Warwick
Warwick | |
---|---|
Town | |
Region | |
Country | England |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | WARWICK |
Postcode district | CV34, CV35 |
Dialling code | 01926 |
Police | Warwickshire |
Fire | Warwickshire |
Ambulance | West Midlands |
UK Parliament | |
Warwick (/ˈwɒrɪk/ WORR-ik) is a market town, civil parish and the county town of Warwickshire in the Warwick District in England, adjacent to the River Avon. It is 9 miles (14 km) south of Coventry, and 19 miles (31 km) south-east of Birmingham. It is adjoined with Leamington Spa and Whitnash.
Warwick has ancient origins and an array of historic buildings, notably from the Medieval, Stuart and Georgian eras. It was a major fortified settlement from the early Middle Ages, the most notable relic of this period being Warwick Castle, a major tourist attraction. Much was destroyed in the Great Fire of Warwick in 1694 and then rebuilt with fine 18th century buildings, such as the Collegiate Church of St Mary and the Shire Hall. The population was estimated at 37,267 at the 2021 Census.[1]
History
Neolithic
Human activity on the site dates back to the Neolithic, when it appears there was a sizable settlement on the Warwick hilltop. Artifacts found include more than 30 shallow pits containing early Neolithic flints and pottery and a number of small post holes indicating rectangular buildings. These are believed to have been created by Early European Farmers, sometime between 4000 and 2351 BC. An arrowhead from the Bell Beaker culture was likewise found, believed to date from 2500 to 1700 BC.[2]
Roman
Archaeological work on the site of Warwick School in 2017–2018 revealed the footings of a sizeable Roman barn from the 2nd century AD.[3] Roman rule in Britain begin to break down with the Great Conspiracy in 367–368,[4] the withdrawal of Roman troops from Britain from 383 to 406 and the barbarian raids of 408.
Saxon
From the 5th century onwards, Warwick was continuously inhabited. The town's Old English name, Wæringwīc, is composed of Wæring, which is a clan name or patronymic,[5][6][7] and the suffix wīc, meaning a 'settlement characterised by extensive artisanal activity and trade.' Alternatively, it may be derived from wering, meaning a 'fortification'[8][9] or a 'weir,'[10] the latter implying that the original settlement was located by a natural weir over the River Avon, possibly on the south side of the river, which offered easily cultivable land.[11]
The alongside the Avon provided an easily defensible position at a strategic site by the river crossing, with a good source of water and building material.
In the early 10th century, a
Norman and medieval
William the Conqueror founded Warwick Castle in 1068, while on his way to Yorkshire to deal with rebellion in the north.[13] Building it involved pulling down four houses.[16] The castle stood within the larger Anglo-Saxon burh and a new town wall was created close to the burh ramparts.[17]
The prosperity of medieval Warwick rested on its status as an administrative and military centre, however it was poorly positioned from the point of view of trade, and was consequently never a commercial or industrial centre of more than local significance in medieval times.[14] Medieval Warwick was controlled by various Earls of Warwick, mostly of the Beauchamp family. It became a walled town. It is unknown quite when the town wall was built, but references to it are found as early as the 12th century. It had mostly been demolished by the early 16th century.
Today the only remains are the east and west gatehouses, there was previously also a north gatehouse, but this was demolished. On the south side, the bridge over the Avon was said to fulfil the role of a gatehouse, and likely had a barrier.[11] The west gate was first recorded in 1129, and had a chapel of St James above it, which was reconstructed in the 14th century and extensively restored in 1863–1865.[18][19] The east gate was rebuilt in the 15th century with the Chapel of St Peter above it.[20] It was rebuilt again in 1788 and was once used as part of The King's High School,[21] but is now a holiday home.[22]
The town's
17th century
During the
The mid-17th century saw the founding of
Great fire of Warwick
Much of the medieval town centre was destroyed in the Great Fire of Warwick on 5 September 1694, which, within five hours destroyed 460 buildings and left 250 families homeless.[28][29] Thus most of the town-centre buildings are of late 17th and early 18th-century origin, although some medieval timber-framed buildings survive, especially around the edges of the town centre.[29]
