Kenilworth
Encyclopedia
Kenilworth is a town in central Warwickshire
, England. In 2001
the town had a population of 22,582 (24,000 est.2006). It is situated 6 miles (10 km) south of Coventry
, 6 miles (10 km) north of Warwick
and 90 miles (144.8 km) northwest of London
.
Kenilworth is perhaps best known for Kenilworth Castle
, although other significant local landmarks include Kenilworth Clock, Abbey Fields park and St Nicholas' Church
.
A settlement has existed at Kenilworth since at least the time of the Domesday Book
– the book refers to Kenilworth as Chinewrde.
The priory at Kenilworth
was constructed between 1123 and 1129 by Geoffrey de Clinton
who also started the building of Kenilworth Castle
at this time. After the Dissolution of the Monasteries
the abbey grounds, adjacent to the castle, were designated as common land
, in exchange for the common land used for expansion of the castle by Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester. Only a few walls and a storage barn of the original abbey now exist.
The first potato
grown in England, brought back from South America
by Sir Walter Raleigh
, was planted in the Little Virginia area of the town, near the castle.
Just off the Coventry Road in Kenilworth is a field known as 'The Parliament Piece'. It is traditionally said to be the site where Henry III
held a Parliament in August 1266, while his troops besiege
d 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 at Kenilworth. Members of the public have free access to Parliament Piece, which is owned by the Open Spaces Society and leased by Warwick District Council
.
Queen Elizabeth
visited Robert Dudley
at Kenilworth Castle
several times, the last of which was in 1575. Dudley entertained the Queen with pageants and banquets that cost some £1,000 per day, presenting diversions and pageants surpassing anything ever before seen in England.
The Council owns and manages land across the Coventry Road at Tainter's Hill. This area of public open space was designated "for the poor of the parish" under the 1756 enclosure acts and is now registered as common land. Around this time in 1778 the town's corn mill
was built later to become the towns water tower
. It still stands today as a residential property, albeit minus the sails.
The arrival of the railways in 1844 brought industrialists from Birmingham
and Coventry
who developed the residential area around the town's railway station. In the nineteenth century the town had some fine large mansion
s with landscaped gardens; these were demolished after the First World War and the Second World War for housing developments. The names of these mansions still survive in the names of some roads and areas of the town (for example, Towers Close, built upon the grounds of Rouncil Towers) and some large trees from their grounds still survive (for example sequoiadendrons from The Moorlands and Rouncil Towers). The original railway station (1844) was partially rebuilt as the Kings Arms and Castle public house
(later called Drummonds) when the new station was built in 1883. Drummonds was redeveloped during 2007 and now houses a restaurant chain. The building's hallmark pillars have been retained on its Warwick Road frontage. Sir Walter Scott
stayed in the Kings Arms and Castle Hotel on Warwick Road when he wrote Kenilworth
.
The railways also boosted Kenilworth's market gardening
. There were reputedly 40 nurseries growing market garden produce in Kenilworth and all have now been used for housing developments (the last nursery, Guests Nursery, was developed as 23 houses in 2002). The railway transported the produce to London
where Kenilworth tomato
es had a reputation for quality The Victorian period
saw a large expansion of the town to the West of Abbey Fields and in the land surrounding Warwick Road. Most of the buildings along Warwick Road date from this period and later although a few cottages still exist.
The former mansion on Forrest Road still stands, built around 1901. It is believed that a William Forrest bought the surrounding land, except that of the terrace to the north of Abbey End, and built the house, either for himself or for his family. The house was split into three separate residential lots in the 1970s, the main part of the house forming 'Hillcrest', the west wing of the house with the main grand staircase and gardens forming 'Max Gate', and the billiards room forming the bungalow 'South Brent'. The former landscaped gardens to the east and west of the property have been built on for residential purposes, but the south and north gardens still belong to the house. Some main features have been lost during the transition internally, but externally the house still keeps its grand bay windows, tiled walls, high chimney stacks and other features, which can be seen in the new flats, Mulberry Court on Abbey End. Warwick Road is now the main commercial centre of the town
Most of the older existing buildings of Kenilworth are on Castle Green, New Row, and the High Street (formerly Alta Strata, meaning the high dry ground above the Abbey). The High Street boasts many of the older buildings in Kenilworth, with long established shops. These include Fieldgate Post Office/General Store, which was recently one of the post offices saved from closure due to popular appeal and local support and is now under new ownership, a Loch Fyne Restaurant, the Old Bakery and Beck's Butchers. The age of these buildings make it appear that this is the original settlement, but in fact this is simply the oldest existing part of the town. The original settlement along the present day Warwick Road having been subject to continuous redevelopment since the 12th century and now retains little of the original town. Many of the houses around Castle Green are made of stone salvaged when the castle walls were torn down
after the English Civil War
.
