on in memory of those who strived to make jet technology a
reality.
Shackleton
House
Coventry Airport West
Baginton
CV8 3AZ AIRBASE CLICK
Tel: 024 7688 2616
ALAN HIGGS CENTRE
The Alan Higgs Centre is an £8million leisure
centre that has been built to provide much needed sports and leisure
facilities for people living in the South East of Coventry. The
surrounding areas, which include Stoke Aldermoor, Binley and
Willenhall, have been in need of community based leisure facilities for
many years. The centre opened in October 2004 and boasts some of the
most modern facilities within Coventry such as Indoor and Outdoor 3G
football pitches, 4 court sports hall, netball courts, fitness suite,
health suite, dance studio and function rooms.
Allard Way,
Coventry,
West Midlands,
CV3 1HW
ALAN HIGGS CENTRE CLICK
Tel: 024 7630 8244
ALL SAINT'S
CHURCH
This beautiful church is one of the most
historic religious buildings in Coventry, dating from around 1130.
Sadly, very little remains of the original 12th Century structure and
it is thought that the tower and spire were rebuilt in the 13th
Century, and the majority of the building that we see today was
probably moulded around an 1863 design. The church contains some
beautiful stained glass windows.
There has been a church on this site in Allesley for over 800 years.
Christians here have sought to worship God, to tell people the Good
News of Jesus Christ, and to serve the people of the parish. All Saints
ChurchThe work carries on today. Visitors will find an active parish
church with a variety of worship styles at its services on Sunday, and
a network of small groups that meet throughout the week.
Rectory Lane, Coventry, West Midlands CV5 9EQ
We are located in Allesley, a small village near Coventry situated just
off the A45 in the direction of Birmingham.
A beautiful garden
setting within which Allesley Hall is situated. The Dovecotes have been
converted and form part of Allesley Hall residential home.Built in 1909
Allesley Hall was originally a private residence before becoming a
convalesence home in the 1950s. The Hall is now a residential
care/nursing home offering sheltered accommodation.
The Park was formerly
part of a Deer Park, probably 5 times larger than the present park. The
original mansion known as Allesley Hall was built as a private house in
the mid 17th century, today the hall is a residential home for the
elderly and provides a superb setting for Bands in the Park concerts in
the summer. The park provides pleasant walks with wonderful views. It
also has a children's play area and pitch & putt golf.
Allesley
Hall Drive, Allesley, Coventry, West Midlands, CV5 9NS
Tel: 024 7683 2441
ALLESLEY WALLED GARDEN
The Allesley Park
Walled Garden is a fine example of an authentic 18th Century kitchen
garden and is part of Coventry's heritage. It is maintained by a group
of dedicated volunteers and is frequently used as an educational
resource.
BAGINGTON CASTLE
Baginton Castle was originally a 13th century fortified manor house,
founded by the de Derlye family. The large rectangular platform, partly
encased by a wide ditch, stands against the steep banks of the River
Sowe. In the 14th century, Sir William Bagot founded the stone castle,
when adding a tower house encased by a ditch. Sadly only the
foundations of the tower remain, with vaulted chambers in basement, a
spiral stair turret and a rectangular garderobe turret. Although the
platform is clear, the rest of the site is heavily overgrown, so it is
best viewed in winter.
SP 342-747
Baginton Castle is located in the village centre, off Church Road. 3
miles south of Coventry, on the B4113-A45.
The site is visible from a public footpath, which passes the castle
from the church.
Car parking is by the side of the road. BAGINGTON CASTLE
CLICK
BELGRADE THEATRE Holding 866
seats in its two-tier auditorium, the theatre remains one of the
largest regional producing theatres in the country and hosts a wide
variety of different plays. The Belgrade
Theatre was the first civic theatre to be built after the war and was
opened in March 1958, part of a large scale re-development of the City
of Coventry. Now an English Heritage grade II listed
building, the Belgrade acquired its name in recognition and thanks for
a gift of timber from the Yugoslav city of Belgrade that was used
extensively in the construction of the auditorium. Holding 866 seats in
its two-tier auditorium, the theatre remains one of the largest
regional producing theatres in the country. Opened by
HRH the Duchess of Kent, the Belgrade has presented over 800 shows
ranging from lavish musicals to comedies and serious drama to a total
audience of over 4 million. Since its launch under its first director
Bryan Bailey, the Belgrade has pursed a policy of producing innovative
and new work. Autumn 2007 saw the re-opening of the Belgrade
Theatre after completion of its major capital project, including a new
250-300 seat second space and refurbishment of the existing listed
building. The improved facilities now allow audiences to enjoy a wider
range of work including an expanded range of home-produced plays and
presenting productions from visiting companies.
BLACK SWAN TERRACE
Black Swan Terrace is a series of houses that have been fully restored
just as they would have been in 1560. Visitors are invited to see how a
traditional weaver would have lived his or her life in Coventry at this
time. There is also a medieval garden that has been planted with
flowers and plants that would have been particularly prevalent in this
area at that time. This experience represents a fascinating step back
in time.
Upper Spon Street, Coventry, West Midlands CV1 3BQ
BONDS HOSPITAL
& OLD BABLAKE SCHOOL
In 1344 Queen Isabella, the widow of Richard II endowed
the land for the building of Bablake and Bonds hospital in an act of
philanthropy. The money to found the school (Bablake) was provided by
one Thomas Wheatley, a wealthy self made merchant. Bablake and Bond's
hospital share the same frontage. They are either side of a
gateway. Bond's Hospital is to the right of the gateway. It was
endowed by one Thomas Bond - Mayor of Coventry in 1497 - in his will of
1506 as an alms house for deserving old men. It provided for ten men
for life, each was to be a member of the Holy Trinity Guild, and one
woman to act as housekeeper. In 1832 the hospital was restored
and by 1940 such was the income from Bond's endowment that 85 Almsmen
could be provided with six shillings per week. To the left of the
gateway is Old Bablake school. This is the site of the collegiate
buildings since 1344. In 1550 the 14th Century priests quarters were
re-modeled as a boys hospital which later became a boys school. The 16th Century Old Bablake School, one of Coventry's
oldest school buildings forms a delightful courtyard with the Almshouse
- Bonds Hospital, still used to this day for residential accommodation
for the elderly. Togther with St John's Church, forever associated with
'sent to Coventry', they form an historic corner of Coventry's old
city. Viewable externally only.
BRANDON CASTLE
Brandon Castle was originally a 12th century earthwork motte and bailey
fortress, founded by Geoffrey de Clinton. In the 13th century, the de
Verdon family founded the stone castle, when adding the keep and a
large outer enclosure. The low motte, stands in the middle of two
rectangular platforms and is encased with concentric wet ditches. In
1947, excavations on the motte, found it supported the foundations of a
small rectangular keep. This masonry is the only visible remains of the
castle, the garrison of Kenilworth Castle attacked and slighted in
1265.
SP 407-759
Brandon Castle is located north of Wolston, off Brandon Lane. 5 miles
south-east of Coventry, on the A428.
The site is visible from the road.
Car parking is by the side of the road. BRANDON CASTLE CLICK
BRANDON MARSH
NATURE RESERVE
Brandon Marsh Nature Reserve is made up of two hundred acres of lakes,
marshes, woods and grassland. The area is home to a massive array of
beautiful and rare plants and animals that come from across the region
to enjoy this unique habitat. The visitor centre offers a range of
information about the area and its history, as well as having a set of
hands on activities to get involved with.
CALUDON CASTLE
Caludon Castle was originally a 12th century fortified manor house,
founded by Ranulf Blundeville, earl of Chester. In 1305, Stephen de
Segrave founded the stone castle when King Edward I, granted him a
licence to crenellate his manor house. The large rectangular platform,
encased by a moat, now supports the north wall of a first-floor hall,
with majestic windows. Founded by John Mowbray, the mid 14th century
hall house was built above a low undercroft but it fell into disrepair
in the late 14th century, after the banishment of Thomas Mowbray by
King Richard II. In 1580, the house was remodelled by Lord Berkley and
in the 17th century the castle received structural alterations, only to
be abandoned after the Civil War.
SP 374-801
Caludon Castle is located in Caludon park, off Farren Road. 3 miles
east of Coventry, on the A4600.
The site is freely accessible in daylight hours.
Car parking is by the side of the road. CALUDON CASTLE CLICK
CENTRAL LIBRARY
Opening times: Monday - Friday 9.00am to 8.00pm
Saturday 9.00am to 4.30pm
Sunday12noon to 4.00pm
Access:
Level access, automatic doors, lift to main library and upper level.
All public areas are wheelchair accessible.
CENTRE AT7
Centre AT7 is a community sports facility located in the North East of
Coventry. The centre was built in 1987 to encourage participation from
the surrounding communities which have been recognised as experiencing
under representation and deprivation. In addition to an
extensive range of facilities for sport, exercise and recreational
participation, Centre AT7 also incorporates a specialist provision of
Outdoor Activities through its outdoor adventure area, which includes a
35ft climbing / abseiling tower and high and low level ropes
courses. A partnership with Goals Soccer Centres Ltd in 2009 has
resulted in the construction of ten new 5 aside pitches along with the
complete refurbishment and modernisation of the sports hall, indoor
children's play area, reception, bar and changing areas.
CHEYLESMORE MANOR
This beautiful ancient building is one of the best preserved in the
city and is now home to the registry office for the community. The
construction is said to be the only unfortified royal palace outside of
London. Built in the 16th Century the building has strong associations
with Queen Isabella the wife of Edward II and her grandson, the Black
Prince. The fantastic building is well worth inspecting from outside,
and can be viewed internally by appointment.
Manor House Drive, New Union Street, Coventry, West Midlands
CV1 2ND
Phone: +44 (0)24 7683 3141
CHRISTCHURCH SPIRE
The third of Coventry's famous three spires. Henry VIII's commissioners
demolished its first church. Its second was lost to bombing in 1941.
Exterior viewing only.
New Union Street,
Coventry,
West Midlands,
CV1 2PS
CHRIST CHURCH
Dating back to Queen
Isobel and the Black Prince, all that remains on the original site of
the Christ Church is the famous third spire of Coventry after the rest
of the mediaeval church was destroyed during the Second World War. The
new Christ Church was moved to Cheylesmore and opened in 1958 and
boasts sculptures by John Skelton and stained glass by Pierre
Fourmaintraux.
11
Frankpledge Road, Cheylesmore, Coventry, West Midlands, CV3 5GT
CITY COLLEGE THEATRE
A 650 seater theatre with an original 1930's interior. Host to a
range of amateur and professional productions, including musicals,
dancing shows, variety and concerts, including an annual panto and much
more. There is parking at the rear, a licensed bar and a warm welcome.
CITY OF COVENTRY
STADIUM
The City of Coventry Stadium is a modern stadium which hosts a variety
of music, business, and sporting events, and also includes a shopping
centre, exhibition areas, and a casino. A venue for some of the 2012
Olympic football events during the London Summer Olympics, the stadium
is world class and has an impressive 32,500 capacity. It is also the
home of Coventry City Football Club and situated very close to Coventry
city centre, where public transport links are available.
COOK STREET &
SWANSWELL GATES
The only two of Coventry's twelve mediaeval gates to survive. Between
them lies the most complete section of the city's impressive wall now
incorporated in Lady Herbert's Garden.
Cook Street,
Coventry,
West Midlands, CV1 1XX
COOMBE
COUNTRY PARK & NATURE RESERVE
It has taken ten centuries and the vision of many individuals for the
magnificent country park to reach its present spelndour. Come and
explore 500 acres of historic parkland made up of gardens, woodlands
and lakeside walks. Become on with nature and relax in magnificent
surroundings. View key to symbolskeyCoach parties accepted Credit cards
accepted (no fee) Disabled access Disabled toilets Education/study area
Facilities for groups Facilities for educational visits Gift shop
On-site catering Picnic site Public toilets Accepts groups Baby
changing facilities Facilities for conferencing Facilities for
corporate hospitality On-site light refreshments Telephone (public)
Children welcomeDisabled accessDogs not accepted (except
guidedogs)Guided tours for groupsGrounds for outdoor activities
Prices Free entry Entrance to the park is free. Car Park -
pay & display. Open all the time
Open daily 7.30am to dusk. The Visitor Centre is open 9.30am until 4pm
in the winter and 9.30am until 5pm in the summer.
COVENTRY CANAL ART
TRAIL
Public Art Trail from Coventry Canal Basin to Hawkesbury Junction along
the Coventry Canal. Five and a half miles of art comprising 39 pieces
by 34 artists. Includes sculptures, ironwork, murals, community
projects and more. Britains longest waterside art gallery.
Unit 5 Canal Basin,
St Nicholas Street,
Coventry,
West Midlands,
CV1 4LY
CANAL BASIN OF
COVENTRY
Termination of the Coventry Canal. Popular with boats/easy access to
city centre shops etc. Restored, original early 19th century wharf,
also newer development including bar/cafe, newsagent, tea shop, canal
rangers and more. Regular venue for public and community events. Free
parking.
COUNTY HALL
Coventry was once a County in its own right. The Boundary act of 1847
removed this status from Coventry but the old County Hall retained it's
name. The County Hall was built in 1783-4 and was designed by the
architect Samuel Eglington. It was used for County Court and quarter
sessions and is the only remaining 18th Century building of
architectural distinction in Coventry. At one time it also housed the
Prison governer of the adjoining jail which stood next door in Trinity
Lane. The last public execution to take place in Coventry was in the
street outside the County Hall (Cuckoo Lane) in 1849.
Cuckoo Lane,
Coventry
CV1 1LN.
COVENTRY CATHEDRAL
Glorious 20th century Cathedral, with stunning 1950's art &
architecture, rising above the stark ruins of the medieval Cathedral
destroyed by German air raids in 1940. The Visitor Information Centre
housed in St Michael's Tower.
COVENTRY CITY FARM Coventry City
Farm site was taken over and reopened by the Warwickshire Wildlife
Trust this summer and now hosts fun and interactive workshops for
children. The workshops aim to promote teamwork, communication and
education whilst still including an element of fun. During November two
workshops will be taking place; WildPlay and Allotment Activities.
Allotment activity sessions - aimed at older children will be running
every Friday (14th, 21st and 28th) between 10am - 12pm. WildPlay
sessions will be taking place each Saturday (1st, 15th, 22th and 29th)
between 1:30pm - 2:30pm. On Saturday 8th November 12:00-3:00pm there is
also going to be an open day with a free BBQ, DVD Screening and
children and family activities. This will be your chance to influence
the future of the site and find out what the Warwickshire Wildlife
Trust is planning to do. Please note all children must be accompanied
by an adult and as Coventry City Farm has closed down the site no
longer has any of the farm animals.
1 Clarence Street, Hillfields, Coventry,
West Midlands, CV1 4SF
Tel: +44 (0)24 7622 5323
COVENTRY CITY FOOTBALL CLUB
The club was founded in 1883 by Willie
Stanley, an employee of cycle firm Singers.
The club as a result was known as Singers FC until 1898 when
the name was changed to Coventry City. Early matches were played
at Dowells Field, off Binley Road until a move to Stoke Road in 1887
before the move to the Highfield Road site in 1899.The
brightest light for the Sky Blues came on October 2003 when the City
Council gave the greenlight for the Arena project in the north of
Coventry which would house the club's new 32,000 seater stadium. Now Playing in the
Championship . They won the FA Cup in 1986.
Built
on the site of a Wesleyan chapel and opened in 1932, Central Hall is
one of the few buildings that remained standing during the Coventry
Blitz in 1940, though it was extensively damaged. Central Hall has
several rooms and halls and is used as a major business, conference and
concert venue. It is one of 16 places of Methodist worship in the
Coventry circuit. The church: In the words of the website, "Central Hall is no mere
preaching centre – it is a real, living Church and that is the secret
of its success." As well as providing three Sunday services, Central
Hall also has a weekly youth group, snooker club and prayer breakfast,
plus social activities. The neighbourhood: The church is in the heart of Coventry, a thriving
city. Coventry was devastated by German bombing on the night of 14
November 1940, when the historic centre of the city, including the
Gothic cathedral, was destroyed.
COVENTRY RUGBY
FOOTBALL CLUB
The club was founded in 1874.Their home ground is the Butts Park Arena,
which was opened in Coventry in 2004. From 1921 to 2004 the club played
at Coundon Road Stadium, Coventry. It was one of the premier rugby
clubs in the UK in the 1960s and 1970s and many of its players were
capped during that time for England. These included Phil Judd, George
Cole, Bill Gittings, Peter Rossborough, John Barton, Barry Ninnes,
Keith Fairbrother, Geoff Evans, Peter Preece, Alan Cowman, Graham
Robbins and David Duckham. Other top players of that era were John
Gray, Brian Holt and Steve Thomas. The club was renowned for exciting
attacking rugby. Playing at Coundon Road Stadium, their major local
rivals were Moseley, with whom they had a regular and popular Boxing
Day fixture. This was in the days when Leicester were a second order
force in Midlands rugby. Cardiff and London Welsh were regular
visitors. David Duckham scored the most impressive try of his career
against London Welsh in a match in 1973. The latest Coventry player to
gain an honour was Jamie Miller who represented the Barbarians in
November 2008Now playing in National League 1,
COVENTRY STADIUM SPEEDWAY
RACING Experience
the excitement of Speedway by visiting the fantastic Coventry Stadium. Home to the
Buildbase Bees, a series of races operate throughout the
year. The Coventry Bees are based at Coventry Stadium
(formerly Brandon Stadium) to the east of the city. The stadium
has operated both sides of World War II. The Bees started in 1948 and
have operated continuously ever since. They started out in the National
League Division three before moving up to the Second Division and,
later to the top flight. They have operated at this level ever since.
COVENTRY TRANSPORT
MUSEUM
The Coventry Transport Museum is located in the very heart of the city
centre, at Millennium Place. Offering a true blast from the past, this
museum contains a host of nostalgia. Ranging from old 'bone-shaker'
bicycles to vintage vehicles at their best, the museum is grouped into
collections and galleries, with favourites including the Blitz
Experience, Futures Gallery and Spirit of Speed. In total, you will
find around 250 different cars and vehicles on display here, together
with more than 100 motorbikes. Open: daily - 10:00 to 17:00
Admission: free
Coventry has
over the past few centuries been home to several industries of national
significance. Watchmaking was first recorded in the city in the 1680s,
but it was not until the 18th century that Coventry emerged as one of
the main centres of the watchmaking industry in England. By the first
half of the 19th century Coventry had even reached a position of
national dominance. It was not however, to last - by the second half of
the century cheaper factory methods in the USA and improved quality in
Switzerland were rapidly eating away at Coventry's market share. All
was not lost though, as the watchmaking industry helped developed a
skill base that was to contribute to Coventry's rise as a centre of the
motor car, motor cycle, aircraft and precision engineering
House within three 19th Century cottages, and a
temporary steel building the Trustees and volunteers continue to work
towards making this site the Museum's permanent home, proudly
illustrating Coventry's influence within the British watch making
industry, which dates back to the 1680's.Display of Clocks, Watches,
Tools, artefacts and Family History records, unique Air Raid Shelter
containing WWII Memorabilia. One of the cottages is reputedly haunted
and several interesting vigils have been held there. Entrance: Via the
passageway at the side of the Shakespeare Public House.
DELTA FORCE PAINTBALLING
Paintballing and paintball in Warwickshire is more popular than ever,
and now it has become easier to organise! Paintball is currently one of
the fastest growing extreme sports in Europe; thousands of new UK
paintballing enthusiasts try out the most exciting games on our
paintball playing fields every month. People are often introduced to
paintball action sports through a CORPORATE EVENT, STAG PARTY, BIRTHDAY
PARTY or GROUP OF FRIENDS looking for an ACTIVE FUN DAY
The Drapers' Hall,
opened in 1832, represents at least the third hall in Bayley Lane
belonging to the drapers' company. This area seems to have been the
centre of the drapers' activities since the later 14th century when a
building called the Drapery stood in what is now St. Mary's
Street. In 1727 this was pulled down and the Half Moon Inn was
built on the site; at the same time the linen, flannel, and cloth fairs
were removed to St. Mary's Hall. The Drapers' Hall, 'a dark
gloomy edifice', appears to have been an adjacent but independent
structure, completed c. 1637, facing Bayley Lane. This
survived until 1775 when it was replaced by a stone building designed
by Henry Couchman. Exterior viewable only.Currently
redundant, at various times over the last ten years attempts have been
made to bring the building back into permanent use. A plan drawn up by
Coventry Building Preservation Trust (an offshoot of the Coventry
Society) would have seen the building re-used as a central community
centre and museum to the cloth trade. But the plan was rejected by the
City Council.
Bayley
Lane,
Coventry,
CV1 5R
EARLSDON METHODIST CHURCH
Originally housed
in a derelict ribbon factory on Cromwell Street, the Methodist Church
established itself in Earlsdon in 1873, and moved once more before
finally settling in its current location. The Earlsdon Methodist Church was built
in 1922 and opened in 1923. It was designed in the late Gothic
style by Crouch Butler and Savage, Architects in Birmingham. The
facades have two types of facing bricks combined with Weldon stone
details and tracery. The large expanse of roof is covered with
sand faced plain clay tiles. The front elevation has octagonal
brick towers on the corners. These are topped with open stone
turrets and pinnacles. The corner entrance with hardwood doors is
a later addition.
This hospital or
"almshouse" provided sheltered accommodation for elderly people and was
founded in 1509 by William Ford. Originally it housed five aged men and
one woman, but was further endowed in 1517 to provide shelter for six
couples, and again in 1529 by William Wigston for five more old couples
with a small weekly allowance. On the night of 14th October 1940
it was struck by a single bomb which killed the warden, a nurse and six
residents.
The structure itself was quite severely damaged but not totally beyond
repair. The building was faithfully restored in 1953 using wherever
possible, original materials salvaged from the ruins.
Whilst searching through the damage, Coventry historian John Bailey
Shelton uncovered the remains of a tiled floor from the 1300's. One
tile was decorated with the black eagle of Leofric. It is thought that
previously, a chapel associated with Greyfriars monastery stood on this
site. Exterior only viewable. Wheelchair accessto courtyard .
