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ON-LINE GUIDE TO WARWICKSHIRE
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This brief guide provides
summary information on towns, villages and places to visit
in Warwickshire as well as some interesting facts and
anecdotes on the local area. To find a specific place either
scroll down the page or use the find facility on your
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A rich vein of medieval and Tudor history runs through Warwickshire, and the romantic
ruins of Kenilworth Castle, the grandeur of
Warwick Castle and the elegance of Royal
Leamington Spa set the tone for this most delightful
of counties. But Stratford-upon-Avon is most visitors' focal point, a town dominated
by William Shakespeare and all things Shakespearian. Another town that has
found fame through one of its citizens is Rugby, as
it was the young scholar William Webb Ellis who, in the early 19th century, broke the rules
of football and picked up the ball and in so doing founded the game that bears the name of
the town. Close by is the ancient village of Dunchurch that is often dubbed
the `Gunpowder Plot Village' as it was here that
the conspirators waited to hear if their mission
had been accomplished.
Stratford-upon-Avon
It was here, in 1564, that William Shakespeare was born and
having found fame in London, retired to his birthplace and lived here
until his death in 1616. Few towns are so completely dominated by
one man. The half-timbered house that is
Shakespeare's Birthplace has been returned to the way it
must have looked in his day and a room thought to have been his
father's workshop has been re-created with the help of the
Worshipful Company of Glovers. Further along, on Chapel Street,
stands Nash's House, another half-timbered building that belonged
to Shakespeare's granddaughter, Elizabeth Hall; it now contains
an exceptional collection of Elizabethan furniture and
tapestries, as well as displays on the history of Stratford. Its
spectacular Elizabethan-style knot garden is an added attraction.
In Old Town is one of the best examples of a half-timbered
gabled house in Stratford, Hall's Croft, which was named after Dr
John Hall, who married Shakespeare's daughter Susanna in 1607.
This impressive house, along with outstanding 16th and 17th
century furniture and paintings, has a reconstruction of Dr
Hall's consulting room, accompanied by an exhibition detailing
medicinal practices during Shakespeare's time. Outside, the beautiful walled
garden features a large herb bed. In a beautiful setting by the River
Avon, is 13th century Holy Trinity Church where Shakespeare
is buried by the north wall of the chancel. The grave of his
wife Anne Hathaway is close by.
The town is also home to three theatres, as well as
the internationally renowned Royal Shakespeare Company, and
the most famous is, of course, the Royal Shakespeare
Theatre that opened in 1879 with a performance of
Much Ado About Nothing starring Ellen
Terry and Beerbohm Tree. The Royal Shakespeare
Theatre Summer House in Avonbank Gardens is home to
the Stratford Brass Rubbing
Centre, which contains a large collection of exact replicas
of brasses of knights and ladies, scholars, merchants and priests.
To the west of the town is an Elizabethan farmhouse that is
now known as Anne Hathaway's Cottage, as it was here
that Shakespeare's wife was born. Another notable house
connected with the Bard is that of his mother, situated in the village of
Wilmcote: Mary Arden's House is a striking Tudor farmhouse that contains
the Shakespeare Countryside Museum of farming and rural life.
Around Stratford-upon-Avon
Wellesbourne
5 miles E of Stratford off the A429
The village is home to Wellesbourne
Watermill, a brick-built working flourmill on the
River Dene. Demonstrations of the art and skill of milling
stoneground flour are enacted and explained by the miller and there are
guided walks alongside the river.
To the southeast lies Compton Verney Manor
House, a magnificent manor that is home to a fine art collection that
includes British portraiture, European Old Masters and modern works,
along with a unique collection of British Folk Art. On the other side
of Wellesbourne lies 16th century Charlecote
Park, a magnificent stately home occupying
landscaped grounds overlooking the River
Avon that were laid out by Capability Brown.
Used as the location for the filming of the BBC adaptation
of George Eliot's The Mill on the Floss, 18th century
Charlecote Mill is situated on the site of an
earlier mill mentioned in the Domesday Book.
Ilmington
7 miles S of Stratford off the B4632
This pretty village at the foot of Ilmington
Downs had its moment of history on Christmas Day
1934, when the first radio broadcast by George V was introduced
by Walton Handy, the village shepherd, and relayed to the world
from Ilmington Manor, the fine Elizabethan house once owned
by the de Montfort family.
