Leamington Spa
Encyclopedia
Royal Leamington Spa, commonly known as Leamington Spa or Leamington or Leam ˈ 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 around 1797. During the 19th century, the town experienced one of the most rapid expansions in England.
Six electoral wards make up the urban town of Leamington Spa; Brunswick, Milverton, Manor, Crown, Clarendon and Willes. The estimated total population for those wards in 2008 was 39,940.
It is named after the River Leam
which flows through the town.
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.
Its name came from Anglo-Saxon
Leman-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. Following a survey of the area by John Tomlinson in 1768, the land was estimated to be 990 acres (4 km²) and was subsequently divided, and new public roads were laid out. 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. 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.
In 1814, the Royal Pump Rooms and Baths
were opened close to the River Leam. This grand structure attracted many visitors, expecting cures by bathing in pools of salty spa water. It also included the world's first gravity fed piped hot water system in modern times, which was designed and installed by the engineer William Murdoch
. Leamington became a popular spa resort
attracting the wealthy and famous, and construction began of numerous Georgian townhouses to accommodate visitors, and a town hall was built in 1830.
With the spread of the town's popularity, Leamington was granted a "Royal" prefix in 1838 by Queen Victoria
, who visited the town as a Princess in 1830 and as Queen in 1858. A statue of the queen was almost destroyed by a German bomb during World War II
, and was moved one inch on its plinth by the blast. The statue was not returned to its original position, and the incident is recorded on a plaque on its plinth.
The function of the Royal Pump Rooms changed several times over the following years. While retaining its assembly rooms and medical facilities, around 1863 it was extended to include a turkish bath and swimming pool, in 1875 the Royal Pump Room Gardens
were opened to the public, and in 1890 a further swimming pool was added. The economy of Leamington decreased towards the end of the 19th century following the decline in popularity of spa towns, and it became a popular place of residence for retired people and for members of the middle-class who relocated from Coventry
and Birmingham
, and wealthy residents led to the development of Leamington as a popular place for shopping. In 1997, the owners of the building, the district council, closed the facility for redevelopment, reopening it in 1999 as a culture centre. It now contains Leamington Spa Art Gallery & Museum, a library, a tourist information centre, refurbished assembly rooms and a cafe. Spa water can still be sampled outside the building.
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.
, an administrative division of the county of Warwickshire
. Since 2002 the parish has been represented at the lowest tier of local government by its Town Council
. Between 1875 and 1974 Leamington was a municipal borough
. As part of the 1974 local government reform
it was merged with Warwick
, Kenilworth
and Whitnash
, and surrounding rural areas into the Warwick District
, which has its offices in Leamington. Leamington is part of the parliamentary constituency of Warwick and Leamington. From the 1997 general election
until the 2010 general election the constituency was represented in parliament by James Plaskitt
(Labour)
. It had previously been a Conservative
safe seat
, including as its MP
, Anthony Eden
a former British prime minister
. At the 2005 general election
, James Plaskitt had a majority of just 266 votes, making it a marginal seat
. In the 2010 general election the seat returned to the Conservative party, with Chris White
winning the seat by 3,513 votes.
Leamington is divided by the River Leam
running east to west, which is susceptible to flooding, with especially heavy floods in 1998 and 2007.
The town has several parks and gardens, including the Jephson Gardens
, close to the Royal Pump Rooms
and next to the River Leam. These were seriously damaged in the floods of 1998, but have been restored and improved with funding from the National Lottery
. The other side of the River Leam, on Priory Terrace features a 19th-century slipway down to the river located near the suspension bridge in Jephson Gardens. It was specifically constructed so that circus elephants in winter quarters in Leamington could be watered. Other parks are the Mill Gardens on the opposite bank of the river to Jephson Gardens, Victoria Park
, the Royal Pump Room Gardens, Newbold Comyn
, The Dell
and Welsh’s Meadow, a nature reserve.
The road running through the town centre is the Parade (formerly Lillington Lane until 1860). The shopping street contains high street chains and a covered shopping centre.
Buildings in the town include a variety of Georgian
and early Victorian architecture
, and listed buildings such as the Grade II listed Lansdowne Crescent in neo-classical
style, designed by William Thomas
between 1835 and 1838.