Greyfriar's
Lane,
Coventry,
CV1 2GY
G CASINO
Las Vegas has come to Coventry in the form of G casino and
entertainment complex. Located within the £113 million Ricoh
Arena, housing the UK's largest casino with blackjack, roulette and
poker tables, as well as a 'high rollers' room. Explore the bars,
starting with a drink in the lively Bar 87 or savour a cocktail at the
stylish Singers bar while overlooking the 35 metre high waterfall and
tropical lagoon. Later check out the live music or entertainment at the
show bar. Visitors can also enjoy a delicious meal at Mahir's
restaurant or sample the tasty variety offered at the Tradewinds
Marketplace foodcourt
Ricoh Arena, Phoenix Way, Coventry, West Midlands, CV6 6GE
Near the city’s gates,
the Coventry Garden of International Friendship sits as a fine display
of modernly landscaped impeccable grounds that offer a rare and superb
opportunity for visitors to relax, enjoy being outdoors, and sneak away
from the busy city life beyond the garden’s peaceful land. The Phoenix
Initiative, a City Council project meant to create roles for
conservation and archaeology in the process of rebuilding and
refurbishing the city’s center, was the catalyst for the creation of
the International Friendship gardens and the refurbishing of Lady’
Herbert’s. The International Friendship Garden was born from the idea
to create something strikingly different than the beautiful, but formal
style Lady Herbert’s Gardens near by. Bold and almost state of the art,
the layout is quite different than a classic formal garden, but
enjoyable just the same. The beautifully landscaped grounds are able to
be visited at any time free of charge. Guests from all over seek out
this garden due to the beauty and tranquility it offers. Visitors
should be aware that there is a charge for parking. However, the garden
is also easily accessible by public transportation as it is located
just one mile from the Coventry mainline station. The garden is
centrally located so it makes a great stop if you are on a site seeing
tour of your own in Coventry. Take a moment to relax and unwind from
your busy day or just pause to plan the upcoming activities for the
remainder of your visit.
Hales
Street, Coventry,
West Midlands,
CV1 2XX
GREYFRIARS GREEN Two hundred years ago Greyfriars Green was
known as Graffery Muck Hill. It was a large dunghill of
street-sweepings which was auctioned twice a year. Later it was
known as the 'Red Sea' or 'Horse Pool' where the coach men
washed down their vehicles. There was even a ducking stool for
scolding wives.For many years prior to 1858 the Coventry
Fair was held on Greyfriars Green, the drinking tents and stalls
aligned on the periphery of the site, the buying and selling taking
place in the centre.
Greyfriars Green can be found in the very centre of Coventry and was
first laid out and structured during the 1850s. This tranquil city park
is close to a school attended by acclaimed Victorian novelist George
Eliot. During the summer months, swathes of bedding plants fill the
gardens with bright colours. Open: daily - dawn to dusk
Admission: free
Greenfriars Road,
Coventry,
West Midlands,
CV1 3RY
HAWKESBURY JUNCTION & SUTTON
STOP
At the unusual
canal junction at Hawkesbury near Coventry the Oxford Canal joins the
Coventry Canal. The Oxford originally ran parallel with the Coventry
for a few miles towards Coventry but the junction beneath the elegant
cast iron bridge was cut through in 1828 when the Oxford Canal was
being shortened by having some of its tortuous loops cut out. Sutton
stop lock, named after its first lock keeper, is in the distance on the
right hand side in the photo. This has a very small fall and was built
to keep the waters of the two canals separate.
Sutton
Stop,
Longford,
Coventry,
West Midlands, CV6 6DF
We are a well
established church that has experienced a growth of spiritual activity.
As Baptists we hold to the traditional teachings on God's love for all,
shown in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We believe
in the importance of this church for spiritual growth and response,
fellowship and service. Believer's baptism is a distinctive feature of
Baptist church life. Membership and communion are open to all that
profess Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. We have responsibilities to
the wider church, offering financial and prayer support. People coming
to Hearsall for the first time comment on the warmth of our welcome. We
would be delighted to welcome you.
Hearsall Common is
located in Earlsdon, Coventry in the West Midlands, central
England
The common consists of a large grassy area with a smaller partly
tarmacadamed area on one side of Hearsall Common Road, and a
wooded nature reserve on the other side. It is free to enter and
open to the public as of right, 24 hrs a day; however, after
several years of residents complaining about itinerant or nomadic
travellers using the common, an embankment was built alongside the
roads to prevent vehicles from driving onto the common. Hearsall Common
has a long history of being common land going back to at least the
thirteenth century. It was reassigned as recreation ground by a
Coventry Corporation Act of 1927, along with other areas of common land
in Coventry. On this common Frank Whittle, Jet
Pioneer, first felt the power of flight. 1916
HEART OF ENGLAND
COUNTRY PARK & BEACH
'Heart Park' for short - is the product of the vision of Stephen
Hammon, Managing Director and owner of the site.Heart of England
Conference and Events Centre (sharing the same site) has been providing
fantastic facilities to corporate customers for 10 years - and, in
2009, Stephen wanted to open up these fantastic facilities to
everyone...with a few extra twists that would make a really special day
out for the whole family.At a cost of £1.4m, the site now offers
a beautiful, clean lake for paddling, tonnes of soft sand (for castle
buidling and sun bathing) - fresh air, open spaces and medieval
woodlands.
Heart Park is the perfect solution for families who want to spend a day
together at the beach - without the four hour round trip to the
seaside. Imagine, living in Coventry or Solihull or Birmingham...waking
up to a glorious sunny day, packing some beach towels and the
children...and finding yourself relaxing on old fashioned deckchairs,
watching the children paddle and build sand castles - within THIRTY
MINUTES. That's the reality of Heart Park.
THE HERBERT
The Herbert is the cultural heart of Coventry and includes a gallery
and museum, creative media studio, arts information centre and the city
archives. The aim of the centre is to work with the people of Coventry
to explore and celebrate the diverse culture and long history of the
area. The gallery carries an ever-changing collection of contemporary
art and the museum has a range of archaeological discoveries from the
West Midlands.
Holy Trinity's story is a long one! The first known
reference to Holy Trinity Church is in 1113. Its beginnings are
tied in to the history of the Benedictine Priory of St Mary which was
associated with Earl Leofric and Lady Godiva. The church appears to
have originally been established next door to the Priory to act as a
“side chapel” to the priory church and for the use of the priory’s
tenants.
The original Norman church was all but destroyed in a
fire in 1257. The North porch was the only part of the original
building to survive and is still in use today. The rest of the
church was entirely rebuilt during the 13th
Century. The walls were brightly painted, helping those
churchgoers who could not read to understand the messages of the bible.
The Holy Trinity Church is a 13th Century
Parish Church in the city centre. It features a Medieval Doom Painting
of the last judgement, 14th Century misericords, two superb stained
glass windows. There is a ramp for wheelchair access.
JAGUAR &
DAIMLER HERITAGE TRUST MUSEUM
The Jaguar and Daimler Heritage Trust Museum is home to over 100
different vehicles, although not all of the cars are on display at any
one time. Standing just 5 km / 3 miles from central Coventry, many of
the vehicles on display here are in mint condition and as if they have
just left the actual factory production line, being in full working
order and a reminder of an earlier time.
Open: daily - by arrangement only, Monday to Thursday - 09:00 to 16:30,
Friday - 09:00 to 15:00
Admission: free
Browns Lane,
Allesley,
Coventry,
West Midlands, CV5 9DR
JAM JAM BOOMERANG
Jam Jam Boomerang is a new multi-level play and party place in Coventry
for 0-12 year olds. There's a separate area for babies and the under
4's. As well as having the facility to cater for children's parties,
they have a café serving coffee and healthy snacks. Babies are
free when accompanied by another paying child.
Woodhams Road,
Off Sisken Drive, Middlemarch Business Park, Coventry, Warwickshire,
CV3 4FJ,
The legend of Lady
Godiva is very special to Coventry; everyone loves the tale of this
proud Lady, who rode through the streets in protest at the high taxes
that her husband Earl Leofric had imposed on the town. The statue is
located in Broadgate.Lady Godiva statue by Sir William
Reid Dick unveiled at midday on 22 October 1949 in Broadgate, Coventry,
a £20,000 gift from Mr WH Bassett-Green, a Coventrian.
She didn't use a mobile telephone. Nowhere to keep it!
LADY HERBERT'S GARDEN
Lady Herbert's garden
lies beside the town's ancient gates and incorporates part of the old
city wall. It was designed and built by the Coventry industrialist Sir
Alfred Herbert in the 'Arts and Crafts' style and was dedicated to Lady
Herbert who died in 1930.
Hales
Street,
Coventry,
West Midlands,
CV1
LONGFORD PARK
This is the largest of
the City's Area Parks and serves the North of the city. It is a well
established green space with expanses of grass, colourful bedding
schemes, picturesque tree lined river walk, ecological and wildlife
areas and a range of facilities for all the family to enjoy, including
a play area, skate park, and a multi use games area. The extensive and
well used footpath system is ideal as an exercise facility using the
distance marked routes and as a dog walking venue.
Longford
Road,
Longford,
Coventry,
West Midlands, CV6 7AT LONGFORD
PARK CLICK
Tel: 024 7683 2441
LUNT FORT
It's A.D. 60; the Iceni of East Anglia
led by the legendary Boudica have rebelled against Roman rule, and have
just been defeated in a terrible battle fought somewhere in the
Midlands. As a result the Romans are building a series of
fortifications across the Midlands including the Lunt.
Come and explore this partially-reconstructed timber fort . Stand on
the ramparts, explore the exhibition in the granary and imagine
yourself training horses in the gyrus - a feature not found anywhere
else in the Roman Empire.
Coventry Road, Bagington, Warwickshire CV8 3AJ LUNT FORT CLICK
LYNCHGATE COTTAGES
Adjacent to the entrance to Trinity church can be found these three
15th century cottages. They were originally one building named
'Lychgate House'. The timber used for these buildings has been
accurately tree-ring dated to around 1414-15.
The word Lych is old English and means corpse, hence a Lychgate being
the entrance by which a funeral procession would enter a churchyard and
under which the coffin would be rested awaiting the vicar's arrival.
3,4
& 5 Priory Row
Coventry
CV1 5EX
MEAD GALLERY
The Mead Gallery is one of the centrepieces of the campus at the
University of Warwick. The gallery houses a great many fantastic
exhibitions throughout the year that work across a range of themes. The
collections are sometimes focussed around students and the work of
young and emerging talents. However, there are also frequent
exhibitions of travelling shows and established artists work.
The University of Warwick, Coventry, West Midlands CV4 7AL
MIDLAND AIR MUSEUM
Located at Coventry Airport, this museum offers an extensive collection
of over thirty full-sized aircraft that are both military and civil.
This includes an Avro Vulcan Bomber, which is a rare piece. The
exhibitions inside the museum are dedicated to the history of the
aircraft and one in particular focuses on the work of Sir Frank
Whittle, the inventor of the jet engine.
MILLENIUM PLACE
Millennium Place is a key part of the city’s
refurbishment, the Phoenix Initiative, and the huge undertaking known
as the Millennium Project. Located in the center of the city,
Millennium Place boasts a large space open to the public and filled
with unique and interesting works of art to enjoy.
Visitors will want to make sure to see Schein’s
twenty four hour Time Zone Clock as well as the grandly constructed
forty ton Whittle Arches. Near the grounds of Lady Herbert’s Garden, a
large obelisk made of glass has been erected and is known as the Future
Monument. All around the monument are plaques which show the names of
people that once were enemies of Coventry, but now are united in
friendship. The spiral Glass Bridge is a tricky design and a recent
development that connects this location with the Garden of
International Friendship. There are also walkways
connecting to the Coventry Transport Museum and the Cathedral. All of
these connections are beneficial to guests that are trying to see
multiple locations in a single day because it makes it easy to get back
and forth from one site to another.This location is open
twenty four hours daily and has no admission charge for guests.
Millennium Place can be especially alluring at night, when the dark sky
lends a perfect backdrop for the modern designs of the area and
lighting effects, particularly along the seemingly delicate but sturdy
glass bridge. As well, there are times when the location is the host to
various events such as concerts.
Hales
Street,
Coventry,
West Midlands,
CV1 1PN
NAULS MILL PARK
Originally the site of
a watermill built in the 12th century, this park is tucked away at the
end of Coundon Street, alongside the beautiful Bablake School.This
Edwardian park was opened in 1909. The original boating lake is used
today by model boating enthusiasts. Visitors can enjoy pleasant walks
among the formal flower beds around the lake. There is also a
children's play area.The park has areas of tranquillity, laid out with
flowerbeds and a large ornamental pool surrounded by mature trees
creating a peaceful haven in this built up area of the city.
OLD BLUE COAT
SCHOOL (exterior viewing only)
The Old Blue Coat School is a unique and historic building nestling
between Priory Row and the new Phoenix Initiative in Coventry city
centre. The current building dates from 1856, the actual school
having been founded as the first Charity School for girls in Coventry
in 1714. Having not been in use for many years, it was completely
re-furbished as part of the Phoenix Initiative development in
celebration of 2000 years since Christ’s birth. Now run by Holy
Trinity, the Old Blue Coat School has been transformed and plays an
important role in the rejuvenation of this historic part of the City
Centre. The building itself was constructed over one corner of the
original St Mary’s Cathedral. The evidence of this can be seen today in
the cellars of the building which are actually inside one of the
original pillars of the Cathedral, dating from around 1150AD.
PEACE GARDEN In the center of the city, next to University
Square and the Herbert Art Gallery, the Peace Gardens were established
and are maintained as a living memorial to the devastation that faced
the city during the blitz bombings of the second world war. As the home
of various manufacturers, Coventry was the site of air
raids during the war. The site of the Peace Garden once belonged to the
Coventry Cathedral which was destroyed during an air raid bombing in
1940. These gardens not only mark that
emotion filled era, but also house a plaque that visitors can view to
see the names and distances of the many twin cities to Coventry. Each
twin city also maintains a peace park of their own as a statement for
the desire for world peace. The setup of the
landscaping and displays is meant to draw the visitors back to the time
of devastation and fear during the traumatic air raids of the war. The
setting offers a chance to reflect and remember the trials faced as the
world was in the turmoil of growth with various nations fighting for
power and also a place to pray and wish for a peaceful future. The
second world war took a large toll on many places throughout the world,
not just in Coventry, but here in the city the Peace Garden serves as a
chance for reflection on those tumultuous days gone by. Guests
may come and go from the park, free of charge, from dawn until dusk
each day.
Bayley Lane,
Coventry,
West Midlands,
CV1 5RN
PLANET ICE ARENA
The Coventry Ice Rink is located at The Planet Ice
Arena in Croft Road, Coventry. Apart from Public ice skating sessions,
the Coventry Ice Rink is also home to the Coventry Chaos Ice Hockey
Team, the Coventry Phoenix Ladies Ice Hockey Team and the Coventry
Junior Ice Hockey Team.
In addition to public ice skating sessions, private Birthday Parties
are catered for while the Galaxy Gliders provide one of the most
enjoyable learn to skate programmes in the UK today. Each week you will
receive expert tuition which starts you off from your very first
tentative steps onto the ice up to completing the whole course with
your first single jump! Galaxy Gliders is suitable for all the family
no matter what your age or ability. Come and have some good family fun
and learn to glide across the ice with confidence.
Visitors to the city
centre have already voted with their feet and decided that the new
Priory Gardens are the ideal place to while away a few moments, right
in the heart of the city centre. The Priory Gardens is part of the
Phoenix Initiative, is a haven of peace and tranquility on the site of
Coventry's first cathedral, St Mary's, surrounded by the newly restored
Blue Coat School and Holy Trinity Church. Ramp entrance. Toilet
suitable for most wheelchair users.
PRIORY VISITORS
CENTRE/PRIORY UNDERCROFT
Centrally located along Priory Row, Coventry's Priory Visitors
Centre is full of information about the city's original cathedral,
which was founded in the 1200s and demolished some years later. On
display are a number of archaeological games found when the site was
being excavated. Underneath the complex, the Undercroft is a series of
cellars and hidden, underground passageways, and guided tours of these
ancient remains are available.
Open: Monday to Saturday - 10:00 to 17:30, Sunday - 12:00 to 16:00
Admission: free, small charge for guided tours of the Undercroft
PURPLE PLANET Purple Planet
is a great place for children to have fun and exercise in a clean, safe
and friendly environment. Purple Planet's indoor soft play area,
combined with the maze of tunnels and climbing tubes, rope swings, ball
pools and slides is packed with adventure. Parents can watch their
children burn off all that excess energy while enjoying a relaxing
drink and snack in the café. The equipment at Purple Planet has
been specially designed to ensure children with disabilities and
special needs have good access and do not miss out. Kids birthday
parties are also catered for - contact Purple Planet directly for more
info.
Queen's Road Baptist
Church Centre aims to serve and link with the wider community of
Coventry as well as the church community. The buildings are centrally
situated on the edge of the City Centre, providing an ideal venue for
local, citywide and national organisations.
RYTON ORGANIC
GARDENS
Ryton Gardens is set in the heart of England and combines 10 acres of
organic gardens buzzing with wildlife, brimming with plants, bursting
with flowers and abundant in fruit and vegetables. It has been home to
the UK’s leading organic charity, Garden Organic, for over 25 years.
There is so much to see and do including inspiring demonstration
gardens, the only public biodynamic garden in the UK, fruit gardens and
an orchard. There are also events throughout the year and free guided
tours (weekends, May to Sept).
RYTON POOLS COUNTRY
PARK
Set in over 100 acres of countryside close to the village of
Bubbenhall, Ryton Pools Country Park is home to a variety of birds and
other wildlife. The paths and trails that weave their way through the
park are perfect for walkers, dog walkers, cyclists and joggers, while
for the children there is a miniature steam-engine railway and
adventure playground. There is also direct access to the nearby Ryton
Wood and a permanent orienteering course. On site there is a
café, visitor centre and gift shop.
ST JOHN THE DIVINE
CHURCH
One of the three Basil Spence designed churches in Coventry,
built before the Cathedral was completed and celebrating their 50th
birthday in 2007. The money needed to build the church was given by the
local community. The church comissioned a millenium screen which hangs
behind the alter and was designed by Warwickshire artist Christine
Browne.
Opening Times
Monday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings. Opening outside these hours,
please contact Rev. Katrina Scott 02476303266
Robin Hood Road, Willenhall, Coventry, West Midlands, CV3 3AY
ST.MARY'S GUILDHALL
St. Mary’s Guildhall is without a doubt one of the most impressive
surviving medieval guildhalls in the country. The original structure
was built in the early 1340s for the merchant guild of St Mary’s. It
was enlarged and extended on several occasions in the next few hundred
years. It was until the mid 20th Century the headquarters for
administration for the city council, and still hosts a variety of
important civic events.
ARENA PARK
SHOPPING CENTRE
The centre is split into two distinct areas, firstly the shopping park
containing the larger units, and secondly the mall along the front of
the Tesco Extra store containing smaller units. The tenants in the
Shopping Park section are Marks and Spencer, Boots, next, New Look and
Starbucks. The mall contains the centre's Tesco Extra store, Game,
Johnsons Dry Cleaners, Phones 4U, Elliot Reeve, The Carphone Warehouse,
Clinton Cards, Shoezone, Coventry Building Society and Thomson
Holidays.[6] It is also home to the Arena Park Library It
formerly contained a Borders bookstore with a Starbucks, this was from
the opening of the centre until the chain went into administration and
all stores were closed on 23 December 2009. In July 2010, it was
announced that New Look were to move into the former Borders
store. Their store opened on 9th September 2010 ] including a
Starbucks Coffee. Fast food outlets located on the periphery of the car
park include, Pizza Hut and Burger King. The Tesco petrol station is
also located adjacent to these outlets.
BELGRADE PLAZA
if your looking for an ideal place to eat, drink and take a break
from the retail dash, Belgrade Plaza has everything you need. Bella
Italia, Pizza Express, Belgrade Theatre and Premier Inn all help
contribute to one of Coventry's most prestigous areas, combining
history with the new. The Belgrade Plaza is being built by construction
firm, Oakmoor Deeley. The development has two phases. The first – a
1,100 space car park – opened in 2007. The second phase will bring two
hotels, a casino, restaurants, bars and apartments to the area between
the Belgrade Theatre and the ring road. Gala Casino,
Radisson Edwardian, and Metro Bar& Grill have units at the
development planned.
THE BURGES &
TRINITY STREET
The Burges is an old city street with the River Sherbourne running
under it. Now it is host to well known fast food outlets, pubs and
recruitment agencies. Cross Cheaping was originally the city's market
area. Holy Trinity Church gives Trinity Street its name, which is home
to the city centre's only major supermarket retailer, Sainsbury's, and
a variety of small independent retailers.
The Burges,
Coventry
CV1 1HL
.... Trinity Street,
Coventry,
CV1 1FJ
CATHERDAL LANES
& BROADGATE
Broadgate & Cathedral Lanes - a great area to shop for life's
necessities ... from household items in Wilkinson's to high street
fashion in the UK's flagship Primark store, Coventry provides something
for everyone. With a multi-million pound re-development of the new
Broadgate square currently in progress, 2012 will be an exciting year
for this groundbreaking new tree-lined public space.
COVENTRY MARKET
Coventry Market is the only Shopping Centre in Coventry providing so
much choice under one roof! With over 170 Market Stalls and Shops,
Coventry Market is providing a unique shopping experience in Coventry.
Shopping Centres come and go, Coventry Market has been providing
Shoppers in Coventry with Choice and Value for over 50 year’s and still
continues today! For shopping in Coventry visit one of the original
Shopping Centres in Coventry. Coventry Market Britain's Favourite
Market 2010Monday to Wednesday - 8.00am to 5.00pm
Thursday - 8.00am to 2.30pm
Friday & Saturday - 8.00am to 5.30pm
GREYFRIARS WALK,
CITY ARCADE, BULL YARD & SHELTON SQUARE
The retailers of City Arcade, Market Square, Bull Yard and Shelton
Square have come together to create Greyfriars Walk. Greyfriars Walk is
host to a diverse range of independant retailers, from Silver Glade
Jewellery, Garb, GladRags and Skud Clothing to Tomlinson's, Arcade
Fancy Dress and Beryl Houghton's photography. A collection
of Independent retailers on the Southside of Coventry City Centre
offering an extensive range of independently run shops offering a
unique choice of unusual and exciting goods along with the personal
touch from retailers that care about their customers. Make sure you
experience the difference at Greyfriars Walk.
HIGH STREET SHOPPING
Coventry's High Street is home to most of the main banks, building
societies and bureau de change services, as well as the Precinct
shopping areas featuring a superb selection of retailers including HMV,
Marks and Spencers, Jack & Jones, Orange, BHS, HSamuel, River
Island, Monsoon and Clintons.