, Birmingham
and Leamington Spa
. Despite its proximity to the University of Warwick
on Coventry's southern outskirts, it has only a small student population of mostly postgraduate students, although many staff at the university choose to live in Kenilworth.
The town has good transport links – the Birmingham International Airport
, and M6
, M42
and M40
motorways are within 10 miles (16.1 km) of central Kenilworth.
The town's railway station, actually an attractive building in its heyday, was situated on the Coventry to Leamington line of the former London and North Western Railway
, later part of the LMS
, but the line closed to passengers in January 1965 as part of the Beeching rail cuts
. In May 1977 however it reopened, but Kenilworth station remained shut, falling into a derelict state before eventual demolition. Plans have now been put forward for the building of a new station
. In the meantime there is a regular bus service to Coventry and Leamington railway stations, and Warwick Parkway railway station
is less than 10 minutes' drive away on the A46
bypass (which was built in June 1974).
The town is currently undergoing a significant facelift as its central retail
shopping areas in and around Talisman Square are modernised. The new scheme boasts increased shop sizes, contemporary looks rivalling neighbouring cities and towns and a new Waitrose
supermarket
which opened in summer 2008, becoming the first Waitrose in Warwickshire. There are also plans to renovate the existing library buildings. The town's old youth centre was demolished in 2007 to make way for the new supermarket, and a new one was built.
Local debates continue about the expansion of Coventry Airport
and the need for a new railway station.
In the early 1980s, the town's name was briefly enhanced by one of the first generation of computer retailers, a company called Kenilworth Computers based near the Clock Tower, when it released a version of the Nascom
microcomputer with the selling point that it was robust enough to be used in an agricultural
environment.
Kenilworth RFC is the town rugby union club
. The club fields three senior sides and hosts a large minis
, juniors and colts section. The ground is located on Glasshouse Lane at the east of the town.
Kenilworth Tennis, Squash and Croquet Club, located at the north of the town on Crackley Lane, has nine tennis courts, five Squash
/Racketball courts and two Croquet
lawns.
There are two Cricket
clubs in Kenilworth. Kenilworth wardens play at Glasshouse lane and field four senior team and a juniors section starting from seven years old. Kenilworth Cricket Club field three senior teams and play at the Warwick road pitch to the south of the town.
The Abbey Field Swimming pool, found in Abbey Fields park in the middle of the town boasts a 25m x 10m indoor pool and outdoor pool (open from May to September).
The Castle Farm Leisure center
has a gym and two basket ball courts.
The 119-seat Priory Theatre on Rosemary Hill was refurbished in 1976 after a fire. Its alumni include the actor Dave Willetts.
and Kenilworth Castle
. Since then it has grown into an officially licensed run, and attracted 3000 entrants in 2010. The entry has been increased to 4000 places for 2011. It now takes the status of the Warwickshire Amateur Athletic 10 Kilometre Championship. The race is organised by the Rotary Club of Kenilworth, in conjunction with the Leamington Cycling and Athletic Club and takes place in June each year.
with the following places: Bourg-la-Reine
, Hauts-de-Seine
, France Eppstein
, Hesse
, Germany.