In addition to the Anglican churches in Leamington proper, Milverton and Lillington
, there is a Catholic church, a United Reformed church. There is a small mosque and a mandir (Hindu
temple), neither of which are very obvious to the visitor. However, the strong Sikh
community in the town has recently constructed a gurdwara
, with a white dome, which can easily be seen if the town is approached from the M40 motorway.
An oak tree just to the northeast of the town centre is marked by a plaque stating that it commemorates the Midland Oak
, a tree that grew near the spot and was reputed to be at the centre of England.
. Other suburbs include New Milverton, Campion Hills and Sydenham to the southeast.
lies adjoined directly to the west of Leamington, on the opposite bank of the river Avon. Whitnash
is a small residential town contiguous with Leamington directly to the south. Cubbington
is adjoined to the northeast. Whitnash has forged a separate identity in recent years after long being considered a suburban district of Leamington.
Just outside the town lie the villages of Old Milverton
to the north and Radford Semele
2.5 miles (4 km) to the east.
which covers most of the United Kingdom.
Leamington's primary industry in the 19th century.
) officially opened in 1799 as the primary means of cargo transport and led to growth in other industries until rail gradually took over in the mid 19th century,
The canal supplied coal to the gasworks on Tachbrook Road, providing gas to light the town from 1835. Pig iron
, coke
and limestone
were delivered by canal, allowing a number of foundries to be established in Leamington, specialising in cast iron stoves. Today the Eagle Foundry, dating from at least 1851, continues to manufacture Rangemaster stoves. The Imperial Foundry, dating from around 1925, was subsequently taken over by Ford
, casting engine blocks until its closure in 2008. The prominent car parts manufacturer Automotive Products
based in the south of the town grew from a small garage to occupy a large site. Throughout the 20th century, while tourism took a downturn, Automotive Products expanded and built a factory in the South of the town in 1928 that is still operative in 2009, although on a much smaller scale.
Commercial parks for service providers and light industry and offices are primarily located to the south of the town: Althorp Street Industrial Estate, Queensway Trading Estate, Shiresgate Trading Estate and Sydenham Industrial Estate.
, FreeStyle Games
, Supersonic Software, Playground games, Big Big Studios, Stick Man Studios, DNA Studios, Fish in a Bottle
, RedChain Games and Kwalee. Codemasters
are based in the countryside outside Leamington and were the initial impetus behind the cluster and provided many of the staff for the companies in Leamington.
s of North Leamington School, Campion School, Trinity Catholic School, and the independent schools of Arnold Lodge School
, a co educational school pupils aged 3 to 16, and Kingsley School
, a school for girls. Myton School
in Warwick, although located just outside of Leamington, includes parts of Leamington as being within its priority area
.
Leamington is the location of the first of Warwickshire College
's five campuses. The closest higher education institution is the University of Warwick
, in southwestern Coventry
.
which links it to Birmingham
and London. It is also served by the A46
, which links it to Coventry
and Stratford-upon-Avon
.
is served by the Chiltern Main Line
, which links London (Marylebone
) to Birmingham
(Snow Hill
). Fast train services on this route are operated by Chiltern Railways
. London Midland
operate local services to Birmingham
and onwards to Worcester
. A line connecting Leamington Spa to Coventry
used by CrossCountry
provides services to Reading
, Oxford
and Bournemouth
to the south, and to Coventry
, Birmingham
(New Street
), Manchester
, Newcastle
and Edinburgh
to the north.
services to Kenilworth
, the University of Warwick
and Coventry
are operated by Stagecoach in Warwickshire
and National Express Coventry
. Services to Warwick
, Banbury
, Stratford Upon Avon and Rugby
are operated by Stagecoach in Warwickshire and by other independent companies.
airport and former tourist charter hub, is the nearby Coventry airport
from which currently (2011) no scheduled passenger services are in operation.
situation comedy Keeping Up Appearances
– filmed in and around the area. Notable episodes included one with Walton Hall
which had footage of the actual town in them, including the River Leam being featured as a fishing and boating spot. Other series include the drama Dangerfield
, BBC's comedy children's show on CBBC ChuckleVision
, Broke starring Timothy Spall, and comedy detective series Mayo
. In September 2010 scenes for a re-make of the series Upstairs, Downstairs
were shot on Clarendon Square and in The Jephson Gardens
.