IKEA COVENTRY
IKEA's first ever city centre store in the UK, the Coventry super
centre is spread over seven floors, built using environmentally
sustainable building materials, providing shoppers with iconic IKEA
products in a unique urban setting. Easily accessible from both the
city centre and surrounding areas, this huge multi-floor store has
everything from home furnishings, kitchenware, bathroom suites and
bedroom displays.
LOWER PRECINCT
SHOPPING CENTRE
The Lower Precinct and Market at Coventry were built as part of the
redevelopment of the city after extensive wartime bombing. Together
with the other parts of the shopping precinct they form one of the most
famous pedestrianised shopping schemes of their period. When newly
built they were cited, along with Basil Spence's Coventry Cathedral, as
symbols of the heroic spirit of post-war Britain .Home to some of the
City's most exciting retailers, cafés and restaurants, offering
something that will appeal to everyone, you can be sure to find that
perfect item with big name fashion outlets such as New Look, Next, Quiz
and H&M to other quality stores such as Sony Centre, Jacques Vert,
HSamuel and the Co-Op. Centrally located, it is easily accessible by
bus, train or car, with its own quality car parking.
MEDIEVAL SPON
STREET SHOPPING
Spon Street Shopping in Coventry is home to more than 24 shops and
businesses occupying a range of historic renovated medieval
buildings.Better known as Mediaeval Spon Street, this street contains a
unique selection of quality and niche shops including hair and beauty
salons, boutiques eateries and nightclubs. It's a great spot to visit
night or day. Navigate from the list on the left to view details of the
individual traders within Spon Street and you might well find the
hidden treasure you’ve been looking for.
SMITHFORD WAY
SHOPPING
On Smithford Way there are many well known retailers such as
Waterstones, Millets and the Body Shop as well as smaller independents.
The Central Library is also located here. Smithford Way leads to
Corporation Street and on your way you'll find a great delicatessen,
second hand jewellery, and body lotions and potions. Corporation Street
is home to Coventry's Belgrade Theatre.
WEST
ORCHARDS SHOPPING CENTRE
If you are
looking for fashion fresh off the cat walk, quality furnishings to
complete that designer look or a distinctive gift for someone special,
then this is the place to start. Here you will find not only top store
names but also exclusive retailers all gathered under one roof and for
a welcome break The Terrace food court offers a world of flavours for
you to try.
TENPIN BOWLING
Whether you are looking to go tenpin bowling with your family, friends
or even if you are looking to arrange a night out with your work
colleagues - Tenpin will have a bowling deal to suit you. Tenpin
bowling offer fantastic bowling deals that can be booked through our
online booking system. Are you looking to celebrate a special
occasion? Tenpin bowling is a perfect opportunity to get together and
celebrate. We offer far more than just bowling for your get together,
at Tenpin you can enjoy the late licensed bar, pool, arcade games or
even our brand new lazer arenas! You might be planning a birthday
celebration for yourself or are you looking for the perfect kids
birthday party? Tenpin has a selection of bowling party packages to
suit everyone.
Crosspoint
Business Park, Olivier Way, Coventry CV2 2SH
THEATRE ABSOLUTE
One of the UK's most original theatre companies, founded in 1992, and
based in Coventry, West Midlands, Theatre Absolute is supported by Arts
Council England, as a regularly funded organisation.The company
produces and tours new plays for the theatre that are bold, urban,
uncompromising, and contemporary. Telling stories of ordinary people
caught in extraordinary situations, the company places an emphasis on
character, text, and narrative to create richly imagined worlds.
Integral to the company are its highly regarded participatory
performance and literacy development activities for young people. The
company has a particular focus towards young people who are at risk,
and not in mainstream education.
TOY MUSEUM
Housed in a building that was originally a
portion of the gatehouse for a former monastery from the 14th century,
the Toy Museum is a delightful spot to visit for guests both young old.
The museum is home to a very large collection of toys dating all the
way back to the 1700’s up through the 1950’s. Such a collection and the
upkeep are a huge work in progress for the Coventry couple, Ron and
Sonya Morgan, that maintain this museum of toys in spectacular and even
working condition.
Children will enjoy seeing some of the things that former generations
played with. Just imagine learning about and explaining the more
simplistic toys of yesteryear to the young minds of today’s modern
society! The Toy Museum is open every day and free to the public
to enter and explore. The collection of various toys including pretty
dolls, unique train sets, and even cute cuddly teddy bears is still
growing today with new pieces being added all the time. It is known as
one of England’s biggest and best collections of this type, which
attracts visitors from all over the world. There will always be
something new and interesting to check out when visiting this fun
filled site that offers a rare chance to explore the history of
entertaining children throughout the ages.
The museum even accepts donations or may be interested in the purchase
of old, unusual toys. Is there something in your attic that you’d like
to see on display at the Toy Museum?
Open: daily - 10:30 to 17:30
Admission: free
Whitefriars Gate,
Much Park Street,
Coventry,
West Midlands, CV1 2LT TOY
MUSEUM CLICK
The War Memorial Park
is Coventry's premier park and attracts visitors from all over. Many
come to enjoy a casual visit, while others come to take part in some of
the many special events. June has the Race for Life and Coventry Fun
Run, Coventry's biggest charity run. July sees the Godiva Festival, one
of the country's largest free music Festivals, August brings the
Caribbean Festival and the Donkey Derby. September brings the Festival
of Motoring. Approximately 48.5 hectares in size, the park consists of
two distinct areas, the formal garden dominated by stately Copper Beach
trees, which were planted in memory of the military servicemen who died
during the war. Secondly the large-scale ornamental flower borders,
rockeries and water gardens which make the park extremely popular to
all visitors. The sports facilities available include: pitch & putt
golf course, 10 hard tennis courts, 12 football pitches, Splash 'n'
Play Park (closed for the winter) and play areas. There is also a 1.6
mile circular footpath around the park.
WARWICK ARTS CENTRE
Warwick Arts Centre in Coventry is the largest arts centre in the
Midlands, attracting around 280,000 visitors a year to over 2,000
individual events embracing music, drama, dance, comedy, literature,
films and visual art. Warwick Arts Centre is situated at the heart of
The University of Warwick in Coventry and is much more than a single
venue. With six outstanding spaces on the same site, it makes it rather
unique - a concert hall, two theatres, a cinema, gallery, conference
room as well as hospitality suites, restaurant, bookshop, gift shop and
two bars.
WARWICK ARTS
MUSIC CENTRE
The Warwick Arts Centre, located in Coventry is the largest venue
of its kind in the UK outside the Barbican Centre in London. The Music
Centre’s large ensembles regularly perform to in its 1500-seat
Butterworth Hall, capturing audiences both locally and nationally to
the centre each term. The musicians also perform in offsite concerts
within the local Warwickshire community.
The Music Centre is one of the most active, student-oriented music
centres in the country, achieving stunning results in various areas of
musical performance. We manage to achieve this high standard of
commitment and performance despite (or maybe because of) not having a
full time music degree here. For this reason, the stigma that non-music
degree students might feel when taking part in music activities at
other universities has no place here. Opportunities exist for
everybody, at all standards. Numerous performances are carried out each
season to cater for all tastes of music. These concerts sometimes
incorporate professional musicians as guests, or local Warwickshire
school children choirs. The Music Centre strives to enchance the
leisure experiences of all its guests, whilst promoting the talents of
our local musicians.
XCEL LEISURE CENTRE
Situated in the south west of the city, the Xcel Leisure Centre opened
in June 2008 to replace the Midland Sports Centre. The Xcel Leisure
Centre serves as the head office for Coventry Sports Foundation.
Hailed as the flagship project for the Canley Regeneration Scheme, the
Xcel Leisure Centre has been designed with the needs of the local
community in mind. The modern and vibrant centre works in close
partnership with the neighbouring Westwood School and offers
state-of-the-art facilities to local residents and employees of the
near-by Westwood Business Park.
The Xcel Leisure Centre boasts some of the most modern access
adaptations for people with a range of disabilities including
innovations such as a moveable floor and independent access lift into
the swimming pool for participants with mobility difficulties.
DUNCHURCH The earliest historical reference to
Dunchurch was in the Domesday Book in the 11th century which mentioned
a settlement called Doncerce.The core of the
village has been declared a conservation area because it has many
buildings of historical interest. Some of the buildings date from as
far back as the 15th century[citation
needed] are timber framed and still have traditional
thatch roofs.
For centuries Dunchurch was an important staging post and (now the on the coaching
roads between LondonHolyhead (now the A45 road) (classified as B4429
through the village) and Oxford and LeicesterA426 road). At one point
40 stagecoaches plus the regular mail coach every day would stop at
Dunchurch. Coaching inns developed in Dunchurch to accommodate these
visitors (the "Dun Cow", the "Bell" and "the Star"). Other inns were
the "Mother Red Cap", "Crown" and "Red Lion". The "Bell" and "Red Lion"
premises were destroyed by a German parachute mine in 1940. All other
properties can still be seen today.Many famous people
throughout history stayed at Dunchurch. Most notably in 1605, the
Gunpowder Plotters stayed at the Red Lion Inn (reputed to be the
private residence now called 'Guy Fawkes House') in Dunchurch awaiting
news of Guy Fawkes's attempt to blow up the Houses of Parliament. If he
had been successful they planned to kidnap the King's daughter
Elizabeth of Bohemia from nearby Coombe Abbey.Other
famous people having stayed in the village include a young Queen Victoria (before she became Queen)
and the Duke of Wellington. Robert Stephenson stayed in Dunchurch
whilst supervising the construction of the Kilsby Tunnel during the
building of the London and Birmingham Railway.Dunchurch
is the birthplace of the 18th century hymnwriter William Tans'ur, and
in more recent times of the athlete Katharine Merry. For many years it
was the home of England cricketer Ian Bell.The coming of
the railways in the 1840s led to a dramatic decline in the coaching
trade, and with the development of a major junction at nearby Rugby the
importance of Dunchurch rapidly declined. From 1871 until 1964 the
village was served by its own railway station on the Rugby to
Leamington Spa line.
TOFT ALPACAS
We have a herd of over 150 alpacas in a stunning location
overlooking Draycote Water. There are public footpaths running
through the fields where visitors can come and meet the herd. We
also have an on-farm shop where we sell luxury knitwear and accessories
made locally from the fibre of the herd.The Toft Alpaca Shop creates
alpaca yarn, alpaca knitwear and knitted accessories and is based at
the Toft Alpacas Stud in Warwickshire. Here you can purchase our
natural British alpaca yarn, knitting kits and alpaca knitwear. Please
enjoy browsing through our range of luxury knitwear, both items knitted
by us and yarns to be knitted by you- not forgetting our giant wooden
buttons and wood toggles. We also offer pages packed with
information on British alpaca wool processing; alpaca knitting, yarn
weaving and fleece felting and knitwear creation. Toft produces luxury
exclusive British knitting yarns and knits from alpaca yarns ranging
from scarves, snoods and socks to hats, headbands and handbags. Our
home-grown natural British alpaca yarn boasts a tiny carbon footprint,
and our easy knitting kits are a great introduction to knitting with
alpaca and gift for a knitter. We also now host alpaca knitting
workshops and felting courses working with our alpaca wools, yarns and
fleece.
STATUE
In the centre of Dunchurch is a statue of
Lord John Douglas Montague Scott (1809–1860) a 19th century landlord,
Scottish M.P. and younger brother of the Duke
of Buccleuch. At Christmas it has been an annual tradition for
more than thirty years in Dunchurch to dress up the statue in the garb
of a cartoon or TV character.
GAYDON Gaydon
is close to Leamington Spa. In
the 2001 census, the parish had a population of 376
The village is at the junction of the B4100
(former A41) and B4451 roads, a mile from Junction 12 of the M40
motorway, and is two miles north-east of Kineton.Close
by, on the site of former RAF V bomber base of RAF Gaydon, is the
Jaguar Land Rover Gaydon Centre, one of the Jaguar Land Rover
engineering centres (another being at the Whitley plant in Coventry)
and the headquarters of Land Rover. Alongside is the Heritage Motor
Centre, home to the largest collection of historic British cars in the
world, charting the history of the British car industry from the turn
of the 20th century to the present day. Adjacent to the site is the
headquarters of Aston Martin.A disused military base near Gaydon is
also home to special vaults housing the highly flammable nitrate film
elements of the British Film Institute's BFI National Archive, the
world's largest archive of film and television.
Heritage Motor Centre is home to the largest
collection of historic British cars in the world, with 200 vehicles on
display, charting the history of the British car industry from the turn
of the century to the present day. The centre is also a premier
conference venue and has an award winning Education Department running
course for all ages.Set in 65 acres of grounds the centre has
activities to appeal to the whole family, a stroll through the nature
reserve, the thrill of the Land Rover Experience off road demonstration
course and, at weekends and school holidays, the children's electric
cars (ages 3 - 7).With a licensed café and gift shop, the
Heritage Motor Centre offers an entertaining and educational day out
for the whole family.
Situated minutes from junction 12 M40.
HENLEY-IN-ARDEN Henley-in-Arden is also known as
simply Henley The name is a reference to the former Forest of
Arden. In the 2001 census the town had a population of 2,011. Henley is
known for its variety of historic buildings, some of which date back to
medieval times and wide variety of preserved architectural styles. The
one mile long (1.6 km) High Street of Henley is a conservation
area.
Henley-in-Arden is not listed in the Domesday Book
and may not have existed until the 12th century. The first record of
the town is in a legal instrument drawn during the reign of Henry
II. It was originally a hamlet of Wootton Wawen, on Feldon
Street, the original route out of the Forest
of Arden. In the 11th century, a Thurstan de Montfort
constructed Beaudesert Castle, a motte and
bailey granted the right to hold a castle, on the hill above
Beaudesert. In 1140, the Empress Matildamarket at the castle and
Henley soon became a prosperous market town, conveniently located on
the busy Birmingham-to-Stratford road. In 1220 in the reign of Henry
III, the lord of the manor, Peter de
Montfort, procured the grant of a weekly Monday market and an annual
fair to last two days, for the town .Henley has had
several private lunatic asylums Modern Henley-in-Arden is a good place to visit for both its
designer shopping and refreshments in one of its coffee shops or gastro
bars along its mile long High Street. Conveniently situated mid-way
along the old Stratford Road from Birmingham, it has been the
obligatory stopping off point for decades for families to sample the
famous Henley Ice Cream.More recently a large number of designer shops
have moved in and today Henley attracts the young rich executives and
their wives escaping from the conurbations of Solihull and the West
Midlands to one of Warwickshire's most attractive towns.
GUILD HALL The Guild Hall,is a timber-framed
building standing to the north of St. John's Church. It has been
extensively restored though many of the original timbers
remain. The Guild Hall is where the
Court Leet, an ancient manorial court, meets every November to elect
its officers and report on the work of the year.
HIGH STREET Wander
the High Street – there are more than 170 listed buildings – to
Perpendicular-style St John the Baptist Church and the 15th-century
Guild Hall where the historic Court Leet gathers (officers include an
ale taster). Ancient inns, restaurants and pubs give lots of excuses to
pause along the way. Norman St Nicholas Church stands just over the
river and there’s a walk up to The Mount that rewards with exhilarating
views. Summer Sunday Shakespeare Express steam trains running between
Stratford-upon-Avon and Birmingham also call at Henley – hop aboard.
HERITAGE CENTRE
The Heritage Centre at Henley-in-Arden,
near Stratford-upon-Avon, England is a unique facility made possible by
the generosity of a former Lord of the Manor of Henley-in-Arden, Joseph
Alexander Hardy of Pennsylvania and inaugurated by his daughter, Robin
Hardy Freed, the present Lord, in November 1996. Located in
the main High Street of this historic market town, the Heritage Centre
is a museum of the town’s history from the Norman Conquest to the
present day. Please take a look round our site: we look forward to
welcoming you on a visit to the Centre very soon.Joseph
Hardy House, home of the Heritage Centre, is in itself
a rare architectural gem. The oldest parts of the
house have been dated, using dendrochronological technology, to
1345. Features of interest include a “Crown Post”, an unusual
construction in a Warwickshire house. Displays and documents include an
account of the development of the building over six centuries.The
Heritage Centre maintains a stock of leaflets and guides covering
visitor attractions, accommodation in the town and its surrounding area.
In the centre of the town is the
old Market Place, where stands the remains of the 15th century Market
Cross, one of the few still existing in Warwickshire. The Cross is
built of local stone, but only the raised base of three steps and the
lower part of the shaft remain.
Originally the cross had a four-sided head with
niches, each with a carved relief: the Rood, the Trinity, St. Peter
with the key and possibly the Virgin and Child. Proclamations have been
made from the Cross for more than five centuries, including the
proclamation of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II in 1952.
THE SAXON SANCTUARY
Warwickshire's oldest church is a storybook in stone. Its tower saw in
the last millennium and the drama of English history has swept through
it ever since. Every age has left its own story, so a visit to St
Peter's Church is a real adventure. Group and educational visits by
arrangement.
YEW TREE FARM
Yew Tree Farm is a stylish and contemporary shopping village set in
beautiful barns around a courtyard. A wide range of unique products
from around the world aer available.
KENILWORTH
A settlement existed at Kenilworth by the
time of the Domesday Book of 1086, which records it as Chinewrde.
Geoffrey de Clinton (d. 1134) initiated the building of an Augustinian
priory in 1122,[2] at the same time
as he initiated the building of Kenilworth Castle. and suppressed in
the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the 1530s. Thereafter the abbey
grounds next to the castle, were made common land in exchange for
common land that Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester used to enlarge
the castle. Only a few walls and a storage barn of the original abbey
survive.The priory was raised to the rank of abbey in
1450. Just off Coventry Road in Kenilworth is a
field called The Parliament Piece. It is traditionally said[ to
be the site where Henry III held a Parliament in August 1266, while his
troops besieged Kenilworth Castle, where the late Simon de Montfort's
followers, led by Henry de Hastings, were still holding out against the
King's forces. This Parliament led to the Dictum of Kenilworth: a
settlement that offered the rebels a way of recovering the lands that
the Crown had seized from them. One copy of the Dictum is endorsed in
castris apud Kenilworth — "in the camp (or castle) at Kenilworth".
Members of the public have free access to Parliament Piece, which is
owned by the Open Spaces Society and leased to Warwick District
Council.
Legend has it that the very first potato brought back from America was
cooked at Kenilworth Castle and tasted by Queen Elizabeth. She thought
it was so disgusting, she threw the remainder out of the window!
What most people don't know is that this potato was found by a magic
old wizard who turned the potato into pure gold and buried it somewhere
in the town. You must follow in the footsteps of the wizard to
find the buried treasure!
The Library Smalley
Place Kenilworth CV8 1QG
Email:
kenilworthlibrary@warwickshire.gov.uk
ABBEY FIELDS The Abbey Fields are an extensive
public open space which forms the green heart of Kenilworth.
It is used by both residents and visitors for recreation from kite
flying to playing tennis. The 68 acres of the Abbey Fields
includes a swimming pool (both indoors and outdoors), a lake,
children’s play area and heritage trails & interpretation. As
well as being an amazing space, The Abbey Fields are also rich in
history with the remains of an historic Abbey.Close to
the Parish Church of St Nicholas lie the ruins of the Abbey of St Mary
the Virgin. It was first founded by Geoffrey de Clinton in 1119 as an
Augustine priory. In 1447, the Priory had the unusual distinction of
being raised to Abbey status by Henry VI. Henry VII attended mass at
Whitsuntide in 1487 & 1488. At its height the Abbey had the
second highest income in the County. However, all that remains now are
small parts of the Nave and Chapter House, the ruined gatehouse and
another building of unknown origin known today as the ‘Barn’. Under
Henry VIII, the Monasteries Dissolution Bill was passed in 1538, and it
was the beginning of the end for the Abbey. Within a few years the
Abbey was dismantled, and it later passed into the hands of Robert
Dudley, Earl of Leicester (Elizabeth I’s favourite), who removed much
of the stone for repairs and extensions to Kenilworth Castle.
CLOCK TOWER
The clock stands at the head of Warwick Road
by Abbey End, and was presented to Kenilworth in 1906 by G.M. Turner as
a memorial to his late wife. The upper part of the
clock was damaged by a landmine in 1940 which also destroyed the Globe
Hotel next to the site (now Abbey End). The
inscription for the plaque at Abbey End reads:
“Near this spot
stood the Globe Hotel,
destroyed by enemy action
on the night of 21 November 1940
killing 28 people.
Their known names are recorded
On a tablet in the cemetery chapel”
Warwick Road,
Kenilworth
CV8
CRACKLEY WOOD
Ancient woodland with a mixture of woodland types, glassy glades,
ponds, ditches and boundary hedges. This wood is within easy walk of
the town centre and has a hard surface path which allows for disabled
use. Mature chestnuts on entering the wood create a impressive site.
The wood is traditionally managed with a coppice with standards regime
and hedge laying can be seen on the perimeter. The wood also links to
the Kenilworth to Berkeswell Green that opens up a 4 mile walk into the
countryside.
KENILWORTH CASTLE
Kenilworth Castle is one of the most
breathtaking castle ruins in England. During its 900 year history it
has been owned by numerous Kings, used as a prison and been the setting
for the longest siege in British history. Elizabeth I gave
Kenilworth Castle to Robert Dudley in 1563 and today, visitors can view
an exhibition on the story of their relationship which includes items
on loan from museums and private collections. Kenilworth Castle is an
English Heritage site and has recently undergone a multi million pound
investment project. The gatehouse, originally built for Elizabeth 1,
has been renovated and is now dressed and furnished as it might have
appeared in the 1930's. The Elizabethan garden has also been
painstakingly restored replicate its original glory from 1575, complete
with fountains and ornate borders. Visitors can take wander through the
ruins at their own pace, take an hour long audio tour and enjoy a
picnic in the grounds. There is a visitor centre, tea shop and gift
shop.
Castle
Green, Off Castle Road, Kenilworth, CV8 1NE
KENILWORTH COMMON
Wooded common within the town of Kenilworth. Open
with some heathland this is being re-established in small pockets to
retain species. Glow worms, slow worms and common lizard are just a few
of the species that will benefit. A pleasant place to be just minutes
from the town centre and an easy walk along the Finham Brooke from
Abbeyfields.
KENILWORTH GENERAL RETAIL MARKET
Every Thursday 9am until 4pm
Kenilworth Market takes place at the front of Abbey End each Thursday
throughout the year – come rain or shine. The market continues a long
long tradition of markets in the area – in fact, the outdoor markets
stem from a time when they were the original supermarkets!