Alcester
7½ miles NW of Stratford off the A435
An ancient Roman market town built on the Icknield
Street Encampment, Alcester boasts several very pretty cottages
on Maltmill Lane and a handsome Norman church. Just to the
south lies the village of Arrow and the 17th century home of
the Marquess of Hertford, Ragley Hall. One of England's
great Palladian country houses, it was inherited by the 8th Marquess
in 1940 when he was only nine, and during World War II it was used
as a hospital. Completely renovated in a style befitting its age, the
Hall boasts a wonderful collection of treasures, and out in
the landscaped park there are formal
gardens, an impressive collection of carriages and a country
trail. Roman Alcester Heritage Centre explores everyday life
in and around Roman Alcester. At nearby Kinwarton stands
the National Trust's Kinwarton Dovecote, a 14th century
circular dovecote that still houses doves and retains its `potence', a
pivoted ladder giving human access to the nesting
boxes.
Warwick
Standing by the River Avon, Warwick is in a good
defensive position and became part of Crown lands just after the
Norman Conquest. Dominating the town, much of Warwick
Castle was destroyed during the Barons' revolt in 1264, led by Simon de
Montfort, and the majority of the present castle dates from the 14th century.
The towers at each end are very impressive - one is known
as Caesar's Tower and is shaped rather like a cloverleaf.
The castle's exterior is best viewed from Castle
Bridge, where the 14th century walls can be
seen reflected in the waters of the River Avon. There is much to
explore along the ramparts and in the 60 acres of grounds, which include
a re-created Victorian formal rose garden, the Peacock Gardens
and an expanse of open parkland designed by Capability Brown.
Events throughout the year include Medieval
Tournaments, open-air fireworks concerts and
special
entertainment days.
The centre of Warwick is dominated by elegant Queen
Anne architecture and there is also a wealth of museums
including several honouring the county's regiments. One of the
most important buildings in Warwick is St John's House, dating from
1666, which contains the Museum of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment.
Two of Warwick's medieval town gateways have survived,
complete with chapels and one of these, Westgate Chapel, forms part
of Lord Leycester's Hospital, a spectacularly tottering and
beautiful collection of 15th century half-timbered buildings enclosing
a pretty galleried courtyard.
To the west of Warwick lies Hatton Country
World, a uniquely charming blend of family fun
and country shopping that is situated on a farm built by the descendants
of Sir Richard Arkwright, the inventor of the Spinning Jenny. Along
with the extensive craft village, the farm is home to the largest collection
of rare breed farm animals in Britain.
Around Warwick
Kenilworth
4 miles N of Warwick on the A452
Although the town was here before the Domesday
Book was compiled, Kenilworth's name is
invariably linked with its castle and, today, the remains of
Kenilworth Castle stand as England's finest and
most extensive castle ruins. The tales of this great fortress, immortalised
in Sir Walter Scott's novel Kenilworth,
are many and varied. The marvellous Norman keep,
the oldest part of the ruins, was built between 1150 and 1175 and
John of Gaunt's Great Hall once rivalled London's Westminster Hall
in palatial grandeur. The remains of Kenilworth's Abbey
can be seen in the churchyard of the Norman parish Church of St Nicholas in
the High Street.
Royal Leamington Spa
2 miles E of Warwick on the A452
This attractive town boasts a handsome mixture of smart
shops and Regency buildings and The Parade is undoubtedly one of
the finest streets in Warwickshire.
Rapidly taking advantage of the fashion for taking the
waters, Leamington Spa developed in the first few decades of the
19th century and was given the title `Royal' by the grace of the
new Queen, Victoria. The Pump Rooms were opened in 1814
by Henry Jephson, a local doctor who was largely responsible
for promoting the spa's medicinal properties and therefore
the popularisation of this elegant spa resort by the rich.
Immediately opposite the spa itself are Jephson's
Gardens containing a Corinthian temple that houses
his statue.
Southam
8½ miles SE of Warwick on the A423
It was in this attractive town by the River Itchen that Charles I
spent the night before the battle of Edge Hill. The Roundheads also
came into the town, and Cromwell himself arrived with 7,000
troops in 1645. In the main street is the surprisingly named Old Mint Inn,
a 14th century stone building that takes its name from an
occurrence following the battle of Edge Hill. Charles I commanded his
local noblemen to bring him their silver treasure, which was then
melted down and minted into coins with which he paid his army.
Sherbourne
2½ miles S of Warwick on the A429
Set in lovely countryside with views across fields to the River
Avon, Sherbourne Park is one of the very finest gardens in the county.
Highlights of the gardens, which were designed by Lady
Smith-Ryland in the 1950s, include a paved terrace covered by
clematis, wisteria and a magnolia; an `orchard' of sorbus trees; a
box-edged, rose-filled parterre and the White Garden surrounded by
yew hedges.
Henley-in-Arden
9 miles W of Warwick on the A3400
Henley's mile-long High Street has examples of almost every kind
of English architecture from the 15th century onwards, including
many old timber-framed houses built from Arden oak. Little
remains today of the Forest of Arden, the
setting adopted by William Shakespeare for As You Like
It, as its stocks were diminished in the 18th century by the navy's
demand for timber. The town emerged initially under the protection
of Thurston de Montfort, Lord of the Manor in 1140, and
Beaudesert Castle, home to the de Montfort family, lies behind the churches
of St John and St Nicholas, where remains of the castle mound
can still be seen.