, the Peace Festival - celebration of alternative culture - since 1978, at the Pump Room Gardens.
The performers at the festival in 2009 included 3 Daft Monkeys
, Attila the Stockbroker
, the Swanvesta Social Club
, and Rory McLeod.
from Leamington, reached Number 1 in the UK Singles Chart
with The JCB Song. The Woodbine Street Recording Studios
has been used by several well-known music acts such as Paul Weller, Ocean Colour Scene
and The Specials
. Classical music concerts are organised throughout the year in the Leamington and Warwick area, including the International String Quartet series at the Royal Pump Rooms. The Assembly, is a 1,000 capacity music venue attracting national and international artists, and was awarded 'Live Music Venue of the Year' at the 2010 Music Week Awards. and the Leamington Spa Competitive Festival for Music Dance and Drama has been staged annually since 1910.
and The Loft
, with outdoor productions throughout the summer in the Jephson Gardens. Leamington also has two cinemas: the Spa Centre
cinema and the multiplex Apollo Cinema
.
court the football club Leamington F.C.
, a disc golf course Quarry Park, a leisure centre including swimming pool Newbold Comyn Leisure Centre, rugby grounds Leamington Rugby Union Football Club, Leamington Rugby Club – Youth Section and Old Leamingtonians Rugby Football Club, Leamington Cricket and Hockey Club, municipal tennis courts, and an Ultimate Frisbee Team the Leamington Lemmings.
with:
Leamington has friendship agreements with:
Spa town
A spa town is a town situated around a mineral spa . Patrons resorted to spas to "take the waters" for their purported health benefits. The word comes from the Belgian town Spa. In continental Europe a spa was known as a ville d'eau...
in central Warwickshire
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. 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 around 1797. During the 19th century, the town experienced one of the most rapid expansions in England.
Six electoral wards make up the urban town of Leamington Spa; Brunswick, Milverton, Manor, Crown, Clarendon and Willes. The estimated total population for those wards in 2008 was 39,940.
It is named after the River Leam
River Leam
The River Leam is a river which flows through eastern and southern Warwickshire. It is a small river about 25–30 miles long. The town of Leamington Spa lies on, and is named after, the River Leam....
which flows through the town.
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...
of 1086 as Lamintone. For 400 years, the settlement was under the control of Kenilworth
Kenilworth
Kenilworth is a town in central Warwickshire, England. In 2001 the town had a population of 22,582 . It is situated south of Coventry, north of Warwick and northwest of London....
Priory
Priory
A priory is a house of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. Priories may be houses of mendicant friars or religious sisters , or monasteries of monks or nuns .The Benedictines and their offshoots , the Premonstratensians, and the...
, from which the older suffix derived.
Its name came from Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon may refer to:* Anglo-Saxons, a group that invaded Britain** Old English, their language** Anglo-Saxon England, their history, one of various ships* White Anglo-Saxon Protestant, an ethnicity* Anglo-Saxon economy, modern macroeconomic term...
Leman-tūn or Lemen-tūn = "farm on the River Leam
River Leam
The River Leam is a river which flows through eastern and southern Warwickshire. It is a small river about 25–30 miles long. The town of Leamington Spa lies on, and is named after, the River Leam....
".
The healing properties of the spa
Thermal bath
A thermal bath is a warm body of water. It is often referred to as a spa, which is traditionally used to mean a place where the water is believed to have special health-giving properties, though note that many spas offer cold water or mineral water treatments.A thermal bath may be part of a...
waters had been known in Roman
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
times and their rediscovery in 1784 by William Abbotts
William Abbotts
William Abbotts was one of the founding fathers of Leamington Spa in Warwickshire, UK.Although already an important landowner in the then village it was on 14 January 1784 that Abbotts made the discovery that he would be remembered for...
and Benjamin Satchwell
Benjamin Satchwell
Benjamin Satchwell was one of the founding fathers of Leamington Spa in Warwickshire, England. Satchwell's cottage was in the old town to the south of the River Leam. He was the village's first postmaster, using his cottage as the post office, a shoemaker, and acted as an official mediator between...