The market is well served with parking at the rear of the shops in
Abbey End car park which is literally only 100 yards from most of the
stalls! The town’s bus stops are also by the market.
The Market has over 30 stalls each week with something for everyone
with stallholders a wide range of goods including:
Fruit and Veg, Fishmonger, Jewellery,
Cheeses & meat, Olives, dried
fruit, nuts, herbs and spices, Bread, Plant
Flowers, China &
Kitchenware, Fashions & fabrics, Books,
Cards, Petfood supplies, Eggs,
Footwear & As well
as a catering wagon, managed by the ever smiling Will.
Abbey End Kenilworth.
CV8
KENILWORTH WAR
MEMORIAL The Kenilworth War Memorial at the top of Abbey Fields
looking down the main road to Warwick was dedicated on Sunday, February
26th, 1922.There are 138 men and
one woman who died as a result of World War I. 130 names were
carved on the original memorial in 1922; 9
others were added later. In 1951 the sides were covered by newly cast bronze plaques with
updated lists for World War I and an additional plaque on the back with names of 68 Kenilworth men and women who died in
World War II. One more name from the Korean war was added in 1952.There were others who
died in the wars with links to Kenilworth through birth, family or
burial who were not recorded on the memorial. Those known to us are
listed on pages relating to World War I and World War II (including
civilians who died when a German bomb due for the Coventry Blitz fell
on Kenilworth Square in 1940).
KNOWLE HILL
A diverse area of grassland, scrub and woodland
which is particularly important for butterflies. There are recorded 25
species on the reserve managed with butterfly conversation to help
conserve and increase the species. This area is a remnant of heath land
in the centre of residential housing. It is an enjoyable stroll and has
wonderful views of the surrounding areas
LITTLE VIRGINA The
old hamlet of Little Virginia sits close to the Castle.
It originally consisted of fifteen cottages, which date from the 17th
Century, housing the masons & builders employed by Robert Dudley
for works on the Castle.
The claim to fame of these picturesque thatched cottages is the
tradition that the first potatoes brought to England were planted in
Little Virginia by Sir Walter Raleigh.
Kenilworth,
CV8 1NE
OLD SCHOOL HOUSE
The Old School House was originally built in 1724 as a Free School for
the children of the parish. The benefactor was Dr Edwards, a surgeon,
who died in 1723. He
also bequeathed amounts to charities for the education of boys in other
villages. Dr Edwards made much of his wealth in a number of deals
ranging from timber sales and estate investments.
The old school is a two storey brick and tile building on a sandstone
plinth. The school was closed in 1882, and converted into cottages.
After the charity sold the property in 1906, it was converted into a
single private residence.
16,
Frythe Close,
Kenilworth,
, CV8
OLD HIGH STREET
High Street is in what most in Kenilworth
would refer to as the Old Town, whilst Warwick Road (which most
visitors would recognise as the High Street) runs through the heart of
the newer part of Kenilworth. Bridge Street and High Street, form the
east and north sides of Abbey Fields. Numerous examples of fine
listed buildings can be found here all in excellent condition.
Parts of Milsoms Hotel (formerly, The
Clarendon House Hotel) date back to 1430 when the original
timber-framed Castle Tavern sat on the site. The old oak tree
around which it was built still supports the newer building. The
High street is positioned on the old droving road from Balsall Common
to Southam and the road that links Kenilworth Castle to Coventry in the
North.High Street’s key attributes are amazing buildings and
architecture, it’s proximity to the Castle it’s excellent shops,
services and places to eat and drink -including the Warwickshire Pub of
the Year.
The street features some lovely little shops ranging from galleries, to
butchers, from bridal shops to specialist bike shops and
hairdressers.
High Street,
Kenilworth
CV8
PARLIAMENT PIECE
Parliament Piece is a 14 acre parkland field managed
in a traditional way taking a hay crop and then aftermath grazing by
cattle. This is a unique place to see unchanged scenery in the heart of
the town just 5 minutes walk from Abbeyfields. A wonderful piece of
peace and quiet for all to enjoy. Its name originates from the belief
that Henry III’s parliament met there in 1266.
PRIORY THEATRE
The Priory Theatre is a self-funding theatre run by our members for the
benefit of the local community. We produce around 9 productions a year
including a broad mix of entertainment: comedy, drama and pantomime. We
are a member of the Little Theatre Guild and are very proud of our
standard of productions and our friendly atmosphere.
We have a thriving Youth Theatre, and the theatre has an extensive
range of costumes and props available to hire. We work closely with
many charitable organisations in the area that regularly book
performances at special rates to raise funds for their organisation.
Booking Tickets: Our Box Office is open for telephone bookings from
2.00pm-8.00pm seven days a week, and can be contacted on 01926 863334.
ST.AUGUSTUS
CATHOLIC CHURCH The dissolution of the monasteries in the sixteenth century
caused the destruction of the site of Catholic worship in Kenilworth.
The faith was handed on by local Catholic families in the places of
worship served courageously by Priests, known and unknown, many of whom
witnessed to the faith by the sacrifice of their own lives. At the
beginning of the 19th century the Catholic community of Kenilworth had
no church and had to travel to Wappenbury for Mass. At that time the
Amherst family moved to Fieldgate House and set aside a room within
their home for worship, and invited local Catholics to join them.
In 1841 the family commissioned the famous architect Augustus Welby
Pugin to construct St Augustine's church close to their home. It
was opened for worship in 1842, extended in 1852 and consecrated in
1904. Thereafter the Catholics of Kenilworth had the benefit of this
compact and beautiful church.
ST.NICHOLAS' CHURCH We do not know when the first Church
was built on this site but in 1291 the Church was described as being in
the patronage of the Prior of Kenilworth Priory.The
Priory was founded in 1122 and raised to Abbey status around 1450 and
stood to the south of the Church until its dissolution in 1538 by King
Henry VIII.The Church has had several Royal
worshippers over the centuries most notably Queen Elizabeth I who, in
July 1575, is said to have heard a 'most fruitful sermon' during her
stay at Kenilworth Castle then held by Robert Dudley, the Queen's
favourite.n common with many others the Church
suffered during the Civil War. There are bullet marks on the north wall
and, in 1646, the interior had to be cleaned and repaired after
Cromwell's troops had used it as a billet. The Church had to be cleaned
again in 1649 after similar abuse by Scottish troops. Parish records
indicate the work cost 5/- (25p) on each occasion - a considerable sum
at the time.The building has been altered and
expanded over the years. The tower was added between 1320 and 1400 and
the main structure of the nave dates from this period. In 1580 the Earl
of Leicester carried out repairs and altered the roof of the chancel.The columns you can see mark the original positions of the
North and South walls.The Church took it present
appearance, both inside and out, during the 19th century when the
transepts were added, the chancel enlarged, and the interior refitted.
The Lady Chapel was completed in 1932. Queen
Elizabeth I is reputed to have visited the church on at least two
occasions.
STONELEIGH
ABBEY Welcome
to Stoneleigh Abbey, a true gem hidden away in the Warwickshire
countryside, yet only a ten minute drive from the M40 motorway and a
short drive from the nearby towns of Coventry, Warwick, Stratford,
Kenilworth and Leamington. Sitting in 690 acres of
parkland and overlooking the River Avon, Stoneleigh Abbey is a
beautiful place to visit for pleasure, an impressive venue to hold your
corporate event and a really special place to celebrate your wedding or
special occasion. Established in 1154 Stoneleigh Abbey has seen many
changes, Jane Austen found the house and its family intriging, Prince
Charles marked the completion of its restoration by making a special
visit. There is much to tell about the people who have lived here,
about the lovely grounds and the stunning architecture – please come
and experience Stoneleigh for yourself.
STONELEIGH PARK
Stoneleigh Park offers an unparalleled range of facilities aimed at the
conference and event professional, with a variety of conference rooms
with capacities up to 1200 delegates, over 7500sqm of exhibition space,
nearly 12,000sqm of additional low cost covered display space and, for
that something different, over 250 acres of serviced outdoor event
space.
Stoneleigh Park was been the home of the Royal Agricultural Society of
England since 1963 when the site was developed as a venue for the Royal
Show, other exhibitions and several centres of technical excellence -
the demonstration units. However as agriculture has changed so has
Stoneleigh Park so the demonstration units no longer exist and the
practical farming on site has been replaced by a concentration on the
business of farming and rural enterprise.
The 250 acres that make up Stoneleigh Park have been developed over the
years to include woodlands, a 4×4 track, fishing pools, equine
arenas, accommodation as well as a full range of exhibition, conference
and banqueting rooms. Stoneleigh Park really is the nation’s most
versatile venue.
The Royal Agricultural Society of England (RASE), the owners of
Stoneleigh Park, have unveiled large scale plans for the redevelopment
of the site which will secure the future of Stoneleigh Park as one of
the UK’s top agricultural venues and turn it into a rural centre of
excellence. For more information click here:
Royal
Agricultural Society of England
Stoneleigh Park
Nr Coventry
Warwickshire
CV8 2LZ
TALISMAN THEATRE
The Talisman Theatre is a member theatre of the Little Theatre Guild
and is justly proud of the highest standards in all departments. We aim
to stage ten main house productions every year, in addition to
occasional 'Studio Saturday Night' productions in our Studio. We also
have a thriving Youth Theatre Group which stages productions in the
Main House. Fund-raising one-off shows are also produced and we host
shows produced by other groups, whenever they can be squeezed in. The
Company was founded in 1942. In 1969 we moved from what is now Talisman
Square to our present theatre in Barrow Road, which seats 156 people,
as well as accommodating a bar/foyer with regular art exhibitions, and
a studio for rehearsal and small-scale productions. We are a registered
charity and are completely run by volunteers. We receive no grants or
sponsorship, and so all income is generated from ticket sales,
membership and donations. The company includes and welcomes actors,
designers, technicians,
backstage and front of house assistants.
THE WATER TOWER This
residential building started life as a Windmill, built in 1778, which
was converted to steam power in 1854. 30 years later the machinery was
removed, and the building was converted into a water tower. In the
early 1960's it ceased to be the main source of supply, and it fell out
of use and became derelict. The present use as a private dwelling, is a
result of the urban District Council, inviting suggestions for a
suitable use for the building.
Tainter's
Hill,
next to Coventry Road (A429).
KINETON The first recorded reference to
Kineton was in 969, when Saxon King Edgar
granted some land here to a trusted counsellor.The
village is mentioned in the Domesday Book as Kington. On the
outskirts of the village, at the foot of Pittern Hill, are the remains
of the earthworks of a motte-and-bailey
castle, known as King John's Castle, so called because it is believed
that King John held a court leet there. Kineton gave its name to
the area of south-east Warwickshire known as Kineton Hundred.Early in
the 13th century, Stephen de Segrave had a Tuesday market in his manor
of Kineton, and a fair on the eve and day of St Peter and St Paul. The
market died out by 1840, when the market house was pulled down and a
school built on its site, but the fair on 5 February continued until
recently.For
a period of the English Civil War, Kineton was looted by Prince Rupert
with part of the Royalist army. This was after he had defeated Sir James Ramsay, from the Parliamentarians, and by
doing this he failed to aid the rest of his army, thus leading to a
neutral ending to the Battle of Edgehill on 23 October 1642. A year
later, in July 1643, King Charles met with Queen
Henrietta Maria at Kineton. It is believed that John Newton
wrote the hymn Amazing Grace around Christmas 1772 in Kineton after
converting to Christianity.
The Battle of Edgehill, on Sunday 23rd October 1642, saw
the army of the Earl of Essex, the parliamentarian Lord General, and
the King’s army clash in the first major action of the Civil War in
England. It was fought in the open fields between the villages of
Radway and Kineton in Warwickshire. The battle of Edgehill, or Kineton
Fight as it was sometimes known, was intended to be the one great
battle to decide the war. Although often viewed as an indecisive
battle, in effect a bloody draw, the king actually gained an important
advantage. Essex failed to break through and had to retreat northward,
to the security of the parliamentarian garrison at Warwick. This left
the royalists in command of the road to London, and control of the
capital was the key to the war. The battlefield is largely
agricultural land and appears at first sight to be well preserved.
In reality it has been extensively disturbed and several key
rights of way closed by the construction, in the late 1940s, of a
military depot. Many of the silos and rail lines have been removed,
but a great deal of damage has been done to the archaeology
of the battle. In places even the underlying form of the land has
been altered. Most of the battlefield still remains in
Ministry of Defence ownership and is inaccessible, so it is difficult
for a visitor to fully appreciate the terrain of the battlefield.
However the M.O.D. are cooperating closely with the Trust to facilitate
our major new survey of the battlefield. We hope that, in the future,
it may also prove possible to improve public access to and
interpretation of the battlefield. In the 1940s Bill
Priest, a local school master, claimed that ghostly phenomenon was a
common occurrence in the area surrounding the field.
Grid Reference: SP359493 (435900
249300) OS Landranger map: 151 OS Explorer map: 206 BATTLE OF
EDGEHILL CLICK
BATTLEFIELD TRUST TRAIL
Long distance footpath, running for 20 miles through beautiful
countryside in the heart of England. Beginning at Chipping Warden in
Northamptonshire and ending at Kineton in Warwickshire, it links three
of England’s most important battlefields - Edgehill, Cropredy Bridge
and Edgcote. A plaque at the entrance to the church indicates the
route.
COMPTON VERNEY
Until the early twentieth century Compton
Verney was home to the Verney or Willoughby de Broke family for almost
500 years. It has now been transformed from a derelict
eighteenth-century mansion into a gallery of international standing,
offering a combination of high quality attractions and facilities. The
project took ten years to complete and over twenty gallery spaces have
been created. Compton Verney is unique in that it is a place where art,
architecture, landscape and learning fuse, to offer the visitor an
experience that is completely integrated and accessible.
KING JOHN'S CASTLE King John's
Castle is a Medieval motte and bailey Castle. It survives as an
earthwork, although the bailey is no longer clearly marked. earthworks
of ditches and ramparts are also visible. It is situated 600m south
west of St Peter's church at Kineton.
CV35 0HN
PITTERN
HILL MILL
Pittern Hill Mill, north-west of the village, is a
stone windmill of the 18th century.
CV35 0HN
ST.PETER'S CHURCH
St Peter's Church stand near the centre of the
village. It is a friendly, and welcoming church with a great deal of
activity for such a small community. The original building was
consecrated in 1315 but has been extensively rebuilt over the centuries.
The fine tower has eight bells, rung for the first
time on 5 November 2008, and is home to the Harry Windsor Ringing
Centre (www.harry-windsor-ringing-centre.co.uk)
SWAN HOTEL
The Swan Hotel has been an inn since 1682 and there
is a stone carved with the date 1668 above its door. It was a coaching
inn and during the 19th century the Court of Petty Sessions regularly
sat here
UPTON HOUSE
Join the guests of Lord and Lady Bearsted and
experience the weekend house party of a 1930s millionaire. Surrounded
by the internationally important art and porcelain collections, hear
and discover more about family life and join in the atmosphere of the
party. See the red and silver art deco bathroom and get close to art
works by El Greco, Stubbs and Bosch. The stunning gardens – being
returned to their 1930s heyday – consist of a sweeping lawn, giving way
to a series of terraces and herbaceous borders leading to a kitchen
garden, tranquil water garden and the National Collection of Asters. Note:
some areas of the gardens may be closed during bad weather
LAPWORTH Lapworth is a village , with a population of 2,100
according to the 2001 census. It lies lies six miles (10 km) south
of Solihull and ten miles (16 km) northwest of Warwick.
Lapworth boasts an historic church and two National Trust sites:
Baddesley Clinton, a medieval moated manor house and garden; and
Packwood House, a Tudor manor house and yew garden with over 100
trees. The village is a popular area for cuisine, with three pubs
"The Boot", "The Navigation" and "The Punch Bowl". At Kingswood
Junction, the Grand Union Canal joins the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal,
which has a major flight of locks. Catesby Lane in Lapworth
is named after William Catesby (the father of Robert Catesby of
Gunpowder Plot fame), whose family had been settled at Bushwood Hall in
the parish since about 1480. The manor house was probably at Lapworth
Hall, today Ireland's Farm, and in the 17th and 18th centuries the
house of the Mander family of Wolverhampton. More recent Lapworth
notables include Bob Davis aka Jasper Carrott, Andy Townsend
ex-footballer and TV pundit and Tony Iommi, the guitarist and founding
member of Black Sabbath, who currently resides near the village. The
furniture designer and maker Hugh Birkett worked from the late 1940s
until 1966 in the garage at his parents' home in Lapworth. Examples of
his work can be seen at Cheltenham Museum.
BADDESLEY CLINTON Baddesley Clinton is
a romantic and atmospheric moated manor house, dating from the 15th
Century and little changed since 1634. The interiors reflect the
house’s heyday in the Elizabethan era, when it was a haven for
persecuted Catholics - there are no fewer than three priest-holes.
There is a delightful garden with stewponds, a lake and nature walk.
Rising Lane,
Baddesley Clinton Village,
B93 0DG
BADDESLEY CLINTON CLICK
Phone:
+44 (0)1564 783294
HATTON FARM VILLAGE
Hatton Farm Village has acres of fun for everyone with all your
farmyard favourites, daily events and activities and adventure
playground. Hatton Shopping Village is home to 25 craft and gift shops,
antiques centre, factory outlet and two restaurants.We’re
open all year and just five minutes from Junction 15 of the M40 on the
Solihull to Warwick road
KINGSWOOD JUNCTION
Lapworth lies on the junction of two canals,
the Stratford, and the Grand Union which has been returned to its
originalconfiguration in recent years.The towpath of the Grand
Union Canal is popular with fishermen and walkers, The canal
passes through Lapworth on its way from Birmingham to Leamington Spa
via Shrewley,Hatton and Warwick and eventually on to London.
The Stratford Canal passes through Lapworth on its
way from Kings Norton Junction in the suburbs of Birmingham to
Stratford, where it joins the River Avon. An unusual feature of
the Stratford on Avon Canal is its split bridges, designed in the days
of horse drawn boats to let the horse cross over the canal without
being unhitched from the narrowboat.The junction consists of a 250
metre linking arm with two branches at the (western) Stratford Canal
end and a simple junction with the Grand Union at the eastern end. One
of the branches descends through a lock to the connecting arm. The
other branch is taken from the Stratford canal below another lock.
PACKWOOD HOUSE Packwood House,
originally 16th Century, is a fascinating 20th century evocation of
domestic Tudor architecture. Created by Graham Baron Ash, its interiors
reflect the period between the world wars and contain a fine collection
of 16th Century textiles and furniture. The gardens have renowned
herbaceous borders and a famous collection of yews.
Lapworth,
B94 6AT
PACKWOOD HOUSE CLICK
Phone:
+44 (0)1564 783294
WROXALL ABBEY
ESTATE
Nestled in 27 acres of open parkland, Wroxall Abbey
Estate occupies a unique setting amidst the peace and tranquillity of
the Warwickshire countryside. Situated just 10 miles from NEC and
Birmingham International Airport, Wroxall's close proximity to the M42,
M40 and M6 make it an ideal location for conferences, meetings and
events.
Once the country seat of Sir Christopher Wren,
Wroxall boasts a magnificent collection of listed buildings and private
grounds, which make it an idyllic setting for Weddings and other
Special Occasions. Following the recent programme of sympathetic
restoration, Wroxall now offers today's discerning guest a country
house estate with unrivalled leisure, business and function facilities
ROYAL LEAMINGTON SPA
Formerly known as Leamington Priors,
Leamington began to develop as a town at the start of the 19th century.
It was first mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Lamintone. For
400 years, the settlement was under the control of Kenilworth Priory,
from which the older suffix derived.[4]
Its name came from Anglo-SaxonLeman-tūn
or Lemen-tūn = "farm on the River Leam" The healing
properties of the spa waters had been known in Roman times and their
rediscovery in 1784 by William Abbotts and Benjamin Satchwell, led to
their commercialisation
Early development of the old town centre was on the southern bank of
the River Leam. Later builders began concentrating the town's expansion
on the land north of the river, resulting in the Georgian centre of New
Town with the Leam flowing between the two.[ In 1767 Parliament passed an
Act, proposed by Edward Willes, a local landowner, for dividing and
enclosing the open and common land on the south and west of the River
Leam.[6]
Following a survey of the area by John Tomlinson in 1768, the land was
estimated to be 990 acres (4.0 km2) and was
subsequently divided, and new public roads were laid out.[6]
After the division on the south of the river most of the land east of
the village was owned by the Willes family and to the west by Matthew
Wise. To the north of the river most of the land was owned by the
Willes family, the Earl of Warwick, and Bertie Greatheed.[6]
The main landholders of the village and adjacent land were the Earl of
Aylesford, and a number of smaller landowners. In the following decades
some of the land was sold. By 1901, the population of Leamington
had grown from a few hundred to nearly 27,000. Leamington
is closely associated with the founding of lawn
tennis. The first tennis club in the world was formed in 1872 by
Major Henry Gem and Augurio Pereira who had started playing tennis in
the garden of Pereira It was located just behind the former Manor House
Hotel and the modern rules of lawn tennis were drawn up in 1874 in
Leamington Tennis Club. During the Second World War, Leamington was
home to the Free Czechoslovak Army; a
memorial in the Jephson Gardens
commemorates the bravery of Czechoslovak parachutists from Warwickshire
The TIC in Royal Leamington Spa is located
in the elegant Royal Pump Rooms: a cultural complex worthy of the 21st
century.
APOLLO CINEMA
If
you are looking for a cinema in the Warwick area then look no further
than Apollo Cinema in Leamington Spa, near Warwick. Enjoy the full
cinema experience with all the latest movies in a 6 screen cinema with
Dolby Digital Surround Sound, all in easy reach of Warwick and other
areas of Warwickshire. Apollo Cinema nr Warwick even boasts a fully
licensed bar area and dedicated self service sweets and confectionary
area.
BURTON DASSETT HILLS COUNTRY PARK
Unspoilt, rolling hills – that’s what you will
discover at Burton Dassett Hills. Whether you are walking, flying a
kite or just sitting in your car, the magnificent views from these
hills are breathtaking.
The site comprises a series of rugged hilltops affording spectacular
views in all directions and Fox Covert, a small woodland with a
surfaced footpath. Opened as a country park in 1971, the 100 acres
contain a wealth of historical interest such as the prominent beacon,
quarry remains and the nearby 12th Century All Saints Church.