One of the aims of the rebuilding of Warwick following the fire, was to encourage the gentry and professional men to settle in the town, and so impetus was given to rebuilding the town in the then contemporary Georgian style. Many of the buildings in the rebuilt town were designed by the architects Francis Smith, and later William and David Hiorne, who gave Warwick its 18th century appearance. Daniel Defoe gave his opinion that Warwick had been 'rebuilt in so noble and so beautiful a manner that few towns in England make so fine an appearance'.[30]
The fire burnt down much of the medieval
18th century to present
In 1788 the Earl of Warwick obtained an Act of Parliament to enable him to build a new bridge over the Avon: Castle Bridge, which consists of a single sandstone arch was opened in 1793.[32] It replaced an older 14th century bridge further downstream, known as Old Castle Bridge, which fell into ruin, although remains of it can still be seen.[33] The Warwick and Birmingham and Warwick and Napton canals were both opened through Warwick in 1800. They now form parts of the Grand Union Canal.[34]
The Borough of Warwick was reformed under the Municipal Corporations Act 1835, which reconstituted it as a municipal borough with an elected Town Council.[35]
The
The
The Leamington & Warwick Tramways & Omnibus Company was established in 1881, and operated a tramway service between Warwick and Leamington Spa until 1930.[39] It ran across Portobello Bridge, a three-arch bridge built 1831 to connect the two towns.[40]
In 2021 it was announced that Warwick had entered a competition with 38 other contenders to be awarded city status as part of the Platinum Jubilee Civic Honours. However, it was not among the eight winners ultimately chosen in May 2022.[41][42]
Population change
Populations before the 1801 census can be based on indirect measures. Historians suggest that Warwick had a population of about 1,500 in 1086. Indicators for ensuing centuries are sparse, but by the mid-16th century it is thought to have been about 2,000, which increased by the late 17th century to over 3,000.[43] At the time of the first national census in 1801, Warwick had 5,592 inhabitants. This population nearly doubled by 1851, when it reached 10,952, but thereafter growth was slower for more than a century, reaching 15,349 in 1951 and 16,051 in 1961.[44] Since then it has almost doubled, to 31,315 in 2011.[45]
Governance
There are three tiers of local government covering Warwick, at
Population growth has led to Warwick adjoining its larger and younger neighbour Leamington Spa and also Whitnash as part of a conurbation of some 95,000 inhabitants.[48]
Warwick is represented in
Geography
The 17th-century antiquarian William Dugdale wrote that Warwick was "standing upon a rocky ascent from every side, and in a dry and fertile soil, having... rich and pleasant meadows on the south part... and... woodland on the north."[50] Two factors have affected Warwick's built environment: the Great Fire of 1694 and the lack of industrialisation. In the 19th century, the widespread industrialisation of England largely passed Warwick by.[51] One reason was that the town did not lie on important roads and the River Avon was not navigable as far as Warwick.[52]
Suburbs
Suburbs of Warwick include Bridge End, Cliff Hill, Emscote, Woodloes Park, Forbes, Myton (connecting Warwick with
It is adjacent to
Climate
Warwick experiences the usual English maritime climate, marked by a narrow temperature range, mild winters and cool summers. The nearest official Met Office weather station is at Wellesbourne, about 6 miles (10 km) south of the town centre and at a similar elevation. The absolute maximum temperature (also the absolute maximum for the county of Warwickshire) stands at 36.1 °C (97.0 °F)[53] recorded in August 1990. During a typical year, the warmest day should reach 30.0 °C (86.0 °F),[54] and 16.5 days[55] should report a maximum of 25.1 °C (77.2 °F) or higher. The lowest recorded temperature is −17.8 °C (0.0 °F),[56] recorded in January 1982. Typically, 53.3 air frosts are recorded in an "average" year. Rainfall averages out at 608 millimetres (23.9 in) per year,[57] with over 114 days[58] seeing 1 mm (0.04 in) or more falling. All averages refer to the 1971–2000 period.