Kenilworth has friendship links with: Bo
, Sierra Leone
, through One World Link (OWL)
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
, England. In 2001
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
the town had a population of 22,582 (24,000 est.2006). It is situated 6 miles (10 km) south of Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
, 6 miles (10 km) north of Warwick
Warwick
Warwick is the county town of Warwickshire, England. The town lies upon the River Avon, south of Coventry and just west of Leamington Spa and Whitnash with which it is conjoined. As of the 2001 United Kingdom census, it had a population of 23,350...
and 90 miles (144.8 km) northwest of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Kenilworth is perhaps best known for Kenilworth Castle
Kenilworth Castle
Kenilworth Castle is located in the town of the same name in Warwickshire, England. Constructed from Norman through to Tudor times, the castle has been described by architectural historian Anthony Emery as "the finest surviving example of a semi-royal palace of the later middle ages, significant...
, although other significant local landmarks include Kenilworth Clock, Abbey Fields park and St Nicholas' Church
St Nicholas' Church, Kenilworth
St Nicholas' Church is situated a short distance south of High Street in the Warwickshire town of Kenilworth, England, and is a fine example of an English parish church in Perpendicular style with Tudor alterations, in the handsome red sandstone of the region...
.
History
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
– the book refers to Kenilworth as Chinewrde.
The priory at Kenilworth
St Mary's Abbey, Kenilworth
The remains of St Mary's Abbey, of Kenilworth, Warwickshire, England are situated in the grounds of St Nicholas' Church and in an adjacent area of Abbey Fields. Some of its ruins are above ground and some are below ground.-History:...
was constructed between 1123 and 1129 by Geoffrey de Clinton
Geoffrey de Clinton
Geoffrey de Clinton was an Anglo-Norman noble, chamberlain and treasurer to King Henry I of England. He was foremost amongst the men king Henry "raised from the dust". He married Lescelina.-Life:Clinton's family origins are a little obscure...
who also started the building of Kenilworth Castle
Kenilworth Castle
Kenilworth Castle is located in the town of the same name in Warwickshire, England. Constructed from Norman through to Tudor times, the castle has been described by architectural historian Anthony Emery as "the finest surviving example of a semi-royal palace of the later middle ages, significant...
at this time. After the Dissolution of the Monasteries
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
the abbey grounds, adjacent to the castle, were designated as common land
Common land
Common land is land owned collectively or by one person, but over which other people have certain traditional rights, such as to allow their livestock to graze upon it, to collect firewood, or to cut turf for fuel...
, in exchange for the common land used for expansion of the castle by Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester. Only a few walls and a storage barn of the original abbey now exist.
The first potato
Potato
The potato is a starchy, tuberous crop from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae family . The word potato may refer to the plant itself as well as the edible tuber. In the region of the Andes, there are some other closely related cultivated potato species...
grown in England, brought back from South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
by Sir Walter Raleigh
Walter Raleigh
Sir Walter Raleigh was an English aristocrat, writer, poet, soldier, courtier, spy, and explorer. He is also well known for popularising tobacco in England....
, was planted in the Little Virginia area of the town, near the castle.
Just off the Coventry Road in Kenilworth is a field known as 'The Parliament Piece'. It is traditionally said to be the site where Henry III
Henry III of England
Henry III was the son and successor of John as King of England, reigning for 56 years from 1216 until his death. His contemporaries knew him as Henry of Winchester. He was the first child king in England since the reign of Æthelred the Unready...
held a Parliament in August 1266, while his troops besiege
Siege
A siege is a military blockade of a city or fortress with the intent of conquering by attrition or assault. The term derives from sedere, Latin for "to sit". Generally speaking, siege warfare is a form of constant, low intensity conflict characterized by one party holding a strong, static...
d Kenilworth Castle, where the late Simon de Montfort
Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester
Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, 1st Earl of Chester , sometimes referred to as Simon V de Montfort to distinguish him from other Simon de Montforts, was an Anglo-Norman nobleman. He led the barons' rebellion against King Henry III of England during the Second Barons' War of 1263-4, and...
's followers, led by Henry de Hastings, were still holding out against the King's forces. This Parliament led to the Dictum of Kenilworth
Dictum of Kenilworth
The Dictum of Kenilworth, issued 31 October 1266, was a pronouncement designed to reconcile the rebels of the Barons' War with the royal government of England. After the baronial victory at the Battle of Lewes in 1264, Simon de Montfort took control of royal government, but at the Battle of Evesham...