Coughton
13 miles W of Warwick off the A435
The crowning glory of this village,
Coughton Court, has been the home for almost
600 years of the Throckmorton family who were very prominent
in Tudor times and were instigators of Catholic emancipation,
playing a part in the Gunpowder Plot - the wives of some of
the Gunpowder Plotters awaited the outcome of the Plot in
the imposing central gatehouse. This and the half-timbered
courtyard are particularly noteworthy, while
inside there are important collections of
paintings, furniture, porcelain and other family
items from Tudor times to the present day.
Treasured possessions include the chemise that Mary, Queen of Scots
wore at her execution and the Throckmorton Coat, the
subject of a 1,000 guinea wager in 1811.
Shrewley
5 miles NW of Warwick off the B4439
Shrewley boasts a marina on the Grand Union Canal but its
well-known landmark is the Hatton Flight of 21 locks that
stretches for a couple of miles up Hatton Hill. Just to the northwest,
at Lapworth, the Grand Union and Stratford Canals meet and,
close by, is Baddesley Clinton, a romantic, medieval moated
manor house that has changed little since 1633.
Rugby
Rugby's Market Place is surrounded by handsome
buildings that act as reminders of the town's origins during the reign of
Henry III. Rugby Town Trail, a two-hour walk that brings to life the
town's history from its Saxon beginnings to the present day, begins at
the Clock Tower in Market Place. The tower was intended
to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1887, yet
it was not completed until 1889 because over-indulgent citizens
had dipped too deep into the Tower funds to feast and drink at
the
Jubilee. Also along the trail is the house where Rupert Brooke
was born (his statue stands in Regent Place), and Caldecott Park with
its beautiful floral displays, trees and a herb garden.
Rugby is bounded by two of the greatest Roman roads,
Fosse Way and Watling Street, which meet just northwest of Rugby, at
High Cross, one of the landmarks of the area.
The town is best known for Rugby
School, founded in 1567 and moved to its present site
in 1750. It was here that the game of Rugby originated when, in
1823, William Webb Ellis broke the rules during a football match by
picking up the ball and running with it. The James
Gilbert Rugby Museum is housed in the
original building where, since 1842, the Gilberts have been making
their world-famous rugby footballs.
Around Rugby
Dunchurch
2 miles SW of Rugby on the A426
On the 5th of November 1605, the Gunpowder Plot conspirators
met at the Red Lion Inn, Dunchurch, to await the news of Guy
Fawkes' attempt to blow up the Houses of Parliament. The Red Lion
still exists today but as a private residence known as
Guy Fawkes House.
Ryton-on-Dunsmore
6 miles W of Rugby off the A45
This village is home to the Henry Doubleday
Research Association at Ryton Gardens, an organic farming and
gardening organisation that leads the way in research and advances
in horticulture. The grounds are landscaped with thousands
of plants and trees, all organically grown. Ryton Pools
Country Park, which opened in 1996, has a 10-acre lake that is home to
great crested grebes, swans, moorhens and Canada geese. Pagets
Pool, near the northeastern end of the park, is one of the most
important sites in Warwickshire for dragonflies.
To the north is Brandon Marsh Nature
Centre, 200 acres of lakes, marshes, woodland and grassland
that provide a home and haven for many species of
wildlife.
Nuneaton
13½ miles NW of Rugby on the A444
Originally a Saxon town known as Etone, the `Nun' was added when
a wealthy Benedictine priory was founded here in 1290. The
Priory ruins are adjacent to the Church of St Nicholas, a Victorian
building occupying a Norman site that has a beautiful carved ceiling dating
back to 1485. Nuneaton Museum and Art
Gallery features displays of archaeological interest ranging
from prehistoric to medieval times, and there is also a permanent
exhibition of the town's most illustrious daughter, the novelist George
Eliot. Born at Arbury Hall in 1819, Eliot,
whose real name was Mary Ann Evans, was an intellectual giant
and free thinker. Situated just to the southwest of the town is
Arbury Hall where George Eliot's father was a land agent on the estate;
she portrays this, her first home, as Cheverel Manor in her novel
Mr Gifgil's Love Story.
Newton Regis
6 miles NW of Atherstone off the B5493
One of the most unspoilt villages in Warwickshire, Newton Regis
has been voted Best Kept Small Village on numerous occasions. Near
the Staffordshire border and between the M42 and B5453, this
lovely village is built around an attractive duck pond which was once
a quarry pit. The village's name is thought to derive from its
former royal ownership, having once been the property of King Henry II.
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