Climate data for Wellesbourne, elevation 47 m (154 ft), 1971–2000, extremes 1960– | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °C (°F) | 14.5 (58.1) |
17.8 (64.0) |
21.7 (71.1) |
26.3 (79.3) |
28.1 (82.6) |
32.8 (91.0) |
35.4 (95.7) |
36.1 (97.0) |
28.9 (84.0) |
23.9 (75.0) |
18.8 (65.8) |
15.6 (60.1) |
36.1 (97.0) |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 7.0 (44.6) |
7.5 (45.5) |
10.2 (50.4) |
12.8 (55.0) |
16.5 (61.7) |
19.4 (66.9) |
22.4 (72.3) |
21.9 (71.4) |
18.4 (65.1) |
14.1 (57.4) |
9.8 (49.6) |
7.7 (45.9) |
14.0 (57.2) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 0.9 (33.6) |
0.8 (33.4) |
2.4 (36.3) |
3.6 (38.5) |
6.2 (43.2) |
9.1 (48.4) |
11.3 (52.3) |
11.2 (52.2) |
9.3 (48.7) |
6.5 (43.7) |
3.2 (37.8) |
1.7 (35.1) |
5.5 (41.9) |
Record low °C (°F) | −17.8 (0.0) |
−14.5 (5.9) |
−10 (14) |
−6.6 (20.1) |
−2.8 (27.0) |
−1.7 (28.9) |
2.2 (36.0) |
1.7 (35.1) |
−2.2 (28.0) |
−5.7 (21.7) |
−8.5 (16.7) |
−17.4 (0.7) |
−17.8 (0.0) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 53.84 (2.12) |
39.86 (1.57) |
45.27 (1.78) |
44.86 (1.77) |
49.3 (1.94) |
53.57 (2.11) |
44.75 (1.76) |
56.32 (2.22) |
57.58 (2.27) |
54.97 (2.16) |
50.18 (1.98) |
57.77 (2.27) |
608.46 (23.96) |
Source: KNMI[59] |
Demography
At the
- 88.1% of Warwick residents were White British (Comprising 84.1% White British, 2.9% Other White, and 1.1% Irish)
- 7.9% were Bangladeshiand 1.2% from another Asian background)
- 0.7% were and 0.1% other Black)
- 2.2% were Mixed
- 0.2% were Arab, and 0.9% were from another ethnic group.
In terms of religion, 58.0% of Warwick residents identified as Christian, 26.9% said they had no religion, 7.4% did not state any religion, 4.6% were Sikh, 1.3% were Hindu, 1.0% were Muslim, 0.4% were Buddhists, 0.2% were Jewish and 0.4% were from another religion.[60]
Economy
Due to its proximity to north–south and east–west motorway routes, many companies have a head office in the town. Since November 2004,
Culture
Warwick hosts several annual festivals, including: the spoken word;
Warwick is also known for
Warwick and its historic buildings have featured in a number of television series, including the
Museums
The Warwickshire Museum has two sites in Warwick,
Local media
Local news and television programmes are provided by BBC West Midlands and ITV Central. Television signals are received from the Lark Stoke TV transmitter and the local relay transmitter in Leamington Spa.[70][71]
Warwick's local radio stations are
Local newspapers are the Warwickshire Telegraph and The Boar, a student newspaper for the University of Warwick.
Hospitals
Warwick Hospital, Leamington Spa Hospital and St Michael's Hospital (a psychiatric unit that superseded Central Hospital) are in the town.
Sport
Warwick Racecourse is located just west of the town centre. Adjacent to it is Racing Club Warwick F.C., founded in 1919. The city has many long-established sports clubs, including Warwick Hockey Club, founded in 1920.
Education
Schools
Secondary schools in Warwick include
Warwick School
University of Warwick
The nearest university is the University of Warwick, which is named after the county of Warwickshire, rather than the town, and is in fact situated several miles north of Warwick on the southern outskirts of Coventry. Adding to the location confusion is the fact that Coventry is no longer in the county of Warwickshire, but instead is in the West Midlands, leading to the current situation where the university straddles both counties.[citation needed]
Landmarks and notable buildings
- Collegiate Church of St Mary
- Gurdwara Sahib Leamington and Warwick
- Guy's Cliffe House
- Lord Leycester Hospital
- Lord Leycester Hotel
- Market Hall
- Market Square
- The Dream Factory
- St John's Museum
- St Michael's Leper Hospital
- St. Nicholas' Park
- Saxon Mill
- Shire Hall
- Warwick Castle
- Warwick Hospital
- Warwick Racecourse
- Warwick School
- Hill Close Gardens
- St Mary Immaculate Roman Catholic Church
Transport
Road
Warwick is on the M40 London-Birmingham motorway, connected to junctions 13, 14 and 15; it is also on the A46 dual-carriageway trunk road positioned between Coventry and Stratford-upon-Avon. Warwick has several council off-street car parks in the town.[75] There are also a few privately run car parks, including those at the railway station and the castle.
Rail
The town has two railway stations, both on the
Bus & Coach
Bus services to Leamington Spa, Stratford-upon-Avon and Coventry are operated by Stagecoach in Warwickshire from the bus station in the town centre. There is also a National Express coach stop in the town's bus station with limited services. The nearby Warwick Parkway railway station also has a coach stop with more frequent services.
Waterways
The Grand Union Canal passes through Warwick. The restored Saltisford Canal Arm is close to the town centre – it is a short branch of the Grand Union Canal, the remains of the original terminus of the Warwick and Birmingham Canal, dating back to 1799. The Saltisford Canal Trust has restored most of the surviving canal, which is now the mooring for colourful narrowboats and a waterside park open to the public.