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 at Kenilworth. Members of the public have free access to Parliament Piece, which is owned by the Open Spaces Society and leased by Warwick District Council
Warwick (district)
Warwick is a local government district of central Warwickshire in England. The current leader of the district council is Conservative Party member Michael Doody. The council is currently controlled by the Conservative group, who hold 23 of the 46 council seats...
.
Queen Elizabeth
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
visited Robert Dudley
Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester
Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester, KG was an English nobleman and the favourite and close friend of Elizabeth I from her first year on the throne until his death...
at Kenilworth Castle
Kenilworth Castle
Kenilworth Castle is located in the town of the same name in Warwickshire, England. Constructed from Norman through to Tudor times, the castle has been described by architectural historian Anthony Emery as "the finest surviving example of a semi-royal palace of the later middle ages, significant...
several times, the last of which was in 1575. Dudley entertained the Queen with pageants and banquets that cost some £1,000 per day, presenting diversions and pageants surpassing anything ever before seen in England.
The Council owns and manages land across the Coventry Road at Tainter's Hill. This area of public open space was designated "for the poor of the parish" under the 1756 enclosure acts and is now registered as common land. Around this time in 1778 the town's corn mill
The Water Tower, Kenilworth
The Water Tower is a building in Kenilworth, Warwickshire, England. In the mid 20th century it was nicknamed 'Kenilworth Lighthouse', though the name has now fallen out of usage. Made of brick, it is tall and was built by Joseph Lee and John Lamb a haberdasher from Warwick in the mid-18th century,...
was built later to become the towns water tower
Water tower
A water tower or elevated water tower is a large elevated drinking water storage container constructed to hold a water supply at a height sufficient to pressurize a water distribution system....
. It still stands today as a residential property, albeit minus the sails.
The arrival of the railways in 1844 brought industrialists from Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
and Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
who developed the residential area around the town's railway station. In the nineteenth century the town had some fine large mansion
Mansion
A mansion is a very large dwelling house. U.S. real estate brokers define a mansion as a dwelling of over . A traditional European mansion was defined as a house which contained a ballroom and tens of bedrooms...
s with landscaped gardens; these were demolished after the First World War and the Second World War for housing developments. The names of these mansions still survive in the names of some roads and areas of the town (for example, Towers Close, built upon the grounds of Rouncil Towers) and some large trees from their grounds still survive (for example sequoiadendrons from The Moorlands and Rouncil Towers). The original railway station (1844) was partially rebuilt as the Kings Arms and Castle public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
(later called Drummonds) when the new station was built in 1883. Drummonds was redeveloped during 2007 and now houses a restaurant chain. The building's hallmark pillars have been retained on its Warwick Road frontage. Sir Walter Scott
Walter Scott
Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet was a Scottish historical novelist, playwright, and poet, popular throughout much of the world during his time....
stayed in the Kings Arms and Castle Hotel on Warwick Road when he wrote Kenilworth
Kenilworth (novel)
Kenilworth. A Romance is a historical novel by Sir Walter Scott, first published on 8 January 1821.-Plot introduction:Kenilworth is apparently set in 1575, and centers on the secret marriage of Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester, and Amy Robsart, daughter of Sir Hugh Robsart...
.
The railways also boosted Kenilworth's market gardening
Market gardening
A market garden is the relatively small-scale production of fruits, vegetables and flowers as cash crops, frequently sold directly to consumers and restaurants. It is distinguishable from other types of farming by the diversity of crops grown on a small area of land, typically, from under one acre ...
. There were reputedly 40 nurseries growing market garden produce in Kenilworth and all have now been used for housing developments (the last nursery, Guests Nursery, was developed as 23 houses in 2002). The railway transported the produce to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
where Kenilworth tomato
Tomato
The word "tomato" may refer to the plant or the edible, typically red, fruit which it bears. Originating in South America, the tomato was spread around the world following the Spanish colonization of the Americas, and its many varieties are now widely grown, often in greenhouses in cooler...
es had a reputation for quality The Victorian period
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
saw a large expansion of the town to the West of Abbey Fields and in the land surrounding Warwick Road. Most of the buildings along Warwick Road date from this period and later although a few cottages still exist.