, 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. Following a survey of the area by John Tomlinson in 1768, the land was estimated to be 990 acres (4 km²) and was subsequently divided, and new public roads were laid out. 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. 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.
In 1814, the Royal Pump Rooms and Baths
Royal Pump Rooms
The Royal Pump Rooms is a building in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England. It was the most famous of several spa baths opened in Leamington between the late-18th and mid-19th centuries. People would travel from throughout the country, and indeed Europe, to benefit from treatments using the...
were opened close to the River Leam. This grand structure attracted many visitors, expecting cures by bathing in pools of salty spa water. It also included the world's first gravity fed piped hot water system in modern times, which was designed and installed by the engineer William Murdoch
William Murdoch
William Murdoch was a Scottish engineer and long-term inventor.Murdoch was employed by the firm of Boulton and Watt and worked for them in Cornwall, as a steam engine erector for ten years, spending most of the rest of his life in Birmingham, England.He was the inventor of the oscillating steam...
. Leamington became a popular spa resort
Destination spa
A destination spa is a short term residential/lodging facility with the primary purpose of providing individual services for spa-goers to develop healthy habits. Historically many such spas were developed at the location of natural hot springs or sources of mineral waters...
attracting the wealthy and famous, and construction began of numerous Georgian townhouses to accommodate visitors, and a town hall was built in 1830.
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
, who visited the town as a Princess in 1830 and as Queen in 1858. A statue of the queen was almost destroyed by a German bomb during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and was moved one inch on its plinth by the blast. The statue was not returned to its original position, and the incident is recorded on a plaque on its plinth.
The function of the Royal Pump Rooms changed several times over the following years. While retaining its assembly rooms and medical facilities, around 1863 it was extended to include a turkish bath and swimming pool, in 1875 the Royal Pump Room Gardens
Royal Pump Room Gardens
The Royal Pump Room Gardens is a popular open space found in the centre of Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England, next to the Royal Pump Rooms and just north of the River Leam...
were opened to the public, and in 1890 a further swimming pool was added. The economy of Leamington decreased towards the end of the 19th century following the decline in popularity of spa towns, and it became a popular place of residence for retired people and for members of the middle-class who relocated from 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...
and 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 wealthy residents led to the development of Leamington as a popular place for shopping. In 1997, the owners of the building, the district council, closed the facility for redevelopment, reopening it in 1999 as a culture centre. It now contains Leamington Spa Art Gallery & Museum, a library, a tourist information centre, refurbished assembly rooms and a cafe. Spa water can still be sampled outside the building.
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.
Governance
Leamington Spa is a town and civil parish in the Warwick District CouncilWarwick (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...
, an administrative division of the county of Warwickshire
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...
. Since 2002 the parish has been represented at the lowest tier of local government by its Town Council
Town council
A town council is a democratically elected form of government for small municipalities or civil parishes. A council may serve as both the representative and executive branch....
. Between 1875 and 1974 Leamington was a municipal borough
Municipal borough
Municipal boroughs were a type of local government district which existed in England and Wales between 1835 and 1974, in Northern Ireland from 1840 to 1973 and in the Republic of Ireland from 1840 to 2002...
. As part of the 1974 local government reform
Local Government Act 1972
The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974....
it was merged with 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...
, Kenilworth
Kenilworth
Kenilworth is a town in central Warwickshire, England. In 2001 the town had a population of 22,582 . It is situated south of Coventry, north of Warwick and northwest of London....
and Whitnash
Whitnash
Whitnash is a small town contiguous with both Royal Leamington Spa and Warwick in Warwickshire, England. In 2001, it had a population of 7,798.-History:...
, and surrounding rural areas into the Warwick District
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...
, which has its offices in Leamington. Leamington is part of the parliamentary constituency of Warwick and Leamington. From the 1997 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1997
The United Kingdom general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992, to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party ended its 18 years in opposition under the leadership of Tony Blair, and won the general...
until the 2010 general election the constituency was represented in parliament by James Plaskitt
James Plaskitt
James Andrew Plaskitt is a British Labour Party politician who was the Member of Parliament for Warwick and Leamington from 1997 until his defeat at the 2010 general election.-Early life:...
(Labour)
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
. It had previously been a Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
safe seat
Safe seat
A safe seat is a seat in a legislative body which is regarded as fully secured, either by a certain political party, the incumbent representative personally or a combination of both...