The River Avon which also passes through the town is not navigable as far as Warwick; the navigable stretch of the river currently ends at Stratford-upon-Avon. There have been proposals made to extend the Avon navigation to Warwick, which would involve the construction of seven new locks, some dredging, and some new canal sections.[76] The most recent proposals, which would have seen the river linked with the Grand Union Canal at Warwick, failed to win the support of the local council in 2019.[77]
Air
The nearest international airport to Warwick is Birmingham Airport, about 20 miles (32 km) by road from the town centre. There also used to be a Royal Air Force station called RAF Warwick.
Notable people
Twin towns
The town of Warwick has formal
There is also a friendship link between Warwick District and Bo District in Sierra Leone.[79]
References
- Notes
- ^ "WARWICK in Warwickshire (West Midlands) Built-up Area Subdivision". Retrieved 8 October 2021.
- ^ "Information for record number MWA1985: Excavation of Neolithic Settlement at Brook Street". Take the Timetrail with Warwickshire Museum. Warwickshire County Council. 31 December 1969. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
- ^ "Rare Roman find unearthed at new school building site – Stratford Herald". 7 February 2018.
- ^ Ammianus Marcellinus, Rerum Gestarum (English) (ed. John C. Rolfe, Ph.D., Litt.D.)
- ^ Taylor, Isaac (1898). Names and Their Histories: A Handbook of Historical Geography and Topographical Nomenclature. Rivingtons.
- ISSN 1467-968X.
- ^ Allen, Grant (1910). Anglo-Saxon Britain. The Library of Congress. New York, E. S. Gorham. p. 194.
- ^ "Brewer's: Warwick | Infoplease". www.infoplease.com. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
- ^ Cornwell, James (1847). A school geography. p. 47.
- ^ Warwickshire History, Warwickshire County Council, archived from the original on 1 October 2011, retrieved 2 April 2011
- ^ a b "The borough of Warwick: Introduction, the medieval town. A History of the County of Warwick: Volume 8, the City of Coventry and Borough of Warwick". British History Online. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
- ^ Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, ed. M. Swanton (Dent, London 1997), s. a., pp. 911–918.
- ^ a b Allison, Dunning & Jones 1969, p. 418
- ^ a b "The borough of Warwick: Economic and social history to 1545". British History Online. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
- ^ a b Slater 1981
- ^ Harfield 1991, pp. 373, 382
- ^ Allison, Dunning & Jones 1969, pp. 418–419
- ^ "Westgate, Warwick". Our Warwickshire. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
- ^ "St James Chapel west Gate A Grade I Listed Building in Warwick, Warwickshire". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
- ^ "Eastgate, Warwick". Our Warwickshire. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
- ^ "Chapel of St Peter, Eastgate, Warwick". Our Warwickshire. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
- ^ "Eastgate Warwick". Eastgate Warwick. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
- ^ "WARWICK PRIORY". Our Warwickshire. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
- ^ "Hospitals: Warwick." A History of the County of Warwick: Volume 2, ed. William Page. London: Victoria County History, 1908, pp. 115–117. British History Online website Retrieved 4 May 2020.
- ^ "St John's House A Grade I Listed Building in Warwick, Warwickshire". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
- ^ "Lord Leycester Hospital, High Street, Warwick". Our Warwickshire. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
- ^ "The borough of Warwick: The castle and castle estate in Warwick". British History Online. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
- ^ The governing charter of the borough of Warwick, Joseph Parks (1827), p. 51.
- ^ a b Allen 2000, pp. 143–145
- ^ "The borough of Warwick: Economic and social history, 1545-1835". British History Online. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
- ^ Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
- ^ "CASTLE BRIDGE, WARWICK". Our Warwickshire. Archived from the original on 12 August 2020. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
- ^ "OLD CASTLE BRIDGE". Our Warwickshire. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
- ^ "The Warwick and Birmingham Canal". Our Warwickshire. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
- ^ a b c "The borough of Warwick: Warwick from 1835". British History Online. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
- ^ "No. 33952". The London Gazette. 23 June 1933. p. 4216.
- ^ Historic England. "Pageant House (1300054)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
- ^ "No. 46430". The London Gazette. 13 December 1974. p. 12798.
- ^ The Golden Age of Tramways. Published by Taylor and Francis.
- ^ Jeffs, Mick (11 November 2013). "Tramway to Royal Leamington Spa". Leamington History Group. Archived from the original on 2 April 2024. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
- ^ "City status: The 39 towns competing for an upgrade revealed". BBC News. 23 December 2021. Retrieved 24 December 2021.