The former mansion on Forrest Road still stands, built around 1901. It is believed that a William Forrest bought the surrounding land, except that of the terrace to the north of Abbey End, and built the house, either for himself or for his family. The house was split into three separate residential lots in the 1970s, the main part of the house forming 'Hillcrest', the west wing of the house with the main grand staircase and gardens forming 'Max Gate', and the billiards room forming the bungalow 'South Brent'. The former landscaped gardens to the east and west of the property have been built on for residential purposes, but the south and north gardens still belong to the house. Some main features have been lost during the transition internally, but externally the house still keeps its grand bay windows, tiled walls, high chimney stacks and other features, which can be seen in the new flats, Mulberry Court on Abbey End. Warwick Road is now the main commercial centre of the town
Most of the older existing buildings of Kenilworth are on Castle Green, New Row, and the High Street (formerly Alta Strata, meaning the high dry ground above the Abbey). The High Street boasts many of the older buildings in Kenilworth, with long established shops. These include Fieldgate Post Office/General Store, which was recently one of the post offices saved from closure due to popular appeal and local support and is now under new ownership, a Loch Fyne Restaurant, the Old Bakery and Beck's Butchers. The age of these buildings make it appear that this is the original settlement, but in fact this is simply the oldest existing part of the town. The original settlement along the present day Warwick Road having been subject to continuous redevelopment since the 12th century and now retains little of the original town. Many of the houses around Castle Green are made of stone salvaged when the castle walls were torn down
Slighting
A slighting is the deliberate destruction, partial or complete, of a fortification without opposition. During the English Civil War this was to render it unusable as a fort.-Middle Ages:...
after the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
.
Modern Kenilworth
Modern Kenilworth is frequently regarded as a dormitory town for commuters to CoventryCoventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
, Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
and Leamington Spa
Leamington Spa
Royal Leamington Spa, commonly known as Leamington Spa or Leamington or Leam to locals, is a spa town in central Warwickshire, England. Formerly known as Leamington Priors, its expansion began following the popularisation of the medicinal qualities of its water by Dr Kerr in 1784, and by Dr Lambe...
. Despite its proximity to the University of Warwick
University of Warwick
The University of Warwick is a public research university located in Coventry, United Kingdom...
on Coventry's southern outskirts, it has only a small student population of mostly postgraduate students, although many staff at the university choose to live in Kenilworth.
The town has good transport links – the Birmingham International Airport
Birmingham International Airport (UK)
Birmingham Airport , formerly Birmingham International Airport is an airport located east southeast of Birmingham city centre, at Bickenhill in the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull within the West Midlands, England...
, and M6
M6 motorway
The M6 motorway runs from junction 19 of the M1 at the Catthorpe Interchange, near Rugby via Birmingham then heads north, passing Stoke-on-Trent, Manchester, Preston, Carlisle and terminating at the Gretna junction . Here, just short of the Scottish border it becomes the A74 which continues to...
, M42
M42 motorway
The M42 motorway is a major road in England. The motorway runs north east from Bromsgrove in Worcestershire to just south west of Ashby-de-la-Zouch in Leicestershire, passing Redditch, Solihull, the National Exhibition Centre and Tamworth on the way. The section between the M40 and M6 road forms...
and M40
M40 motorway
The M40 motorway is a motorway in the British transport network that forms a major part of the connection between London and Birmingham. Part of this road forms a section of the unsigned European route E05...
motorways are within 10 miles (16.1 km) of central Kenilworth.
The town's railway station, actually an attractive building in its heyday, was situated on the Coventry to Leamington line of the former London and North Western Railway
London and North Western Railway
The London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...
, later part of the LMS
London, Midland and Scottish Railway
The London Midland and Scottish Railway was a British railway company. It was formed on 1 January 1923 under the Railways Act of 1921, which required the grouping of over 120 separate railway companies into just four...
, but the line closed to passengers in January 1965 as part of the Beeching rail cuts
Beeching Axe
The Beeching Axe or the Beeching Cuts are informal names for the British Government's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system in the United Kingdom. The name is that of the main author of The Reshaping of British Railways, Dr Richard...