CHESTERTON WINDMILL
Chesterton Windmill is a famous feature of the Warwickshire landscape
and can be seen from several miles away. It stands on a hilltop
overlooking the Roman Fosse Way about five miles south-east of Warwick.
The mill was built in the years 1632-1633 and remained in use until
about 1910 when its machinery ceased to work. It was restored from
1965- 1971 by Warwickshire County Council in collaboration with the
Society for the Preservation of Ancient Buildings and the Ministry of
Public Building and Works. Chesterton Windmill was probably built for
Sir Edward Peyto, owner of Chesterton Manor. It may have been designed
by John Stone, a pupil of Inigo Jones; or possibly by Sir Edward Peyto
himself. It isn't certain whether it was originally designed as a
windmill, or originally intended as a viewing point.
Chesterton Windmilll is occasionally opened to the public (usually one
weekend in September each year), and the machinery operated. Visitors
can climb up steep wooden stairs into the building. There are two
floors inside the windmill. On the lower floor are the mill wheels
which grind the corn into flour.
JEPHSON GARDENS & MILL GARDENS
First laid out in 1831 as informal riverside walks,
the original Newbold Gardens were developed as more formal pleasure
grounds after 1846 in honour of Dr Henry Jephson, who had promoted the
town as a spa. The Jephson Gardens gained renown for their
entertainments, military bands, promenading, croquet and tennis,
fountains, illuminations, trees and flowers. They are listed as Grade
II on the English Heritage register of historic parks and gardens.
Improvements to the river through the Victorian era culminated in the
construction of Mill Bridge, Mill Gardens and boathouse, 1901-03,
creating one riverside landscape. Like many parks they fell into slow
decline after World War II but since 1999 have been restored and
renewed by Warwick District Council thanks to a grant of over £3
million from the Heritage Lottery Fund. This delightful Victorian oasis
is now complemented by a stunning subtropical glasshouse, restaurant
and teaching studio – the jewel in the crown of Leamington's wealth of
parks and gardens.
REAL TENNIS IS
PLAYED IN LEAMINGTON AT THE
OLDEST TENNIS CLUB IN THE WORLD
For racquet-game enthusiasts, Real Tennis is as good
as it gets. It is a game for conoisseurs. It demands the
full range of ball striking skills as strokes can be played off
the back and side walls of the court. The game is full of
subtleties and requires strokes of length and accuracy. It does
not demand excessive fitness, except at the highest level, and nor is
it totally dominated by power and pace. It is a game for all
ages. Leamington Tennis Court Club is the oldest Tennis club in
the world and has been for some considerable time. It was opened
in 1846 at a time when other games such as Cricket, Football and Rugby
were either in their infancy or even not yet invented.
LOFT THEATRE
COMPANY The Loft Theatre Company has been producing live
theatre in Leamington Spa since 1922. Professional standards are our
goal as we work to bring variety and the very best in community-based
theatre to Leamington Spa, to Warwickshire and to our wider audience
beyond. The company has earned a strong reputation nationally for
the professional quality of productions. It is run almost entirely by
volunteers, many of whom have theatrical or academic drama
qualifications and experience, who devote their talent, time and energy
to the theatre simply because they find it fulfilling. Each year we
produce around nine shows in the main 200 seat auditorium and a smaller
number in the 50 seat Douglas Ford studio theatre. Our work covers the
range of theatrical styles from classical to modern, tragedy to comedy,
farce and musical theatre. Whether you like to be shocked, enlightened
or simply entertained, you will find something for you here. The
company is a member of the Little Theatre Guild of Great Britain and a
registered charity, receiving no regular funding from any external
source and supporting itself through subscriptions and ticket sales.
The theatre has been at its current site since 1944, although the
building dates from the 1960s when an earlier building was destroyed by
fire.
ROYAL SPA CENTRE
The Royal Spa Centre is a first class
entertainments venue ideally located in the centre of Royal Leamington
Spa, one of Britain’s finest Spa towns. The centre was opened on 15th
June 1972 by the Earl of Avon.
Concerts, dance, comedy, musicals, jazz, classical music, big bands,
ice shows, wrestling, snooker, variety shows, cinema and ballet are
just a few of the types of event held at the Royal Spa Centre.
THE ROYAL PUMP ROOMS
The Royal Pump Rooms - This award winning Leamington Spa Art Gallery & Museum,
has a fine art collection, an exhibition on the history of Royal
Leamington Spa, cabinets of curiosities, gallery of interactive
exhibits, Hammam (restored Turkish bath), history and local interest
exhibitions. The fine art collection includes 16th and 17th century
Dutch and Flemish, 18th and 21st century British artists, local
artists, sculpture, ceramics and glassware. Recent acquisitions include
works of art by Mark Quinn, Damien Hirst and Catherine Yass. Other key
artists in the collection include Stanley Spencer, L S Lowry, Gillian
Wearing, Vanessa Bell, Patrick Caulfield, Sir Terry Frost, Walter
Sickert and Graham Sutherland.
UFTON FIELDS NATURE
RESERVE
This 100 acre site, managed in partnership with Warwickshire Wildlife
Trust, is a wildlife haven with all weather footpaths providing access
to varied habitats in every season. The site is noted for its abundance
of butterflies, dragonflies, wild flowers and birds.
LONG ITCHINGTON Long Itchington is a large village and civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon
district of Warwickshire d. In the 2001 census it had a population of
2,161. The village is named after the River Itchen which flows to the
south and west of the village. Long Itchington is located around two
miles north of Southam upon the A423 road. Just south of the village is
the Grand Union Canal.
Long Itchington is mostly made up of 20th century developments, but
includes several historic buildings, including the half-timbered "Tudor House" on the main
road. Queen Elizabeth I is said to have stayed there in 1572 and 1575.
The old "Manor House" in the Square dates from the 15th century. St Wulfstan, said to have
been born in Long Itchington around 1012, became Bishop of Worcester in
1062. Other notables born in the village include the journalist Tom
Hilditch.
The village was once served by the former Weedon to Leamington Spa railway line. The village
station was on the outskirts on the road towards Southam, and was
therefore known as Southam and Long Itchington railway station, but
this closed to passengers in the late 1950s. Part of the old railway
line has been converted into a cycleway
as part of the National Cycle Network.
South of the village is a former cement works which runs all the way
from the outskirts of the village to very near the entrance to Southam,
it closed in the late '90s but still remains in place. Quarrying at the
site however still continues. Opposite the old cement works is a small Model Village which was built to house the
workers.
HOLY TRINITY CHURCH
Welcome to Holy Trinity Church, Long Itchington! Our
church is at the heart of the village, and we aim to provide a warm
welcome to all. We have a variety of worship services and activities
(see below, and the diary), followed by refreshments and time to chat.
(There are also people there who are very happy to pray with you if you
have something particularly on your mind.) The church is open during
the day, and all are welcome to come in for quiet prayer or reflection,
or simply to look around. The building has a long history, which means
that it is in constant need of repair. We do have a very active group
of Friends for the Renovation of Long Itchington Church (FROLIC) who
are doing a marvellous job in raising funds for the necessary repairs -
see their website here.
MANCETTER
During the Roman occupation of Britain a
posting station was built athwart Watling Street close to the river
crossing, and a rectangular earthwork of this station is still extant.[
Around the station grew the settlement of Manduessedum.[
It is thought that Mancetter is the most likely location of the Battle
of Watling Street, between an alliance of indigenous
British peoples led by Boudica and a Roman army led by Gaius Suetonius
Paulinus, although the exact location is unknown.Mancetter does not
appear in the Domesday Book of 1086 but in 1196 a Walter de Mancetter
granted land to endow the parish church. The chancel walls of the
Church of England parish church of Saint Peter still include 12th
century masonry.[The
chancel and nave were remodelled early in the 13th century and the
north aisle was added later in the 13th century The bell tower, the
south aisle and the clerestorey of
the nave all seem to have been added in the 15th century. The south
porch was added early in the 17th century.Restoration work was carried out
in 1876, 1911 and 1930 and the Gothic Revival architect C.C.
Rolfe may have undertaken restoration work in 1899 The tower has
a peal of five bells, of which the oldest was cast about 1350, another
early in the 16th century and the treble, tenor and third bell in the
middle of the 17th century.The advowson of St. Peter's was
impropriated by the Cistercian Abbey of Merevale in 1449 Mancetter Manor House is a timber-framed building
dating from about 1330.
An intermediate floor was inserted in the great hall in about 1480 and
the south wing was added in about 1580.The central chinmeystack was
probably inserted in the 17th century and small extensions to the house
were made in the 18th and 19th centuries.
DOBBIES GARDEN
WORLD
At Dobbies Garden World you’ll find all the inspiration you need for
your home and garden with a fantastic range of plants, gardening
essentials, gifts, pets and aquatics, farm food hall, fashion, outdoor
wear and more. Customers can relax in the Greenapple Café which
serves health-choice delicious fresh meals, snacks and home baking.
PLANTASIA & MAZE WORLD
For a fun-filled day out for all the family, or simply to enjoy the
peace and quiet of acres of natural surroundings, take a fascinating
journey of discovery through the living world of Plantasia
& Mazeworld. Bring the world of plants to life
with a tour of our interactive exhibition centre; explore the UK’s
largest collection of permanent mazes – with a maze for every continent
and a reward stamp if you find your way to the centre. Take a walk on
the wild side with acres of natural trails, a lakeside walk and even a
tree top walk. Plantasia is truly alive with the
opportunity to visit the deer park, the pigs, the sheep and spot all
kinds of birds, insects and other wildlife. So make tracks today
to Plantasia and enjoy the wonder of nature!
NUNEATON Nuneaton is most famous for its
associations with the 19th century author George Eliot, who was born on
a farm on the Arbury Estate just outside Nuneaton in 1819 and lived in
the town for much of her early life. In her novel Scenes of
Clerical Life (1858), "Milby" is the thinly disguised market town
of Nuneaton Nuneaton's name came from a 12th
century Benedictine nunnery (parts of
which still survive) around which much of the town grew. Prior to this
it was a settlement known as 'Etone', which translates literally as
'water-town'. Nuneaton was listed in the Domesday Book as a small
hamlet.[ A
market was established in 1233 (and is still held today). The first
recorded use of the modern name was in 1247 when a document recorded it
as 'Nonne Eton'. The Nunnery fell into disrepair after 1539 (with Henry
VIII's Dissolution of the Monasteries). King Edward VI School was
established by a royal charter in 1552.[6]
From 1944 it became a grammar school for boys and, although it was
locally known as KEGS, it never included the word "grammar" in
its name. In 1974 it became a sixth form college. Other grammar schools
in Nuneaton during the 1944 to 1974 period were Nuneaton High School
for Girls and Manor Park. Additionally Nicholas Chamberlaine School in
Bedworth was an early comprehensive school that had a grammar school
stream. Nuneaton grew gradually from the 17th century onwards, due to
its position at the centre of the Warwickshire coalfields. At the time
of the first national census in 1801 Nuneaton was already one of the
largest towns in Warwickshire, with a population of 5,000. During
the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century, Nuneaton developed a
large textile industry. Other industries which developed in the town
included brick and tile making and brewing. By 1901 the population of
Nuneaton had grown to 25,000. Nuneaton became an urban district in
1894, and was upgraded to the status of a municipal borough in
1907 Due largely to munitions
factories located in Nuneaton, the town suffered heavy bombing damage
during World War II. The heaviest bombing raid on Nuneaton took place
on 17 May 1941, when 100 people were killed, 380 houses were destroyed,
and over 10,000 damaged,
a few smaller raids took place on the town, most notably on 25 June
1942. As a result of the bombing, much of the town centre was rebuilt
in the post-war years.Mary Whitehouse- The Campaigner came from
Nuneaton.
ANKER MORRIS MEN
Anker MM were formed by a group of folk enthusiasts in Nuneaton in
1975, so last year we celebrated 25 years of dancing and enjoyment of
the Morris. We take our name from the River Anker which runs through
Nuneaton; 'anker' being an ancient word meaning meander - possibly apt
for Morris Men! Each Morris side has its own distinctive
kit. Our kit consists of black breeches, white shirt and knee length
socks with black shoes. We have blue and silver crossed baldrics, blue
and silver ribbons on our bell pads and blue and silver ribbons on our
hats. The hats are a three quarter stove-pipe hat, made in the local
town of Atherstone. Sadly the company has now gone out of business. The
dances that we perform come mainly from the Cotswolds. The traditions
currently danced are Ascot under Wychwood, Oddington, Badby and
Adderbury. We dance some Welsh Border dances and have previously danced
Bampton, Bledington, Lichfield and Bucknell. Our visits promise fine
weather as it never rains when we dance (or is it that we never dance
when it is raining?) The dances are traditionally said to bring good
luck, long life and fertility to those who put money into the Morris
Man's hat; by watching the dance you take part in one of the oldest
social traditions, and we hope you will enjoy the performance we offer.
We practice at Chilver's Coton Centre Avenue Road Nuneaton on Wednesday
evening from 8pm and always welcome new recruits.
ARBURY HALL
Arbury Hall, originally built on the ruins of a 12th century
Augustinian Priory, now stands in the midst of beautiful 18th century
landscaped gardens and surrounded by over 100 acres of lakes and
parkland, and has been the home of the Newdegate family for over 400
years.
This beautiful Elizabethan mansion house was transformed into the
Gothic style by Sir Roger Newdigate during the second half of the 18th
century. The exterior is entirely encased with stone and each aspect of
the building presents a separate design of stunning architecture.
The elegant interior rooms feature spectacular displays of soaring fan
vaulted ceilings with plunging pendants and filigree tracery, a
breathtaking and complete example of early Gothic Revival architecture.
ASTLEY CASTLE
Astley Castle, a Grade II* listed building, is the last of three
castles built on the same site and using the same moat. The castle was
held by the Newdigate family in the 19th century, latterly being the
home of Lieut-Gen. Edward Newdigate Newdegate. It was later a hotel,
but is now a ruin following the fire in 1978.Astley Castle was
originally a 12th century fortified manor house, founded by Philip de
Asteley. In 1266, Wacin de Bassingburn founded the stone castle, when
he was granted a license to crenellate. The oval platform encased by a
moat, supported a hall and a solar block, a gatehouse and a curtain
wall. In the 15th to 17th century, the Grey family altered the castle,
which was then remodelled into a 19th century country house. Sadly the
one time home of three Queens of England, was destroyed by fire in
1978, when in use as a hotel. The house is now a complex, roughly
rectangular range of ruined two storey buildings, with an embattled
parapet.
SP 312-895
Astley Castle is located in the village centre, off Post Office Row. 8
miles north of Coventry, on the B4098-B4102. ASTLEY CASTLE CLICK
Tel: 01628 825925
BOSWORTH
BATTLEFIELD
A murdering crookback or a noble warrior? King
Richard III lost his life and crown when he was defeated by Henry Tudor
at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485 and thus ending the 30 year conflict
known as the War of the Roses. Come and walk the trails, follow the
battle, see where history was changed forever – two kings, one
day.Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre and Country Park is a unique
day out for all the family. Re-live this famous turning point in
British history. The death of a King and the birth of the all powerful
Tudor dynasty.
BOSWORTH WATER TRUST
Bosworth Water Trust is a 50 acre water leisure park
with 20 acres of water, located just out side of the picturesque
village of Market Bosworth on the Leicestershire and Warwickshire
borders.The park offers a great place for the family for day out. Pack
yourself a picnic or even bring along your BBQ. You will find that
there are lots of picnic areas and bbq areas around the site. Your dogs
are also welcome as long as they are kept on a lead. A very nice
feature is the man made golden beach and the adjacent paddling area
which are very popular with children and adults alike. You will also
find a pirate adventure playground, this can keep the children amused
for hours upon hours.Bosworth Water Trust is becoming a very popular
venue for serious and recreational fisherman alike, the site has 2 well
stocked lakes with species such as Carp, Tench, Roach, Bream, Perch,
Chubb and the very occasional Trout.
CHILVERS COTON HERITAGE CENTRE
The Heritage Centre is a grade II listed building that started its life
being a free school founded by Lady Elizabeth Newdigate in 1735. The
building was further extended by Sir Roger Newdigate in 1766.
With a Victorian schoolroom and a designated 1880's parlour, the Centre
is full of local history with various exhibitions run throughout the
year.
HARTSHILL CASTLE
Hartshill Castle is a 12th century earthwork motte and bailey fortress,
founded by Hugh de Hardreshull. In 1330, John de Hardreshull founded
the stone castle when enclosing the bailey, with an irregular polygonal
curtain wall, pierced by cross-shaped loopholes. To the north-west,
stands the circular motte, encased by a wide ditch and in the bailey
are the remains of a contemporary stone-built chapel. In the 16th
century, Michael and Edmund Parker founded a castellated, four-gabled
timber-framed manor house, in the north east angle of the bailey but
sadly the greater part of the house has collapsed.
SP 325-943
Hartshill Castle is located in the village centre, off Castle Road. 12
miles north of Coventry, on the A444-B4114.
The site is on the east side of Hartshill Hayes Country Park and is
strictly private, with no public access. The walls are visible from a
public footpath, which passes the castle from the road.
Car parking is by the side of the road HARTSHILL CASTLE
CLICK
HARTSHILL HAYES COUNTRY PARK
The country park, covering 137 acres of woodland and open hilltop has
magnificent views across the Anker Valley. Opened by Warwickshire
County Council with assistance from the Countryside Agency in 1978, the
species rich woodlands have been traditionally managed which has led to
the site receiving the Forestry Authority's 'centre of excellence'
award.
HOAR PARK
CHILDREN'S FARM
Welcome to Hoar Park Children’s Farm. Not only can you see a wide
variety of Children’s Pets such as Rabbits and Guinea Pigs, there is
also a large selection of various breeds of Poultry, Pygmy Goats, Ducks
and Geese, Deer, Sheep and a Kuné Kuné Pig. The Pygmy
Goat kids are a hit with the children, as are the newly hatched
chickens and ducklings.The Children’s Farm also has a gift shop and
supplies animals and all pet requisites. The latest addition to the
shop is everything for the horse/pony keeper with a wide range of foods
and sundries now in stock.
There is an admission charge to the Children’s Farm. To check out what
livestock and animal/pet foods and sundries are available, please Tel:
02476 398334 or check out our web-site.
HOAR PARK SHOPPING
& LEISURE VILLAGE
Hoar Park Leisure & Shopping Village is set in the beautiful North
Warwickshire countryside. After spending time shopping in the shopping
area you can take a break in our Licensed Restaurant. Our Licensed
restaurant provides fantastic food and amazing views of the
countryside. Hoar Park Leisure & Shopping Village is set in
the beautiful North Warwickshire countryside. Hoar Park dates back to
the 1430's with existing house and buildings dating back to 1730. These
traditional farm buildings form the centre of the park and have been
converted to contain the village. Hoar Park offers family fun
throughout the year. Open all year is The Children’s Farm and Arty
Party who both run children’s parties with a difference. Hoar
Park Shopping & Leisure Village is well worth a look if you are
shopping for something not found in the High Street. Retail and craft
shops are housed in 17th century converted farm buildings around a
courtyard to include an antique centre, restaurant, garden centre,
dolls house miniatures, dog & cat accessories, quirky giftware,
pottery parties for children, soaps and bath accessories, dried silk
flower arrangements, hand-bags, jewellery, scarves, hats for all
occasions, pine and painted furniture, hand-made chocolates,
celebration hampers, knitwear and yarns for sale, not forgetting the
saddlery & horse feed, and children’s gift shop within the
Children’s Farm.
LAKESIDE SUPERBOWL
Tenpin Bowling Centre with 24 lanes of
automatic scoring. Fully licensed bar till 1am Thurs–Sat. Diner with
good range of food. Arcade area, American pool tables. Prices available
on request. Group packages available.
MUSEUM & ART GALLERY
The Museum and Art Gallery is set in the beautiful surroundings of
Riversley Park. It contains a reconstruction of George Eliot's London
drawing room of 1870 and many of her personal items as well as local
history exhibitions. The museum holds collections related to the
borough of Nuneaton and Bedworth. New on display are items which
belonged to local comedian Larry Grayson.
THE ODEON
CINEMA
ODEON Nuneaton is the ideal venue for
your corporate event, conference or private screening. With
state-of-the-art facilities and a dedicated team of conferencing and
events professionals on hand to make your event one to remember.
WHITEMOORS ANTIQUE
CENTRE & COUNTRY TEA ROOMS
Within spear throwing distance of Bosworth Battle Field in the
mediaeval village of Shenton.
Surrounding the gravelled courtyard car park is a carefully restored
collection of buildings, some Grade 2 listed, and dating back several
centuries.You can browse at your leisure through various galleries
briming with a selection of antiques and random bric-a-brac of the last
two centuries. Refresh yourselves in the relaxing ambience of our
licensed tearooms which are wheelchair friendly. Winter Mon-Fri 11.00am
to 4.00pm Sat & Sun 11.00am to 5.00pm. Summer – 11.00am to 5.00pm
(7 days).
OFFCHURCH The origin of the name "Offa's
Church" suggests a connection to Offa,
who was King of Mercia from 757 to
796 and the proximity to the manor house of Offchurch Bury lead Dugdale
to infer there was a fortification of Offa's here deriving from the
Saxon word burh or fortified place.[1] Camden went
further and quoted the legend that Offa's son, Fremund, 'a man of great
renown', being murdered and 'buried at his Father's Palace, now called
Offchurch' the church being built to commemorate his death.
priory in 1043 or in The village is not mentioned by name in Leofric's
foundation charter of CoventryDomesday Book, but the wording of the
confirmation of the charter by Henry III in 1267 implies that the place
was in possession of this priory from its foundation.[3]
At the time of the dissolution of the
monasteries by Henry VIII the estate was purchased by the
Knightley family who possesed it until the First World War.
The estate was then purchased together with other estates by Joseph
Watson, a soap manufacturer from Leeds, created 1st Baron Manton in
1922. He died in March of the same year, aged only 49, from a
heart-attack, whilst out hunting beside two of his sons with the
Warwickshire Foxhounds, at Upper Quinton,
close to his new mansion. He had held his title for less than two
months and was buried at Offchurch, in his hunting apparel. At this
time some development took place in the building of a series of
cottages for estate workers during the 1920s (New Cottages, Bridge
Cottages, Ford Cottages, Ham Barn Cottages, etc.) to similar
designs. After the death of Baron Manton his widow resided at Offchurch
Bury manor house, 1 mile (1.6 km) northwest of the village, until
her death in 1936. The manor was then purchased by Harry Johnson, a
textile manufacturer from Coventry and Macclesfield, whose descendants
today retain much of the estate in 2011 and reside at Offchurch Bury.