- ^ "City status: Platinum Jubilee: Eight towns to be made cities for Platinum Jubilee". BBC News. 20 May 2022. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
- ^ Allison, Dunning & Jones 1969, pp. 417–418
- ^ "The borough of Warwick: Introduction". British History Online. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
- ^ "WARWICK in Warwickshire (West Midlands)". City Population. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
- ^ Historic England. "The Court House, Jury Street (Grade I) (1035450)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
- ^ "The Court House". Warwick Town Council. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
- ^ "United Kingdom: Urban Areas in England". City Population. Retrieved 8 April 2018.
- ^ "Warwick and Leamington", The Guardian, retrieved 3 April 2011
- ^ Quoted in Allison, Dunning & Jones 1969, p. 417
- ^ Pevsner & Wedgwood 1996, p. 443
- ^ Allison, Dunning & Jones 1969, p. 417
- ^ "1990 maximum". Retrieved 28 February 2011.
- ^ "Annual average maximum". Retrieved 28 February 2011.
- ^ "Days >25c average". Retrieved 28 February 2011.
- ^ "1982 minimum". Retrieved 28 February 2011.
- ^ "1971-00 Rainfall". Retrieved 28 February 2011.
- ^ "1971-00 Raindays". Retrieved 28 February 2011.
- ^ "Climate Normals 1971–2000". KNMI. Retrieved 28 February 2011.
- ^ Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 8 October 2021.
- ^ "Contact us National Grid's UK head office". National Grid. Retrieved 8 October 2021.
- ^ "Leamington Music - Early Music Series". www.leamingtonmusic.org. Archived from the original on 16 May 2010. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
- ^ "Leamington Music - Music in the Round Concerts". www.leamingtonmusic.org. Archived from the original on 16 May 2010. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
- ^ "Tolkien plaque unveiled in Warwick".
- ^ Bridge, Bobby; Rodger, James (7 June 2019). "A Christmas Carol filming in Warwickshire as Hollywood stars spotted". BirminghamLive.
- ^ "A Christmas Carol 2019: Peaky Blinders meets Charles Dickens". BBC News. 18 December 2019.
- ^ "Welcome to Warwickshire Museum". Warwickshire County Council. Retrieved 21 November 2021.
- ^ "New exhibits to feature at refurbished Warwick museum". Warwickshireworld. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
- ^ "St John's House Museum". Warwickshire County Council. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
- ^ "Lark Stoke (Gloucestershire, England) Full Freeview transmitter". May 2004.
- ^ "Leamington Spa (Warwickshire, England) Freeview Light transmitter". May 2004.
- ^ "Secondary school priority areas: Central area" (PDF). Warwickshire County Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 September 2011.
- ^ "Warwick Preparatory School". Retrieved 14 February 2017.
- ^ About us, Warwick School, retrieved 15 March 2012
- ^ "Parking in Warwick". Warwick District Council. 1 January 2011.[dead link]
- ^ "Plans to restore River Avon boat route to Warwick". BBC. 11 July 2014. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
- ^ "Bid to open River Avon to boats between Stratford and Warwick fails to win backing of Warwick District Council". Leamington Observer. 8 February 2019. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
- ^ Twinning, Warwick District Council, archived from the original on 20 October 2013, retrieved 3 April 2011
- ^ One World Link, One World Link, retrieved 3 April 2011
- Bibliography
- Allen, Geoff (2000), Warwickshire Towns & Villages, Sigma Leisure, ISBN 1-85058-642-X
- Allison, K. J.; Dunning, R. W.; Jones, S. R. (1969), "The Borough of Warwick: Introduction", in Stephens, W. B. (ed.), A History of the County of Warwick: Volume 8: The City of Coventry and Borough of Warwick, ISBN 0-19-722734-1
- Harfield, C. G. (1991), "A Hand-list of Castles Recorded in the Domesday Book", English Historical Review, 106 (419): 371–392, JSTOR 573107
- ISBN 0-14-071031-0
- ISBN 0-85033-416-0
Further reading
- Allison, K. J. (1969a), "The Borough of Warwick: Political and Administrative History to 1545", in Stephens, W. B. (ed.), A History of the County of Warwick: Volume 8: The City of Coventry and Borough of Warwick, ISBN 0-19-722734-1
- Allison, K. J. (1969b), "The Borough of Warwick: Economic and Social History to 1545", in Stephens, W. B. (ed.), A History of the County of Warwick: Volume 8: The City of Coventry and Borough of Warwick, ISBN 0-19-722734-1