. In May 1977 however it reopened, but Kenilworth station remained shut, falling into a derelict state before eventual demolition. Plans have now been put forward for the building of a new station
Kenilworth railway station
Kenilworth railway station on the Coventry to Leamington line was a railway station in Kenilworth, Warwickshire, England, opened in 1844 and closed in 1965 under the Beeching Axe, when the line was closed to passengers. Passenger services over the line restarted in the 1980s but the station was not...
. In the meantime there is a regular bus service to Coventry and Leamington railway stations, and Warwick Parkway railway station
Warwick Parkway railway station
Warwick Parkway railway station is situated north of Warwick in Warwickshire, England. It is owned by Chiltern Railways, making it one of the few stations on the National Rail system not owned by Network Rail...
is less than 10 minutes' drive away on the A46
A46 road
The A46 is an A road in England. It starts east of Bath, Somerset and ends in Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire, but it does not form a continuous route. Large portions of the old road have been lost, bypassed, or replaced by motorway development...
bypass (which was built in June 1974).
The town is currently undergoing a significant facelift as its central retail
Retail
Retail consists of the sale of physical goods or merchandise from a fixed location, such as a department store, boutique or kiosk, or by mail, in small or individual lots for direct consumption by the purchaser. Retailing may include subordinated services, such as delivery. Purchasers may be...
shopping areas in and around Talisman Square are modernised. The new scheme boasts increased shop sizes, contemporary looks rivalling neighbouring cities and towns and a new Waitrose
Waitrose
Waitrose Limited is an upmarket chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom and is the food division of the British retailer and worker co-operative the John Lewis Partnership. Its head office is in Bracknell, Berkshire, England...
supermarket
Supermarket
A supermarket, a form of grocery store, is a self-service store offering a wide variety of food and household merchandise, organized into departments...
which opened in summer 2008, becoming the first Waitrose in Warwickshire. There are also plans to renovate the existing library buildings. The town's old youth centre was demolished in 2007 to make way for the new supermarket, and a new one was built.
Local debates continue about the expansion of Coventry Airport
Coventry Airport
Coventry Airport is located south southeast of Coventry city centre, in the village of Baginton, Warwickshire, England, and about outside Coventry boundaries...
and the need for a new railway station.
In the early 1980s, the town's name was briefly enhanced by one of the first generation of computer retailers, a company called Kenilworth Computers based near the Clock Tower, when it released a version of the Nascom
Nascom
The Nascom 1 and 2 were single-board computer kits issued in 1977 and 1979, respectively, based on the Zilog Z80 and including a keyboard and video interface, a serial port that could be used to store data on a tape cassette using the Kansas City standard, and two 8-bit parallel ports...
microcomputer with the selling point that it was robust enough to be used in an agricultural
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
environment.
Sports
Kenilworth Town FC, located on Gypsy Lane to the south of the town, played in the Midland Combination until June 2011. They resigned, due to preferring to spend money on ground improvements rather than field a team. However, they hope to be back in the Midland Combination for the 2012-13 season .Kenilworth RFC is the town rugby union club
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
. The club fields three senior sides and hosts a large minis
Mini rugby
Mini rugby also known as New Image Rugby is a form of rugby union designed to introduce the sport to children. It uses a smaller ball and pitch than standard rugby, and has nine players a side....
, juniors and colts section. The ground is located on Glasshouse Lane at the east of the town.
Kenilworth Tennis, Squash and Croquet Club, located at the north of the town on Crackley Lane, has nine tennis courts, five Squash
Squash (sport)
Squash is a high-speed racquet sport played by two players in a four-walled court with a small, hollow rubber ball...
/Racketball courts and two Croquet
Croquet
Croquet is a lawn game, played both as a recreational pastime and as a competitive sport. It involves hitting plastic or wooden balls with a mallet through hoops embedded into the grass playing court.-History:...
lawns.
There are two Cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
clubs in Kenilworth. Kenilworth wardens play at Glasshouse lane and field four senior team and a juniors section starting from seven years old. Kenilworth Cricket Club field three senior teams and play at the Warwick road pitch to the south of the town.
The Abbey Field Swimming pool, found in Abbey Fields park in the middle of the town boasts a 25m x 10m indoor pool and outdoor pool (open from May to September).