POLESWORTH
The name Polesworth is derived from "pole" meaning a "depth of water"
(as in rod) and "worth" meaning "a
dwelling" or enclosure in the Old English
language.
Polesworth was once the site of an abbey. Polesworth Abbey was founded
in 827 by King Egbert with his daughter Editha (later Saint Editha) as Abbess. It prospered for
700 years but was disbanded as part of the Dissolution of the
Monasteries. In 1544 the lands of the Abbey were granted by the Crown
to Francis Goodere, who used the stones of
the Abbey to build a manor house; Polesworth Hall.
Henry Goodere, son of Francis, was a patron of the arts and Polesworth
Hall was a centre of culture during Elizabethan times. The poet Michael
Drayton was in the service of the Goodere family around 1580, and his
works contain allusions to Polesworth and the River Anker (Brink,
1990). It is rumoured that William Shakespeare also spent some time as
a fellow page boy here and they remained companions in adult life.
Polesworth Hall no longer exists, as it was demolished in the 1860s.
In around 1509 Thomas Cockayne constructed Pooley Hall, which today
includes some of the oldest brickwork in the country. The hall still
exists and overlooks Pooley View. That part of the hall known as Pooley
Farm was once owned by Edwin Starr, famous for the song War.
During the English Civil War, Polesworth and Wilnecote are listed among
the towns paying arrears to the Parliamentary garrison at Tamworth. In
an account drawn up by a Captain Thomas Layfield for the period from 1
November 1645 to 1 May 1646, Polesworth (being rated at £8 a
week) was assessed at and paid £196.16.0 while Wilnecote (at
£2 a week) paid £50.7.0. (SP 28/136/31)
When the Coventry Canal was built through Polesworth in the 1770s, the
village developed a coal-mining and
clay industry and the population underwent rapid growth. A lime kiln
became a focal point along the canal; however was demolished in the
1980's.
During the Second World War, opencast coal-mining devastated the
surrounding countryside, and caused the river Anker to be diverted. The
former opencast site is now a public park and the river now flows on
its original course. Industry is now gone and Polesworth serves mainly
as a small commuter town for nearby towns and cities
ALVECOTE POOLS NATURE TRAIL
Nature trail along old miners path beside pools and
marshes. Good list of birds to be seen, including waders on adjacent
subsidence pools. Return route of trail along canal towpath.
Robey's
Lane
Polesworth
B78 1AS ALVECOTE
POOLS
NATURE TRAIL CLICK
Tel:
01827 897 509
POLESWORTH
ABBEY
Holidaymakers on the Coventry/Fazeley canal see the tower of the Abbey
Church from either direction, and hundreds stop and visit each year.
The remaining features of old Polesworth centre around the Abbey
Church, the Twelfth Century ruins, the mediaeval gateway and the and
once within the court of the Abbey which contains the buried ruins of
buildings from long before the Norman invasion.The Abbey Church in the
centre of the village is open every day (including Saturday and
Sunday)Fairtrade Church Logo for morning prayer at 8.30am and Evening
prayer at 6.00pm. These services are mainstay of our parish life and
are open to everyone.
POOLEY COUNTRY PARK
There are so many things to see and do at Pooley Country Park. The 62.5
hectare site, one third of which is a designated Site of Special
Scientific Interest, contains several pools caused by mining
subsidence, woodland habitats and is situated on the Coventry Canal.
See for yourself environmental sustainability in practice, and the
mining memorabilia donated to the Centre by North Warwickshire miners.
Pooley
Lane
Polesworth
B78 1JA
POOLEY
COUNTRY
PARK CLICK
Tel:
01827 872 660
Fax: 01827 875 161
SECKINGTON CASTLE
Seckington Castle is an 11th century earthwork motte and bailey
fortress, founded by the Earl of Meulan or his son, Robert, earl of
Leicester. The large conical motte, is encased by a wide ditch and to
the south, its crescent shaped bailey, is also defended by a rampart,
with a wet ditch. The south-east bailey entrance, of this well
preserved earth and timber castle, is probably the original
SK 258-075
Seckington Castle is located in the village centre, off the B5493. 19
miles north-east of Birmingham, on the M6-M42. SECKINGTON CASTLE
CLICK
RUGBY
Early Iron age settlement existed in the Rugby area, and a few miles
outside what is now Rugby, existed a Roman settlement known as
Tripontium. Rugby was originally a small Anglo-Saxon farming
settlement, and was mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 as
Rocheberie. Rugby obtained a charter to hold a market in 1255, and soon
developed into a small country market town. The name's likeliest origin
is Anglo-Saxon Hrōca burh or similar = "Rook fort", where Rook may be
the bird or may be a man's name. Another theory is that the name is
originally derived from an old Celtic name Droche-brig meaning "wild
hilltop". The change to -by is because of Viking influence: there are
other place names ending in -by in the area ('By' meaning town in
Norwegian, Swedish and Danish even today).
Rugby School was founded in 1567 by money left in the will of Lawrence
Sheriff, a locally born grocer, who moved to London and earned his
fortune. Rugby School was originally intended as a school for local
boys, but over time became a mostly fee-paying private school. The
Lawrence Sheriff School was eventually founded in the late 19th century
to carry on Sheriff's original intentions.
Rugby remained a sleepy country market town until the 19th century and
the coming of the railways. In 1838 the London and Birmingham Railway
was constructed around the town, and in 1840 the Midland Counties
Railway made a junction with the London and Birmingham at Rugby. Rugby
became an important railway junction, and the proliferation of rail
yards and workshops attracted workers to the town. Rugby's population
grew from just 2,500 in 1835, to over 10,000 by the 1880s. In the 1890s
and 1900s heavy engineering industries began to set up in the town, and
Rugby rapidly grew into a major industrial centre. Rugby expanded
rapidly in the early decades of the 20th century as workers moved into
the town. By the 1940s, the population of Rugby had grown to over
40,000.
In the postwar years, Rugby became well served by the motorway network,
with the M1 and M6 merging close to the town.
BRINKLOW CASTLE
Brinklow Castle is a Norman earthwork motte and bailey fortress,
founded by Robert de Mowbray. The large and impressive 11th century
motte, is encased by a wide ditch, with a counterscarp bank. A high
rampart, with a wide ditch surrounds the large bailey, which is
separated into two wards, by an inner rampart and ditch. This well
preserved earth and timber castle, was probably abandoned by the 13th
century.
SP 438-796
Brinklow Castle is located in the village centre, off the B1345. 7
miles east of Coventry, on the A428-B4027.The site is freely accessible
in daylight hours.Car parking is by the side of the road. BRINKLOW CASTLE
CLICK
CHURCHOVER CASTLE
Churchover Castle is an 11th century earthwork motte, founded by the
Waure family. The low damaged motte, has the remains of its wet ditch
but the position of the bailey has been lost.
SP 519-788
Churchover Castle is located south of Churchover, off the B426. 3 miles
north of Rugby, on the A426.
The site is visible from the road
Car parking is by the side of the road. CHURCHOVER CASTLE
CLICK
RUGBY VISITOR
CENTRE
Rugby Visitor Centre, located in the foyer of Rugby Art Gallery Museum
and Library, offers a comprehensive range of visitor information
services. Friendly and knowledgeable staff area always happy to answer
your questions about Rugby and the surrounding area.As well as being a
one-stop source of information on attractions, accommodation, events
and travel, the Visitor Centre is a great place to pick up that special
reminder of your visit. Our range of quality giftware includes
confectionery, rugby souvenirs, greeting cards, books, postcards and
maps.The Visitor Centre is also the starting point for the Pathway of
Fame, a unique way to explore the town combining the heritage of rugby
football with local place of interest.
Visitor Centre Opening Hours Rugby Visitor Centre opening hours are:
Monday to Saturday: 10am to 4pm
Bank Holidays: 12noon to 4pm
Rugby Visitor Centre Rugby
Art Gallery & Museum Little Elborrow St Rugby CV21 3BZ
COCK ROBIN WOOD
Cock Robin Wood is a nature reserve situated in Bilton on the edge of
Rugby close to the village of Dunchurch. The woodland was given to
Rugby Borough Council in 1993 as part of a development of houses and a
supermarket and is now maintained by Warwickshire Wildlife Trust. The
wood has a circular walk which is ideal for walkers, joggers and dog
walkers as well as a pond and sculpture trail.
DRAYCOTE WATER
& COUNTRY PARK - Severn Trent Water
The park covers 21 acres on the southern side of Draycote Water.
Unwind and have fun at this popular spot. Try watersports, including
sailing. We are home to anglers, walkers and birdwatchers. Enjoy a
family picnic at the water's edge. Its flat surface means excellent
access for the less able. New Visitor Centre opened in Spring 2005
KEN MARRIOTT
LEISURE CENTRE
Facilities and activities include :
Climbing Wall :
Holiday Playscheme
Football league
kinetika Gym:
.
Personal Training:
.
Leisure Pool
Main
Pool
Squash Courts
Badminton Courts
Trampolining,
Our sauna and steam suite
offers an opportunity to unwind from the stresses and strains of
everday life, leaving you feeling totally refreshed and invigorated.
THE LEWIS GALLERY
The Lewis Gallery was opened in February 2006, named after Sir Edward
Lewis who left Rugby School in the 1920s and turned Decca into one of
the world's biggest record labels. It hosts special art
exhibitions throughout the year and is open from 2.00 p.m. to 4.00 p.m.
from Mondays to Fridays and at other times for groups by special
arrangement. Free admission. Enter The Close by the gate in
Barby Road opposite Horton Crescent and take the path round The Close
to the left
ROSE NARROWBOATS
The beauty of a narrowboat holiday is its freedom. You can enjoy the
great outdoors with something new around each bend - a different pub
for lunch perhaps, or a pretty village to explore. Canal cruising is a
relaxing way of visiting major towns or waterside developments, and
just sitting back and watching the world float by.Our range of
differently sized boats means there’s one that’s right for you and your
crew. To ensure your comfort and enjoyment our boats are fully equipped
with quality furnishings, equipment and utensils. All our boats have
galleys with good sized cookers and fridges, bathrooms with fresh water
flush toilets, central heating and hot showers, plus much more.
RUGBY ART GALLERY
& MUSEUM
Opened in spring of 2000, the Rugby Art Gallery and Museum is a
purpose-built structure that offers an important cultural hub for the
community. The art gallery is home to a variety of temporary
exhibitions throughout the year, many of which attempt to find a link
with the town and the local area. The museum holds a number of Roman
artefacts that have been excavated locally, as well as pieces relating
to commerce, trade and industry.
RUGBY SCHOOL MUSEUM
& TOUR
Rugby School is one of the best known and most prestigious private
education institutions in the world, and of course is famous for its
invention of one of the most popular ball games. The small museum holds
a collection of historical artefacts relating to the history of the
school and its pupils. The one-and-a-half-hour tour of the buildings
takes visitors to the original classroom, Temple Speech Room, the
Chapel and many other interesting locations.
ST ANDREWS CHURCH
St Andrew's Church, in the town centre, is Rugby's original parish
church. A church has stood on the site since the 13th century. The
church was extensively re-built and expanded in the 19th century,
designed by William Butterfield. The expanded church included a new
east tower, which has a spire 182 feet (55 m) high. However some parts
of the older medieval church were retained, most notably the 22 metre
high west tower which bears strong resemblance to a castle turret. The
west tower was probably built during the reign of Henry III (1216–1272)
to serve a defensive as well as religious role, and is Rugby's oldest
building. The church has other artefacts of medieval Rugby including
the 13th-century parish chest, and a medieval fon
ST GEORGES CHURCH
St George's church is situated in the Paddox area of Hillmorton, Rugby,
about 1 mile to the East of the town centre. We seek to be a community
church serving the needs of the locality.
ST.MARIES CHURCH
Rugby's main Roman Catholic church is St. Maries on Dunchurch
Road. It is one of the town's most well-known landmarks as it is quite
dominant on the skyline. Its spire is the tallest in
Warwickshire[citation needed]. The church was built in 1872, designed
by Pugin in the Early English style
SWIFT VALLEY
COUNTRY PARK
The Country Park land, obtained as part of planning permission for a
nearby commercial development, now enables Rugby's residents to visit
the countryside without travelling far from the town centre. The
site was opened to the public in late August 2003 by Sir David Bellamy,
and contains a large wetland area made by diverting the adjacent river.
Hard surfaced paths which are compliant with the Disabled
Discrimination Act 2004, informal grass paths, extensive areas of new
planting, a canal towpath, cycle routes, a bridleway and a car park
provide accessibility, whilst offering users a chance to become 'one
with nature'. One route allows direct access from the canal network
through the site onto the footpath network to the north of the town.
The Country Park also provides a 'dog exercise area', which is the only
area in the town where dogs can be let off their leads. A very
dense bird population exists especially around the pools. Birds include
lapwing, snipe and song thrush. Dragonflies and damselflies are
abundant and in 2004 the small red-eyed damselfly was recorded here for
the first time in Warwickshire. The first moth recording night produced
over 60 species along with a healthy bat population.
WILLOW WREN
CRUISING HOLIDAYS
WE ARE A FAMILY OWNED canal boat hire company offering self-drive
narrowboat holidays. Our main base at Rugby Wharf and our historic
sister base at Hilmorton Locks, are ideally suited to cruise the Shire
counties across the English Midlands. Our narrowboats are available to
hire all year round. OUR NARROWBOATS are available for holidays
all year round. All are well insulated and heated so are suitable for
winter cruising. Often length of hire period and start days can be
varied off season - let us know what you want to do and we'll try to
accommodate your wishes.
SHIPSTON ON STOUR
Shipston-on-Stour is a town and civil parish on the River Stour about
10 miles (16 km) south of Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire. It is in
the northern part of the Cotswolds, close to the boundaries with
Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire. In the 8th century the Toponym was
Scepwaeisctune, Old English for Sheep-wash-Town, as it was once
an important sheep market.[citation needed] The name evolved through
Scepwestun in the 11th century, Sipestone, Sepwestun and Schipton in
the 13th century and Sepestonon-Sture in the 14th century.
Shipston is on the A3400 road (formerly the A34) between
Stratford-upon-Avon and Oxford and was once an important staging place
for stagecoaches. Many former coaching inns, such as the Coach and
Horses . remain in the area of the High Street. Following a fall
in the demand for local wool, the local economy was in part
sustained[citation needed] by the opening in 1836 of a branch line
running from the horse-drawn Stratford and Moreton Tramway, built ten
years before and linking Moreton-in-Marsh with Stratford. In 1889 the
line was upgraded to allow the operation of steam trains from Moreton
to Shipston. Passenger services to the town were withdrawn in 1929 and
the line closed completely in 1960. Shipston was in an exclave of
Worcestershire, in which it was part of the Oswaldslow Hundred. In 1931
it was transferred to Warwickshire. Until the 1974 local government
reorganisation it was the seat of the Shipston-on-Stour Rural District.
Notable people born in Shipston include the actor Richard Morant and
the 19th century archaeologist Francis Haverfield. The town was
commemorated by Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees in the song Cold be my Days
on his 1970 solo album Sing Slowly Sisters. To wit "Cold be my days in
Shipston-on-Stour". He stated in a BBC Radio 4 interview in May 2007
that this relates to his youthful experiences, riding horses with his
brother Barry
HONINGTON HALL
Grand Hall in the heart of Warwickshire countryside. This is now
a private house but can be visited by appointment, Fine Caroline manor
house built in the early 1680's in mellow red brick with stone quoins
decorated with carved busts and with tall chimneys: the perfect model
for a dolls' house. The interior was lavishly remodelled in 1740's and
includes good plasterwork and an octagonal salon.
Honington also opens up its gardens under the National Gardens Scheme
every last sunday in June - please just turn up.
ROLLRIGHT STONES
The Rollright Stones, erected mainly between 2500-2000 BC, are situated
on the Warwickshire-Oxfordshire border, on a hilltop at a sacred site
above the Warwickshire village of Long Compton. Parts of the stones are
as old as 4000 - 3500 BC.-
There are three main structures - a huge circle of stones known as the
King’s Men, a smaller group of stones leaning together called the
Whispering Knights and a solitary rock standing nearby, the King Stone.
All have an interesting legend behind them involving a witch offering
to the knights what seemed a simple challenge...
The name “Rollright” is believed to derive from “Hrolla-landriht”, the
land of Hrolla. According to local folklore the stones are the
petrified remains of a king and his knights.
ST.EDMUND CHURCH
The Church of England parish church of Saint Edmund has a 15th
century tower. The Gothic Revival architect G.E. Street rebuilt
the rest of the church in 1855. The tower had a ring of five
bells until 1695 when they were recast and rehung as a ring of
six. Since then all the bells have been recast and rehung from
time to time, notably in 1754 and by John Taylor & Co. in 1979.
TAKING THE WALK IN
SHIPSTON ON STOUR
Shipston on Stour is one of my favourite walks in the series and takes
us through the narrow streets of one of the most unspoilt market towns
in England. Part of its charm is the mix of small shops and businesses
there are butchers and haberdashers, bakers and antique shops and a
wine vault of longstanding - with hardly a chain store in sight!
Our guides are Mike Ashley and Dick Burge who have lived in Shipston
for more than 80 years - between them! And in that time they have
gathered a pack of stories and artifacts for the museum which they run
between them with an enthusiasm which is quite captivating.
WAR MEMORIAL
The Shipston on Stour memorial stands outside St Edmund's Parish Church
in Church Street. It takes the form of a gable headed stone mounment
rising from a low brisk wall affixed to which are bronze name panels.
The memorial is incised with cross and tracery (roses and foilage) with
bronze wreaths in the upper corners. There are 32 names for World War 1
listed by year died, surname, initial, rank and Regiment (listed here
in alphabetical order for each of reading) and 12 for World War 2 by
surname, initial, rank and Regiment. The memorial was first unveiled by
Commander B Eyres Monsell on 13th August 1920, dedicated by the Bishop
of Coventry, and re-dedicated 12th November 1950 by local clergy and
dignitaries. The memorial originally cost £333 17s 1d, the
architect was Mr Edward Adams, sculptors were Messrs E M and H Nuttall
and the builder Mr G E Adams.
SOUTHAM
Southam can trace its history back to Anglo-Saxon times; a charter
exists from 998 granted by King Ethelred the Unready. Southam was
mentioned in the Domesday Book as "Sucham".[2] A market was established
in 1227. In the 1540s the town was visited by John Leland, who
described it as 'a modest market town of a single street'.
Southam is also mentioned in Henry VI, part 3 by William Shakespeare in
Act V, Scene I (Lines 10–16).
King Charles I passed through Southam just prior to the outbreak of the
Civil War, and apparently was not made welcome by the townsfolk, who
refused to ring the church bells. On 23 August 1642, a skirmish took
place outside of the town between Parliamentary forces led by Lord
Brooke and Royalist forces commanded by the Earl of Northampton. Later
in 1642, Charles stayed in Southam before the Battle of Edgehill,
and in 1645, Oliver Cromwell stayed in the town along with 7,000
Roundhead troops
In the days of the stagecoach Southam became an important stop[citation
needed] on the coaching road from Coventry to Oxford and many old
coaching inns remain in the town. Few buildings in Southam date
from before 1741, for in that year a large fire devastated the town.
A historical curiosity about Southam is that in mediaeval times, the
town minted its own local currency . This was done because local people
found ordinary coins too high in value for everyday use. The old mint
house is now a pub called the Old Mint. During the Civil War King
Charles used the mint to make new coins to pay his soldiers.Between
1894 and 1974 Southam was the administrative centre of the Southam
Rural District; since then it has been in the Stratford-on-Avon
District of Warwickshire. Southam was in the parliamentary constituency
of Stratford-on-Avon until the boundary changes approved by Parliament
in June 2007 when it became part of the new constituency of Kenilworth
and Southam. The constituency was first contested in the United Kingdom
general election, 2010.
CROP CIRCLE
New crop circle was found at Ufton near Southam in Warwickshire,
England on Friday, 25th June 2010.This formation appeared in a rather
convenient village called Ufton - Im sure you have spotted the UFO in
Ufton
HOLY WELL
Southam and it's "Halliwell" (now The Holy Well) were first mentioned
998 when it was granted to the Priory of Coventry by King Ethelred, but
there were probably Anglo-Saxon and Roman settlements even earlier. The
water from the Holy Well was said to cure eye ailments. Mentioned
as 'Suham' in the Domesday Book, Southam was granted a charter in the
13th Century when St. James' church was built. In 1227 the Prior
obtained a statute allowing Southam a weekly market (weekly markets are
still held today along with a monthly Farmers market). The Holy well
was restored after a Heritage Lottery Fund a grant of £102,500
was awarded in 2004.The water that flowed from the ancient Holy Well
was said to have healing properties, with the well considered to be of
such importance to the people of the town that it was excluded from the
Enclosure Act of 1761. There is also an accessible trail leading to the
historic Holy Well in the outstanding beauty of the Stowe valley. The
path starts at the end of Wattons Lane (bottom corner of the Recreation
Ground by the bridge and runs parallel to the Stowe river).
ST.JAMES CHURCH
St James Church is the Church of England parish church of the town of
Southam, situated east of Leamington Spa in Warwickshire. This friendly
church has three Sunday services and various weekday meetings and
groups. Get in touch with the Office on the Contact Us page to find out
more about these groups and activities. You are very welcome to come
and join us.
SOUTHAM WORKHOUSE
A parliamentary report of 1777 recorded that Southam had a parish
workhouse able to accommodate up to 20 inmates. In 1797, there were 10
paupers in the workhouse. The poor were partly "farmed" by a contractor
who received a weekly payment of 2s.9d for each pauper's board and
lodging.The new workhouse, erected in 1837, was a plain red-brick
building building. Its plan followed the popular cruciform or "square"
design with accommodation wings emanating from a central hub dividing
the site into separate yards for the different classes of inmate
(old/young, male/female).After 1912, the workhouse became officially
known as the Southam Poor Law Institution. In 1923, the Rural District
Council accepted a tender of £1,240 from FG Watson of Southam for
converting the building into dwellings. Southam Primary School now
stands on the site.
STRATFORD ON AVON
Stratford has Anglo-Saxon origins, and grew up as a market town in
medieval times. The original charters of the town were granted in 1196,
making Stratford officially over 800 years old. The name is a fusion of
the Old English strǣt, meaning "street", and ford, meaning that a Roman
road forded the River Avon at the site of the town.
In 1769 the actor David Garrick staged a major Shakespeare Jubilee
which saw the construction of a large rotunda and the influx of many
visitors for the three day event. This contributed to the growing
phenomenon of Bardolatry which made Stratford a tourist destination.
ANNE HATHAWAY'S
COTTAGE
This world famous picturesque thatched cottage, childhood home of
Shakespeare’s wife, continued to be owned by Anne Hathaway’s
descendants until the late 19th Century. It still contains the Hathaway
bed. Outside lies a beautiful cottage garden and a tree and sculpture
garden including a maze. There are many pleasant walks leading from the
cottage. Open daily all year round except 23-26 December.
AVON CRUISES
Half-hour cruises on the River Avon in a fleet of traditional passenger
boats. Regular departures from the Bancroft Gardens adjacent to the
theatre. Private charter and extended cruises, buffets, high teas,
river picnics and corporate events. Bar services provided on board.
1898 coal-fired steam launch for hire.Rowing boats, punts and
self-drive electric motor-boats for hire by the hour from our
boathouse.Help available in boarding and disembarkation. Life jackets
available on request.
BANCROFT CRUISERS
Bancroft Cruisers offers 45 minute sightseeing cruises along the River
Avon on our traditional passenger boats, with a crew member on board to
point out places of interest along the way, such as Clopton Bridge, the
riverside Gardens, the hand operated chain ferry, Royal Shakespeare
Theatre and Holy Trinity Church. Not to mention the considerable
wildlife along the banks of the River Avon. Both of our boats are
licensed for the sale of alcohol and we also offer buffet and bar
cruises for corporate events, weddings, private parties as well as
cream teas and jazz barbecues. Schools parties are always welcome with
a drop off point close to our landing stage at the rear of the Holiday
Inn Hotel.
CIVIC HALL
Situated in the heart of Stratford upon Avon, the Civic Hall is ideally
placed as the premier hire venue serving the local community.With a
large, flexible auditorium that is equipped to high professional
standards we are home to a number of local organisations producing
Drama, Music and Exhibitions. As part of Stratford Town Trust a
major part of our work is focused on the local area, providing a
comfortable air conditioned space that may be hired for a variety of
purposes by charitable and educational organisations, commercial
business and individuals. Everyone is welcome at Civic Hall and we will
do whatever we can to ensure you have an enjoyable visit. Staff are
available to help, so please ask us if you need any assistance.
14 Rother Street,
Stratford-upon-Avon,
CV37 6LU CIVIC HALL CLICK
CREAKY CAULDRON -
WYRD MUSEUM
& HENLEY STREET THEATRE -
Established as England’s creepiest and most haunted museum and visitor
experience, the Creaky Cauldron has undergone a scary transformation
into Bombay Manor, home to “The Wyrd Museum” and the extremely creepy
Bombay family ~ with animatronic exhibits, theatrical and scary room
settings and cobwebs to rival any haunted experience or haunted house
anywhere in the world!
Alternatively, if you are brave enough to visit the Creaky Cauldron at
night when it becomes The Henley Street Theatre then you will be
greeted by Canon Ezekiel Bombay who will be your host for a visit of
unnerving theatricality in a genuinely haunted building! You will also
enjoy the company of the family’s black sheep ~ Thaddeus Bombay and his
sister Valeria. But just what is their secret? Dare you find out?
As your visit unfolds you will need to keep your wits about you as you
begin to question your senses and even your sanity. You will learn of
Stratford’s secrets and the truth behind the sinister history of your
hosts’ family. All this within the disorientating walls of one of
Stratford's oldest and most infamous buildings….A truly unique
experience over three floors in this unique and historical venue and
which combines theatrical performance, storytelling, whodunit and scare
attraction. At the Creaky Cauldron you don’t just watch the
experience…. You’re part of it! Ghost Hunts and Overnight Vigils
run every Saturday from 9pm - places must be prebooked!
FALSTAFF'S
EXPERIENCE
Set within one of Stratford's most historic buildings, the museum is
educational and fun for all the family. The real life home of
Shakespeare's famous comic character John Falstaff, Terry Deary
dedicated his book Stratford upon Avon to the building. Within the
labyrinth of rooms, visitors can experience the sights, sounds and
smells of 16th century England & Stratford.
HALLS CROFT
Hall’s Croft is named after Dr. John Hall, who married Shakespeare’s
daughter Susanna. This impressive 16th Century house, with Jacobean
additions, includes outstanding furniture and paintings. See the
exhibition of medicine in Shakespeare’s time with references to
remedies and potions mentioned in the plays. The large peaceful garden
is home to an ancient mulberry tree and a herbal bed. Open daily all
year round except 23-26 December.
HARVARD HOUSE & THE MUSEUM OF
BRITISH PEWTER
An architectural gem, boasting an ornately carved
timber framed frontage, Harvard House is a fine example of an
Elizabethan town house, rebuilt in 1596 by master butcher Thomas
Rogers. His daughter Katherine was the mother of John Harvard, who gave
his name to the USA's Harvard University.
The house is also the home of the Museum of British Pewter, and the
complete pewter experience gives fun for all the family: there are
videos, interactive computers and a children's activity area, as well
as metal-working benches for making a unique souvenir to take away. A
small shop sells beautifully-crafted gifts
HOLY TRINITY CHURCH
Holy Trinity Church is situated on the banks of the River Avon, in
Stratford-upon- Avon. It is probably England’s most-visited parish
church, being where both William Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway are
buried. This ancient church provides a moment of calm away from the
bustle of the town. Both the courtyard and the churchyard itself are
breathtakingly beautiful.
Old Town,
Stratford upon Avon,
Warwickshire,
CV37 6BG
MECHANICAL ART
& DESIGN MUSEUM
Go MAD in 2012 for Stratford’s newest, most exciting Attraction! The
MAD (Mechanical Art and Design) Museum is gearing up to open to the
public on 23rd March 2012. Based on Sheep Street in
Stratford-upon-Avon, this museum houses an intriguing collection of
weird and wonderful Kinetic Art, Automata and Steampunk machines, from
selected artists all over the world. Perfect for the whole family, The
MAD Museum contains something to suit all ages and interests. Come and
immerse yourself in a wacky world full of quirky creations, intelligent
design and interactive entertainment! As well as loads of crazy
machines consisting of clever movement and smart lighting technologies,
The MAD Museum also features awe-inspiring contraptions built up from
heavily intricate systems of cogs, nuts and bolts. The MAD Museum
showcases more then 20 large exhibits and loads of smaller pieces over
the space of two floors, there is also a MAD garden full of quirky wind
and water sculptures. This museum is set to be the only permanent
exhibition of its kind in the UK. Come and see internationally
celebrated artists like Willi Reiche, Pascal Bettex, Jennifer Townley
and Patrice Hubert, to name but a few! The project is the
fruition of a lifelong ambition by founder Richard Simmons who has a
passion and fascination for the intricacies of movement within
structures and machines to create art. The team includes his son Iain
and nephew Mike Abbotts; they believe this attraction will be a welcome
change from the norm for parents, teachers and young people alike.
Richard commented: “Not only does The MAD Museum provide loads of
interactive fun, it will interest those who are fascinated by
incredible mind-boggling designs and intricate workings!” Come and
visit this museum today for a MAD experience!
MARY ARDEN'S
HOUSE &
THE SHAKESPEARE COUNTRYSIDE MUSEUM
Great for a family day out, the site includes the home of Shakespeare’s
mother before she married John Shakespeare. The site today, with its
many farm buildings, activities and rare breeds of farm animals, brings
to life for visitors and families the work and traditions of the
countryside around Stratford-upon-Avon from Shakespeare’s time to the
early 20th Century. The grounds also feature rare livestock and a
falconry with displays throughout the day.
NASH HOUSE &
NEW PLACE
This property was once owned by Thomas Nash, who married Shakespeare’s
granddaughter, Elizabeth. In addition to exceptional furnishings of
Shakespeare’s time, the house also contains displays on the history of
Stratford. Outside lies the site of Shakespeare’s final Stratford home
– discover why it was demolished. Stroll in the Elizabethan style Knott
Garden and rest a while in Shakespeare’s Great Garden. Open daily all
year round except 23-26 December.
RIVER AVON
The River Avon at Stratford is a wonderful river to cruise along in a
narrowboat or walk besides leisurely as there are many sights and
activities to enjoy along its banks. Why not moor alongside the Royal
Shakespeare Theatre in the busy Bancroft Basin and catch a performance,
wander through the beautiful Bancroft Gardens and enjoy the live
entertainers, go on one of the river cruises, or even hire your own
boat to explore this lovely river?
Stratford-upon-Avon,
CV37
Phone: +44 (0)870 160 7930
ROYAL SHAKESPEARE
THEATRE
The Royal Shakespeare Theatre is the largest theatre in
Stratford-Upon-Avon, the town of William Shakespeare’s birth, and
offers audiences a wide selection of plays, not only written by
Shakespeare himself, but also those written by more contemporary
playwrights. The theatre has seen a great number of talented actors
play on its impressive stage such as John Gielgud, Laurence Olivier and
Judi Dench. Theatre-goers can enjoy a meal at the theatre’s restaurant
overlooking the river Avon before the performance if they choose or a
drink in the theatre’s bar. The Royal Shakespeare Theatre and Swan
Theatre are open daily from 10am (9.30am on Saturdays) and you are
welcome to explore our new home.
There are lots of things to see and do. You can enjoy a meal in the
Rooftop Restaurant, take a Theatre Tour, book a ticket to go up the
Tower for stunning views of Shakespeare's home town or visit our free
exhibition spaces.
SHAKESPEARE'S
BIRTHPLACE
The half-timbered house where William Shakespeare was born in 1564
continued as the family home until the 19th Century and has welcomed
visitors for well over 250 years. The house offers a fascinating
insight into life, as it was when Shakespeare was a child. It includes
a Shakespeare exhibition – an introduction to his life, work and times,
and a beautiful traditional English garden. Open daily all year round
except 23-26 December.
SHAKESPEARE CENTRAL
LIBRARY
(Incorporating the library of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre)
The libraries were founded in the last half of the 19th century and
were amalgamated in 1964 when they were housed in the purpose-built
Shakespeare Centre.They hold collections covering all aspects of Will
Shakespeare's life, works and times and include original editions of
his plays dating from 1623.
STRATFORD ARMOURIES
James Wigington is the founder and curator of the Stratford Armouries
Museum which is situated on the former site of RAF Snitterfield, 2
miles north of Stratford-Upon-Avon.
The Wigington family can be traced back to 1748 where in Shipston on
Stour records show the family were cabinet makers and artists. In the
19th Century the family were gunmakers in Birmingham - Thomas Mabbutt
and Co at Bath & Chadwell Street. The father of James Wigington,
the late John Wigington, moved from Shipston on Stour to
Stratford-Upon-Avon in 1927 where he specialised in arms and armour
from his shop. Sadly when James was just fifteen his father passed
away. It was at this point Robin Wigington, James' half brother took
James under his wing as an apprentice at his arms and armour business
at Poets Arbour in Sheep Street, Stratford-Upon-Avon. Robin
Wigington - as well as being a great teacher and scholar, wrote the
book on the firearms of Tipu Sultan and amassed the fabulous Tipu
Sultan collection.
STRATFORD BRASS
RUBBING CENTRE
Summer 10.00-18:00, Winter 11:00-16:00 daily
-Brass Rubbing is easy and rewarding. England's unique heritage of
Medieval and Tudor brasses illustrate the knights and ladies, the
scholars, the merchants and the priests of the past. Even the complete
novice can produce a beautiful brass rubbing suitable for home
decoration or as a gift in less than an hour.
Royal Shakespeare Theatre Summer House
Avonbank Gardens
Southern Lane
Stratford-upon-Avon
CV37 6XP STRATFORD
BRASS
RUBBING CENTRE
Tel: 01789 297 671
STRATFORD ON AVON
BUTTERFLY FARM
Enjoy the unique pleasure of watching hundreds of the world's most
spectacular and colourful butterflies flying all around. You can see
them feeding and flying in a wonderful tropical environment. See
their amazing lifecycles in the Caterpillar Room. Observe the
fascinating and strange in Insect City, where Stick Insects, Beetles,
Leaf-cutting ants and many more remarkable creatures are to be found.
For the bolder, get close to the deadly and dangerous in perfect safety
in Arachnoland; home of the worlds largest spider, a scorpion colony
and other spinners of webs and dealers of death. Afterwards take a look
at the many gifts available in the Papillon Gift shop
STRATFORD UPON AVON
FARMERS MARKET
Held between 9am and 2pm on the first and third Saturday of each month,
Stratford Farmers Market can be found at Rother Street marketplace.
Offering an exciting range of fresh food and local specialties direct
from local farmers, growers and producers, the market is a wonderful
place to shop, meet people, and learn more about the area. The markets
are full of good food -some organic- and are great fun for all the
family. As well as an array of fresh seasonal fruit and vegetables, you
will also find a whole host of other delights such as fresh meat, fish,
eggs, pickles, chutneys, cheese and sausages. freshly baked breads,
biscuits, cakes, pies and pastries and a selection of wines and ciders.
The market also showcases a variety of plants, shrubs and herbs.The
producers and growers are happy to tell you how and where the food was
grown (usually within 30 miles of the market) and how to prepare and
cook it when you get home. You'll also find unusual vegetables and
tasty potatoes, many of which not usually available in supermarkets.
STRATFORD ON AVON
LEISURE CENTRE
Ideally situated in the heart of the town at Bridgefoot,
facilities include a 33m six-lane swimming pool (for adult and junior
use), a teaching pool, a fitness studio with some 70 pieces of
equipment, two dance studios, a Health Suite and sun beds, eight
badminton courts in the main hall, a crèche and nursery, four
all-weather pitches and even an art gallery!
Facilities:
* A 33m six lane indoor pool (adult use and junior
use)
* A teaching pool
* A Fitness studio with up to 70 pieces of equipment!
* Two dance studios
* A health suite with sun beds
* Eight badminton courts in the main hall
* A crèche and nursery for the children
* Four all weather pitches
* An art gallery
STRATFORD
PICTUREHOUSE
Stratford Picturehouse opened in May 1997 and was built on the site of
a former garage with support from the National Lottery and the local
Council.The Stratford upon Avon Picturehouse provides a host of
entertainment ranging from big block-buster features, to smaller more
specialised Art-house movies and children’s features over Summer and
Seasonal holidays, we strive to make sure there is always something for
everyone, whether you’re six or over sixty! The Picturehouse experience
also includes the newly refurbished Terrace Bar with weekly live music,
resident Dj’s, art exhibitions, Quiz nights and more! Now with a
Picturehouse membership you can enjoy free tickets, no booking fees and
discounts in-house as well as in a range of local shops and services.
STRATFORD RACECOURSE
STEEPLECHASING has taken place at Stratford
Racecourse since 1755. Nowadays, we have fifteen meetings a year, most
of which take place within the summer months. Equipped with a new
glass-fronted Grandstand (opened in 1997) and having won a major award
for the care of the racetrack, we are proud to be in the top flight of
Britain's smaller courses.
WORLD SHAKESPEARE
FESTIVAL 2012
The World Shakespeare Festival is a celebration of Shakespeare as the
world’s playwright, produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company in an
unprecedented collaboration with leading UK and international arts
organisations and with Globe to Globe, a major international programme
produced by Shakespeare’s Globe.
From Shakespeare’s birthday, April 23rd 2012, The RSC has invited some
of the world’s leading artists and theatre-makers to create new
productions and responses to Shakespeare, which will play until Autumn
in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s three theatres in
Stratford-upon-Avon, across London in partnership with ten major
theatres, LIFT and the British Museum and in Newcastle, Gateshead,
Wales, Birmingham, at the Edinburgh International Festival, Brighton
Festival and on the BBC.
The RSC is contributing a dozen new productions of its own. Some
reflect the rich mix of cultures within British society; some are
co-productions with international companies and some explore
non-theatre spaces and new journeys for our audiences.
STUDLEY
The manor of Studley is recorded twice in the Domesday Book mostly as
part of the lands of William son of Courbucion; who was appointed
Sherrif of Warwick soon after 1086; where it reads, "In Ferncombe
Hundred in Stodlei (Studley) 4 hides. Land for 11 ploughs. In lordship
2; 3 slaves. 19 villagers with a priest and 12 smallholders have 9
ploughs. A mill at 5s; meadow, 24 acres; a salt house which pays 19
packloads of salt; woodland 1 league long and 1/2 league wide. The
value was and is 100s. Swein held it freely." A further holding is
listed as part of the land of William Bonavallet "William holds 1 hide
in Stodlei from William. Land for 2 ploughs. In lordship 1 plough.
Meadow 4 acres; woodland 3 furlongs long and 2 furlongs wide. Value
10s. Godric held it freely."
It is the site of both a castle, not the 19th century house called
Studley Castle, and the remains of a medieval priory. The Augustinian
priory was founded in the 12th century by Peter Corbizun but was closed
at the dissolution under Henry VIII and was used as a source of stone
for other local buildings. Nothing remains today apart from the use of
the name priory in a few local building names such as Priory Farm,
which now much modernized, embodies a few fragmentary portions of a
conventual building. A gabled west wall of stone rubble contains the
remains of a large 14th-century window. A few medieval sculptured
fragments are built on to the walls. Studley is also known for being
the site of a sewing needle and surgical needle making industry and was
once a leading area, gaining a European and even worldwide reputation.
From the 19th century precision made surgical needles were in demand
and with advances in manufacturing technology such was the demand that
over 3,000 workers were employed. In the late 1970's the old factory
where needles were made was burnt down, and the production of "Aero"
needles moved to a nearby site. The original factory site now contains
a supermarket, other retail outlets, and housing. One of the streets in
the village is named "Crooks Lane", ostensibly because the crooked
needles from the original factory were dumped at the end of this lane,
but the road was there before the village had a needle factory.
CHURCH OF THE
NATIVITY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN
The parish church of The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin consists of a
chancel, nave, south aisle, and west tower It features a 12th
century north wall and window of Norman date, fine surviving examples
of opus spicatum or herringbone masonry, a medieval rood screen,
Elizabethan era table and dug out chest, Jacobean era pulpit and
brasses and other points of interest
The survey of the clergy by the puritans in 1586 described the then
vicar, Thomas Penford as; "dumbe & vnlearned, a verie aged man, he
can scarce reade, yet he hath learning enough for 2 benefices ; for he
reapeth the fruite of Studley & Coughton both, he hath of late
gotten him a certaine hireling to serue his turne at both places, one
Robt. Cathell a seelie Welshman that can scarce reade English
distinctlie. The valew of both is better then xx by the yeare".
ST.MARY'S ROMAN
CATHOLIC CHURCH
St Mary's was built in 1853 on land donated by the Throckmorton family
of Coughton, and with funds raised by the Throckmortons and other
Catholic families in the area. The first parish priest was from the
Benedictine community of Douai Abbey in Berkshire. It is still served
by the monks of Douai Abbey and our present parish priest is Father
Benedict Thompson OSB.
STUDLEY CASTLE
(Hotel)
Thought to have been a 17th century building it was ruinous when
Francis Lyttleton-Holyoake purchased the adjoining land in 1833 and
built the present Castle, at a cost of £120,000. At the time he
enclosed some common land where, upon a villager uttered the curse
that, 'whoever owned Studley Castle' should die, without owning one
acre of land. Unfortunately the new owner did in fact die in penury and
so did the subsequent owner from 1863, Thomas Walker, who had also been
made bankrupt in 1890.The land changed hands several times until 1903
when it became a ladies agricultural college owned by The Countess of
Warwick, where it later became known as Studley College.
During the First World War the Castle was a horticultural college where
3 year diploma courses were introduced in 1924 and ran until 1947 for
poultry and dairy work, bee keeping, fruit preservation and
carpentry. In 1969 the college was closed due to lack of funds
for the expansion program. The Castle was then purchased by
Leyland and subsequently owned by The Phoenix Four of MG Rover for its
training and
conference purposes. During the week it housed the corporate business
for Rover and . With the demise of Rover Group, Studley Castle was then
sold in 2004 to self made millionaire, Mr Firoz Kassam, who owns a
number of hotel and conference venues in the UK. Still owned by Mr
Kassam the Castle later joined Best Western in 2008 as a 3 star
hotel . With the doors open to the public the Castle is fast
becoming a popular location for either conferences, weddings or just a
quite weekend away.
STUDLEY PUBS
Studley is often noted as having
many pubs (17 within one square mile, plus numerous restaurants which
also serve alcohol) and it has been suggested that the village has the
second-highest number of pubs per head of population (second only to
Blackpool). Here are the full details of the Pubs in Studley.
TANWORTH
IN ARDEN
The suffix to the name Tanworth refers to the Forest of Arden in which
the village lay. Notable historical buildings still standing in the
village include The Bell Inn public house and the 14th-century Church
of St. Mary Magdalene.Tanworth was the childhood home of folk musician
Nick Drake and his sister the actress Gabrielle Drake. Nick Drake now
lies buried in the churchyard. The song "Life in a Northern Town" by
The Dream Academy is a reference to Tanworth - despite its midlands,
and not northern situation - and a tribute to Drake. The grave of
nine-times world motorcycle champion Mike Hailwood MBE, GM, and his
daughter Michelle, who were both killed in a car accident at Portway in
1981, are also to be found here. An annual memorial motorcycle run is
held every March from the former Norton motorcycle factory to Tanworth.
The boxer "Gentleman" Jack Hood was the licensee of the Bell public
house in Tanworth, displaying above the bar the Lonsdale belt that he
won on 31 May 1926. (The belt was sold by his daughters in 2011.) The
village was also the filming location for the fictional village of
Kings Oak from the British television series Crossroads between 1970
and 1988. The parish includes Umberslade Hall, for six hundred years
the home of the Archer family and later the industrialist George
Frederic Muntz.
UMBERSLADE HALL
Umberslade Hall is a 17th century mansion converted into residential
apartments situated near Tanworth in Arden, Warwickshire. It is a Grade
II* listed building. The Archer family were granted the manor of
Umberslade by Henry II in the 12th century and retained possession for
some 600 years. The old manor house was replaced between 1695 and
1700 when Smith of Warwick built the new mansion for Andrew Archer,
Member of Parliament for Warwickshire. The estate was sold in 1826 and
from 1850 was leased by George Frederic Muntz, Member of Parliament for
Birmingham. After his death in 1857 his son Sir Philip Albert Muntz
(see Muntz Baronets) bought the estate and much enlarged and improved
the Hall. In 1881 the household comprised thirty including thirteen
resident servants. Frederick Ernest Muntz who succeeded to the estate
in 1898 served as High Sheriff of Warwickshire in 1902 and as Deputy
Lieutenant. The estate, much reduced, remains in the ownership of the
Muntz family.From the 1960s the Hall was leased out to commercial
tenants including from 1967-1972 BSA-Triumph Motorcycles (for their
research & development department) and in 1978 it was converted
into twelve apartments and two mews cottages.The Hall is home to a 1702
marble statue The Crouching Venus by John Van Nost the Elder.