The Castle Farm Leisure center
Leisure centre
A leisure centre in the UK and Canada is a purpose built building or site, usually owned and operated by the city, borough council or municipal district council, where people go to keep fit or relax through using the facilities.- Typical Facilities :...
has a gym and two basket ball courts.
Theatre
The town is unusually well served with active theatres. The 156-seat Talisman Theatre in Barrow Road was set up as the Talisman Players in 1943. It moved to its current site in 1963 and has recently had a run of national recognition with the award of 5 NODA awards between 2000 and 2010. Several professional actors started their stage experiences there with David Warner possibly the best known.The 119-seat Priory Theatre on Rosemary Hill was refurbished in 1976 after a fire. Its alumni include the actor Dave Willetts.
Kenilworth Festival
In 2005, the town's first major festival, dubbed "Kenilworth Festival", last held 70 years ago, was revived. The first year was a big success, but attendance dropped off the following year and doubts were raised about the festival's longevity. As a result, no festival was held in 2007. The Rotary Club of Kenilworth then sponsored a revival of the festival, which returned in 2008, and has continued each year. In 2011, the festival lasts for a whole week including two weekends, 7 to 15 May.Two Castles Run
The Two Castles Run began in 1983 as a fun run between Warwick CastleWarwick Castle
Warwick Castle is a medieval castle in Warwick, the county town of Warwickshire, England. It sits on a bend on the River Avon. The castle was built by William the Conqueror in 1068 within or adjacent to the Anglo-Saxon burh of Warwick. It was used as a fortification until the early 17th century,...
and Kenilworth Castle
Kenilworth Castle
Kenilworth Castle is located in the town of the same name in Warwickshire, England. Constructed from Norman through to Tudor times, the castle has been described by architectural historian Anthony Emery as "the finest surviving example of a semi-royal palace of the later middle ages, significant...
. Since then it has grown into an officially licensed run, and attracted 3000 entrants in 2010. The entry has been increased to 4000 places for 2011. It now takes the status of the Warwickshire Amateur Athletic 10 Kilometre Championship. The race is organised by the Rotary Club of Kenilworth, in conjunction with the Leamington Cycling and Athletic Club and takes place in June each year.
Suburbs
St John's, Whitemoor, Windy Arbour, Ladyes Hill, Crackley, Castle End, Burton Green, Abbey End, Knights MeadowTown twinning
Kenilworth participates in town twinningTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with the following places: Bourg-la-Reine
Bourg-la-Reine
Bourg-la-Reine is a commune in the southern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris. The inhabitants are called Réginaburgiens. The town is twinned with Kenilworth, UK.-History:...
, Hauts-de-Seine
Hauts-de-Seine
Hauts-de-Seine is designated number 92 of the 101 départements in France. It is part of the Île-de-France region, and covers the western inner suburbs of Paris...
, France Eppstein
Eppstein
Eppstein is a town in the Main-Taunus-Kreis, in Hesse, Germany.-Geographical situation:Eppstein lies west of Frankfurt am Main, around 12 km north east of the state capital Wiesbaden, and is at the edge of the Taunus mountains....
, Hesse
Hesse
Hesse or Hessia is both a cultural region of Germany and the name of an individual German state.* The cultural region of Hesse includes both the State of Hesse and the area known as Rhenish Hesse in the neighbouring Rhineland-Palatinate state...
, Germany.
Kenilworth has friendship links with: Bo
Bo, Sierra Leone
Bo is the second largest city in Sierra Leone and the largest city in the Southern Province. It lies about 164 miles south-east of Freetown and had a population 149,957 in the 2004 census, with a current estimate is 231,494 . The city serve as the capital and administrative center of Bo District...
, Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
, through One World Link (OWL)
External links
- Kenilworth Weekly News - Local newspaper
- Kenilworth School and Sports College, Castle Sixth Form Centre - Local Secondary School Website
- Kenilworth Scouts - Local Scouts Website
- Kenilworth Town - Official Kenilworth Town Centre Website
- Chamber of Trade - Kenilworth Chamber of Trade
- Photos of Kenilworth and surrounding area on geograph