Umberslade Hall,
Pound House Lane,
Tanworth In Arden,
THURLASTON
The village is located a few miles south-west of Rugby and south of the
M45 motorway. The village is in a cul-de-sac location; there is only
one road into the village, connecting it with the B4429. Thurlaston
overlooks the Draycote Water reservoir.
The parish church is St. Edmund's. The most famous building, however,
is probably the old windmill which is now used as a private house.Today
it seems very much that the village and countryside are at one, the
countryside trying to reclaim the village, the only way by road into
the village is from the Coventry Road – just the one signposted turn
off taking you to the heart of the village.
ST EDMUND'S CHURCH
Thurlaston's church of St Edmund is a small, very domestic looking
brick affair built in 1849 (by Carpenter) with a short tower capped by
an odd truncated pyramid and open belfry. It was concived as a dual
purpose church and school and looks it, the tower being intended as the
headmaster's house (it still appears to be lived in, the first case
I've found of a functioning church's tower used this way!) Only the
east window is obviously ecclesiastical, and contains new glass (1990s)
by Melanie Pope, but I couldn't see this as the place was padlocked
shut (despite having heard this one was generally open). An attractive
(sail-less) windmill stands in a plot just over the road.
Church Lane,
Thurlaston,
CV23 9JY
STOCKS IN
THURLASTON
Stocks at the end of Stocks Lane
THURLASTON
WINDMILL
Dating back to 1794 it was a working windmill until 1924 and
converted into a house in the 1970’s.Sailess
SP469710
WARWICK
Human activity on the site of the town dates back to the Neolithic,
when a settlement may have been established. From the 6th century
onwards, Warwick has been continuously inhabited. According to the
Anglo Saxon Chronicle, in the year 914 Anglo Saxon Ethelfleda Lady of
the Mercians, daughter of king Alfred the Great and sister of king
Edward the Elder of Wessex, built a burh or fortified dwelling at
Warwick. It was one of ten burhs built to defend the kingdom of Mercia
against the Danes. Warwick was chosen as the site for one of
these fortifications because of its proximity to the important
transport routes of the Fosse Way and the Avon. In the early 10th
century a new shire was founded with Warwick as its administrative
centre, giving the settlement new importance. The name 'Warwick'
means "dwellings by the weir". In 1050 the Danes invaded Mercia
and burned down much of Warwick including the nunnery (which stood on
the site of the present day St Nicholas Church)
William the Conqueror founded Warwick Castle in 1068 on his way to
Yorkshire to deal with rebellion in the north. Building a castle within
a pre-existing settlement could require demolishing properties on the
site, and in the case of Warwick four houses were pulled down.[5] The
castle was within the larger Anglo-Saxon burh and a new town wall was
created close to the rampart of the burh. In the medieval period
Warwick remained under the control of various Earls of Warwick, mostly
of the Beauchamp family, becoming a walled town. Today the only remains
of the town walls are the east and west gatehouses. The eastern
gatehouse now serves as part of the King's High School, a sister
institution to Warwick School. Warwick was not incorporated as a
borough until 1545. The town's Priory was founded in 1142 on the site
of the current Priory Park.
During the English Civil War the town and castle were garrisoned for
Parliament. The garrison, under Sir Edward Peyto, withstood a two week
siege by the Royalists. Later musters from 1644 to 1646 record a
garrison of up to 350 men under the command of Colonel William Purefoy
and Major John Bridges. The middle of the 17th century also saw the
founding of Castle Hill Baptist Church, one of the oldest Baptist
churches in the world.
ALL SAINTS CHURCH
Victorian Gothic Grade II* parish church
Built by Miss Louisa Ann Ryland 1862/4 and designed by Sir George
Gilbert Scott.
Stained glass by Clayton and Bell and tabletomb by A W N Pugin.
Church Road,
Sherbourne,
Warwick,
CV35 8AR
BRIDGEHOUSE
THEATRE
The Bridge House Theatre was opened by Dame Judi
Dench in 2000, and since then it has grown into one of the area’s most
popular venues. A mid-scale venue of 304 seats – it’s beautiful
interior of wood and brick creates an attractive and intimate space for
music and drama. Our audiences enjoy a wide-ranging repertoire of
professional productions, presented alongside local community events
and stunning performances from Warwick School Drama and Music students.
CHARLECOTE PARK
Picturesque watermill on the river Avon, from about 1800. Now restored
and producing stone ground flour by water power using two waterwheels.
This is a particularly fine example of a fairly large watermill of
lowland England, virtually unchanged since it was built in the heyday
of watermills.
CHARLECOTE PARK
Charlecote Park is one of the most beautiful areas of parkland anywhere
in this region. Surrounded by good looking mature trees, the park has
been landscaped in order to provide a charming and sweet smelling
environment that is always blooming with colour. A fine place to spend
a day with the family, the park is managed by the National Trust and
has been open to the public for many years.
THE COURT HOUSE
The Court House in Jury Street is an impressive 18th Century building
that was both designed and built by Francis Smith between 1724 and
1731. The court house has a ballroom above it and a figure of Justice
that was made by Thomas Stayner above the main doorway. The town
council chamber still has original court room fittings including
ironwork by Benjamin King and Thomas Paris. The court used to be the
centre of the town’s elite social life with winter dancing assemblies
and lectures being held there.
FUSILIER MUSEUM
Visit the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers Museum (Royal Warwickshire) which
tells the story of over 300 years of history of the County Regiment,
from its raising in 1674 to the Fusiliers of today. The museum is
situated in a 17th century Grade I listed house, which is regarded as
one of the most important buildings in Warwick. The mediaeval Hospital
of Saint John the Baptist was founded by the Earl of Warwick on the
site around the year 1154. On the Dissolution of the Monasteries the
land was passed to the Stoughton family. Between 1666 and 1670
Nathaniel Stoughton rebuilt the house very much as it is today. The
two-storey house with attics for the servants has five distinctive
bays; three ‘Dutch’ and two triangular gables. It is made from ‘Warwick
stone’, the local sandstone. When it was new the house, with its
grounds and gates, would have been very imposing, reflecting the
importance of Nathaniel Stoughton. In 1791 it became a private school
and later, during the 20th century, was taken into use as a military
record office; it has been a museum since 1961.
HILL CLOSE GARDENS
This delightful network of individual Victorian gardens, separated by
high hedges, has recently been restored using Heritage Lottery funding.
Delightful summerhouses, gnarled old fruit trees, and heritage flowers
and vegetables welcome the visitor to this tranquil spot. Buy
plants and historic varieties of fruit and vegetables in season. Enjoy
tea, coffee and cake in the new "sustainable" visitor centre. View the
changing displays. Gifts for sale.
Saturdays and Bank Holidays, 11-5; Fridays and Sundays 2-5. (Open- from
April 6th ---- -Oct 14th 2012 )
LORD
LEYCESTER HOSPITAL
The Lord Leycester Hospital (often known simply as the Lord Leycester)
is a retirement home for ex-Servicemen in Warwick, England, that is
located next to the West Gate, on High Street.The Chantry Chapel of St
James was built in 1126 by Roger de Newburgh, 2nd Norman Earl of
Warwick. In the late 14th century it was rebuilt by the 12th Earl of
Warwick. He granted the benefice of the Chapel to the Guild of St
George, a guild created on 20 April 1383 under licence from King
Richard II. The Guild of St George was later joined there by the Guild
of the Blessed Virgin, which had been based at the Collegiate Church of
St Mary, forming the United Guilds of Warwick. Living quarters and
reception, meeting, and dining halls were added to the chapel as a
consequence. The Guildhall was built in 1450 by the 16th Earl of
Warwick.The United Guilds were dispersed by King Henry VIII in 1546.
However, their property had already been transferred to the Burgesses
of Warwick by Thomas Oken, Master of the Guilds. The 1st Earl of
Leicester acquired the buildings in 1571, founding therein a hospital
for aged or injured soldiers and their wives, under royal charter from
Queen Elizabeth I, run by 12 resident "Brethren" (originally soldiers)
under the charge of a "Master", and funded from the income of various
estates. This lasted until 1950.In 1956 the Corporation of the Master
and Brethren of the Hospital was abolished by Act of Parliament, having
operated under the original charter for nearly 400 years, and replaced
with a board of Governors. On 3 November 1966 a restored Hospital with
modernised quarters was opened by Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and
today the Hospital is run by the Master, a retired officer of the Armed
Forces. Eight ex-servicemen and their wives are provided with flats in
return for their services. The Hospital is funded by visitor income,
the original estates having been sold over the years.
MACHADO GALLERY
The Machado Gallery is an early 18th century builders yard and cottage
within the heart of the historic working village of Barford, near
Warwick. Stunningly beautifully, it has been lovingly renovated over
the last decade by its owner, sculptor-designer Sue Machado, who has
used original and period materials and features to retain the character
of the building. A two storey former joiners workshop, Sue’s former
sculpture studio and the main house have been turned into gallery space
showing showing a variety of one person and group exhibitions
throughout the year.
Enjoy this peaceful setting as an overnight guest in the B&B, or as
a casual visitor and savour the chance of a really good cup of espresso
Free Trade Coffee or freshly home made Cream Tea in the orangery
kitchen overlooking the moat and the walled garden. 1 mile from
junction 15 on M40.
THE MILL GARDEN
The Mill Garden is a private garden adjacent to Warwick Castle
measuring half an acre open to the public and situated on the bank of
the River Avon in Warwick, It is owned by Julia Measures, whose
family has owned the gardens since 1938 and whose father Arthur worked
on it for 60 years. Its informal planting to highlight
picturesque river views (and views of Warwick Castle in who's shadow it
stands) has made this garden renowned among the United Kingdom's garden
enthusiasts. The garden once stood by the bridge carried most of the
traffic to Warwick over the River Avon but the bridge now lies in
ruins. Also when the castle was being constructed the garden was often
used as a stonemasons yard. It is not uncommon to see swans nesting
near the garden
OKEN'S HOUSE
Oken’s House is so named because it was the home of Thomas Oken who
was, as the plaque on the wall testifies, “a great benefactor to
Warwick” who died in the house in 1573. The house used to also be the
town’s doll museum which unfortunately closed in 2004. However, the
house is worth visiting as it is a fine example of a timber-framed
building. Thomas Oken is remembered for his charitable actions
including the provision of almshouses for Warwick’s poorest people in
the 16th Century.
PILLAR BOXES
There are two unusual pillar boxes in Warwick that stand at the East
and West gates of the city. They were cast in the mid 1800s in the
shape of Doric columns by the Eagle Foundry in Birmingham. They date
from a time when the design of pillar boxes was not standardised giving
rise to experimental designs that included vertical instead of
horizontal slits and strange shaped boxes. These pillar boxes have an
attractive fluted design that is rare today.
East Gate,
Warwick,
CV34
PLAYBOX THEATRE
For 25 years Playbox Theatre has developed theatre for and with young
people, placing at its heart young people as both artists and
audience.Based at our custom designed complex ‘The Dream Factory’ in
Warwick, we develop the skills, talent and confidence of young people
through exciting and innovative methods including theatre, movement,
circus, multimedia and extraordinary live events.Playbox reaches all
ages, demographics and community through a very special programme of
training, performance, enrichment through the arts and
partnerships.Young artists push boundaries; creating original work
which reflects our age, our values, our debates, our concerns, our
humour and most importantly our dreams. We state what we think theatre
should be, not what others think or expect, we break taboos and
challenge labels that young people just don’t want. Our aspiration is
to make new work, evoke a wild spirit and tackle new themes in original
and moving ways.
QUEENS OWN HUSSARS
MUSEUM
Located within the medieval Lord Leycester Hospital, close to the town
centre, this museum offers a comprehensive insight into the history of
the regiment and the people that have served within it. Starting with
its foundations in the late 17th Century, the museum uses a series of
artefacts and documents to illustrate the progressions. Key exhibits
include real weapon, uniforms, medals and a range of photographs and
personal accounts of warfare.
SALTISFORD CANAL
TRUST
The Saltisford Canal Trust would like to give you a warm welcome to the
Saltisford Arm of the Grand Union Canal, in heart of the historic
market town of Warwick. We are a small canal charity set up over 25
years ago to restore the canal arm which dates back to 1799, and is
originally the terminus of the Warwick and Birmingham Canal. The
Saltisford Canal Centre has been transformed by volunteers from a site
of dereliction into a peaceful moorings, set in a series of gardens and
orchards. The arm is home to a number of residential
narrowboats, and also provides permanent, winter and visitor moorings
within 10 minutes walk of the heart of Warwick. We have a
range of facilities, which we hope you will use and enjoy, whether you
are just mooring overnight, visiting on foot or staying longer.
ST.MARY'S CHURCH
St Mary’s Church is situated in the centre of Warwick and is famous for
its beautiful Beauchamp Chapel where the medieval tomb of Richard
Beauchamp can be found. Many of the Earls of Warwick are also buried in
the church. Visitors can go inside the crypt which dates back to the
12th Century and see an original ducking stool which used to be a
punishment in the medieval era. It was particularly used for so-called
scolding women. Visitors can also climb the church tower which is worth
it for the views over Warwick.
ST JOHN'S HOUSE
MUSEUM
St John’s House Museum contains a vast array of diverse displays and
exhibitions that make the centre appeal to all ages. The Victorian
Laundry allows you to try and identify the difference between a poser
and a dolly, and get involved in hands on washes. The schoolroom takes
visitors back in time to a strict and solemn classroom filled with
books and instruments from the age. Other exhibits include an extensive
Victorian artefacts library.
ST NICHOLAS CHURCH
Built in 1780 as a place of common worship, the Church is an active
family Christian and social centre for an inclusive congregation of
people of all ages, backgrounds and ethnic origins who enjoy sharing
their beliefs wirth others of similar mind. The church has modern
catering and toilet facilities, and lends itself to local parish social
functions, including dinners and parties, and music concerts. It is an
extraordinarily light and airy building, in which all the seating is
easily cleared away for those purposes.
ST.NICHOLAS PARK
Includes a crazy golf course, amusement rides, children's play area,
pony rides, outdoor paddling pool and boats for hire (summer only),
tennis, football courts, recreation ground, indoor swimming pool and
leisure centre, sports facilities, cafe, BMX track and Boules rink.
WARWICK CASTLE
Britain’s Greatest Mediaeval Experience. Prepare for battle in the
award winning “Kingmaker”, then descend into the darkness of the
Dungeon or brave the Torture Chamber. Feel the weight of a sword in the
Armoury and explore the impressive Towers and Ramparts. Visit the
elegant State Rooms and “Royal Weekend Party 1898” and take a walk in
the 60 acres of landscaped grounds and gardens. Fantastic special
events take place throughout the year including jousting tournaments.
WARWICK RACECOURSE Lying a few hundred yards from
Warwick Castle, Warwick Racecourse retains its historic charm and
character, offering a range of elegant hospitality suites and private
boxes catering for parties from 10 to 100 guests - all with closed
circuit television and Tote facilities and all with balconies
overlooking the racecourse. Warwick enjoys a full racing
calendar all year round with meetings taking place on weekdays and
weekends, afternoons and evenings. The racecourse can offer both
corporate clients and group organisers a wide range of options
from hospitality and sponsorship on race day's to conference and event
facilties throughout the year. The facilities at the course are
renowned for comfort and luxury and are constantly being upgraded to
meet the needs of our clients. We look forward to welcoming you
to Warwick Racecourse.
WARWICKSHIRE MUSEUM
A 17th century Market Hall housing traditional displays of Warwickshire
geology, archeaology and natural history, including giant fossils, live
bees and the famous Sheldon Tapestry Map. A huge brown bear will be the
first to greet you in the Museum entrance, and there are wilder beasts
to follow! Track the early history of Warwickshire and find the places
you know on the Sheldon tapestry map. Also look out for ancient
jewellery, fantastic fossils, bees and bugs. The ground floor
exhibition gallery offers an exciting and varied programme of art and
craft together with special seasonal exhibitions. Our knowledgable
staff will be happy to answer any questions you may have and are there
to ensure that you enjoy a quality experience during your visit.
Before leaving, please visit our well stocked shop where you can
purchase souvenirs, cards & gifts and educational items. You may
also bring in items for identification by our Keepers of Collections.
WARWICKSHIRE
YEOMANRY MUSEUM
This museum covers the history of the Warwickshire Yeomanry, one of the
most historic parts of the British Army, from its formation in 1794 to
1954. There is an impressive collection of uniforms, weapons,
memorabilia and a famous painting of the regiment by Lady Butler. There
is a small library that holds the official records of the regiment open
to the public also.
Wellesbourne is a large village located around five
miles from Stratford-upon-Avon. The name was first recorded in 862 as
Wallesburam. It was later referred to as Walebourne in the Domesday
Book. Wellesbourne was once two villages - Wellesbourne Mountford and
Wellesbourne Hastings, the two villages being divided by the River
Dene. In 1947 the two parishes were merged, and are now considered to
be a single village. For these historical reasons Wellesbourne lacks a
proper village centre. Perhaps the most significant event in
Wellesbourne's history was the founding in 1872 of the first trade
union for agricultural workers by Joseph Arch - an event which is still
celebrated by an annual parade. There is a somewhat unusual memorial in
the form of a plaque in the village bus shelter. Wellesbourne Market is
very popular and is held on the airfield site every Saturday and bank
holiday Monday.
Wellesbourne gained recent publicity when Chedham's Yard, a historic
agricultural building featuring a blacksmith's and wainwright's
workshops, won BBC TV's Restoration Village series in 2006. Chedham's
Yard is still being re-furbished using the funding awarded and should
be open during 2012.
AVON AIR CENTRE
Join us for a SCENIC PLEASURE FLIGHT in our Cessna light aircraft from
Wellesbourne Airfield. Fly over Stratford upon Avon and over the
picturesque Cotswold hills, with views of many pretty villages, castles
and stately homes. Individuals or groups are welcome, children 6 years
old and over are also welcome to fly with us, when accompanied by an
adult. A scenic flight with Avon Air Centre Limited is sure to provide
an exciting experience and a lasting memory of this beautiful part of
England.Avon Air Centre Limited are approved to operate passenger
flights by the UK Civil Aviation Authority, under Air Operator's
Certificate Number GB2308.
WELLESBOURNE
AIRFIELD MARKET
Wellesbourne market is one of the UK’s largest outdoor markets. Open
every Saturday and Summer Bank Holiday Monday’s from 9am to 4pm. There
is a vibrant atmosphere where you can wander around 500 stalls and find
some real bargains. Quality is really important to us and we have a
market office in the centre just for your feedback and comments. There
is a vast variety of goods on sale for everyone, from clothes,
gardening, toys, books, mobiles and food. A real family day out where
you can pick up some bargains and enjoy some delicious food and drinks.
We even have a blown up slide for the kids. We have plenty of free
parking as we have up to 15,000 people attending every opening. Come to
Wellesbourne market where there is something for everyone and be part
of the banter with the traders and find a real bargain or two.
Browse through our photo gallery and we look forward to seeing you at
the market soon! 5 miles from Stratford upon Avon, Warwick or
Leamington Spa. On the A429 and B4086.
WELLESBOURNE
WARTIME MUSEUM
The museum is located in an underground emergency wartime command and
control bunker, and houses a collection of aviation artefacts. Displays
cover the history of Wellesbourne Mountford airfield, together with
various aircraft components and memorabilia. There is a small aircraft
park, including the nose of Vulcan XA903. This aircraft was used to
test the Olympus engines of Concorde in the 1960s, and a small
dedicated group of enthusiasts is trying to restore some of the
additional test equipment used in this aircraft. Elsewhere on the
airfield, Vulcan XM655 undertakes taxi runs on occasions.
WELLESBOURNE
WATERMILL
One of the last remaining working flour mills in the country.
The secluded and picturesque watermill has a daily demonstration of the
mill, grinding the corn to flour. Sample the flour in the homemade
cakes and scones, and enjoy a light lunch in the 200 year old barn.
Parking for disabled. Wheelchair access to tearooms and around mil site
but limited within mill.
Absolute
Classic Rock classic rock tracks available on local DAB digital
radio, in the Coventry area listen live on
our audio pages
Absolute
Radio 60s music covering the decade of the
sixties available on local DAB digital
radio, in the Coventry area listen live on
our audio pages
BBC Coventry and Warwickshire talk; news and sport; contemporary
and oldies 94.8 (Coventry) 103.7 (Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire) 104.0 (Atherstone and Nuneaton) also available on local DAB digital
radio, in the Coventry area listen live
to BBC Coventry and Warwickshire on our audio pages
Gold oldies and classic hits 1359 (Coventry and Warwickshire) also available on local DAB digital
radio, in the Coventry area listen
live on our audio pages
The
Hillz FM community station 98.6 (Coventry) Kiss r&b, pop and contemporary dance available on local DAB digital
radio, in the Coventry area listen live on
our audio pages
Mercia top 40 chart music 97.0 (Coventry) 102.9 (Warwick and Leamington Spa, Warwickshire) also available on local DAB digital
radio, in the Coventry area listen live on our
audio pages Mercia on
facebook This station will relaunch as Free
Radio in April 2012
Oak FM contemporary and classic hits 107.9 (Nuneaton, Warwickshire and Hinckley,
Leicestershire)
Punjabi Radio radio for the Punjabi community available on local DAB digital
radio, in the Coventry area
Rugby FM classic and current chart music;
news and information 107.1 (Rugby, Warwickshire)
Sunrise Radio music and news for the asian
community available on local DAB digital
radio, in the Coventry area
Touch Radio 102.0 contemporary and classic hits 102.0 (Stratford-Upon-Avon, Warwickshire)
Touch Radio 96.2 contemporary hits 96.2 (Coventry) also available on local DAB digital
radio, in the Coventry area
Touch Radio 107.3 contemporary and classic hits 107.3 (Warwick & Leamington Spa, Warwickshire)
Xfm modern rock music from the last ten
years available on local DAB digital
radio, in the Coventry area listen live on
our audio pages
FISHING
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you are looking for a bit of Free Fishing
in the UK Click on Picture to left
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