, including as its MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
, Anthony Eden
Anthony Eden
Robert Anthony Eden, 1st Earl of Avon, KG, MC, PC was a British Conservative politician, who was Prime Minister from 1955 to 1957...
a former British prime minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
. At the 2005 general election
United Kingdom general election, 2005
The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....
, James Plaskitt had a majority of just 266 votes, making it a marginal seat
Marginal seat
A marginal seat, or swing seat, is a constituency held with a particularly small majority in a legislative election, generally conducted under a single-winner voting system. In Canada they may be known as target ridings. The opposite is a safe seat....
. In the 2010 general election the seat returned to the Conservative party, with Chris White
Chris White (politician)
Christopher White is a British Conservative Party politician and the Member of Parliament for Warwick and Leamington, having won the seat at the 2010 general election.-Education:...
winning the seat by 3,513 votes.
Geography
River Leam
The River Leam is a river which flows through eastern and southern Warwickshire. It is a small river about 25–30 miles long. The town of Leamington Spa lies on, and is named after, the River Leam....
running east to west, which is susceptible to flooding, with especially heavy floods in 1998 and 2007.
The town has several parks and gardens, including the Jephson Gardens
The Jephson Gardens
The Jephson Gardens are formal gardens, together with a grassed park, in the town of Leamington Spa, Warwickshire. The gardens, once a place for the wealthy to 'take the air' and 'be seen', are found in the centre of the town with the River Leam flowing to the south of them. One of the town's most...
, close to the Royal Pump Rooms
Royal Pump Rooms
The Royal Pump Rooms is a building in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England. It was the most famous of several spa baths opened in Leamington between the late-18th and mid-19th centuries. People would travel from throughout the country, and indeed Europe, to benefit from treatments using the...
and next to the River Leam. These were seriously damaged in the floods of 1998, but have been restored and improved with funding from the National Lottery
National Lottery (United Kingdom)
The National Lottery is the state-franchised national lottery in the United Kingdom and the Isle of Man.It is operated by Camelot Group, to whom the licence was granted in 1994, 2001 and again in 2007. The lottery is regulated by the National Lottery Commission, and was established by the then...
. The other side of the River Leam, on Priory Terrace features a 19th-century slipway down to the river located near the suspension bridge in Jephson Gardens. It was specifically constructed so that circus elephants in winter quarters in Leamington could be watered. Other parks are the Mill Gardens on the opposite bank of the river to Jephson Gardens, Victoria Park
Victoria Park, Leamington Spa
Victoria Park is a public park in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England. It is situated about half a mile west of the town centre and is on the south bank of the River Leam. The total area of the park as it stands today is .- History :...
, the Royal Pump Room Gardens, Newbold Comyn
Newbold Comyn
Newbold Comyn is a park that is found on the eastern edge of Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England. It is described by some people as a country park in all but name.- History :...
, The Dell
The Dell, Leamington Spa
The Dell is a small park in the Milverton area of Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England. Although it is not well known nationally or regionally , it is a well used and popular park amongst Leamingtonians themselves...
and Welsh’s Meadow, a nature reserve.
The road running through the town centre is the Parade (formerly Lillington Lane until 1860). The shopping street contains high street chains and a covered shopping centre.
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
and early Victorian architecture
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
, and listed buildings such as the Grade II listed Lansdowne Crescent in neo-classical
Neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
style, designed by William Thomas
William Thomas (architect)
William Thomas was an Anglo-Canadian architect.Thomas was apprenticed under Charles Barry and A.W. Pugin as a carpenter-joiner. His younger brother was the sculptor John Thomas .Thomas began his own practice at Leamington Spa in 1831 but in 1837 went bankrupt...
between 1835 and 1838.
In addition to the Anglican churches in Leamington proper, Milverton and Lillington
Lillington
Lillington may refer to:Places:* Lillington, Dorset, a hamlet in north west Dorset, England* Lillington, Warwickshire, a part of Leamington Spa in Warwickshire, England* Lillington, North Carolina, a town in North Carolina in the United States...
, there is a Catholic church, a United Reformed church. There is a small mosque and a mandir (Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
temple), neither of which are very obvious to the visitor. However, the strong Sikh
Sikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
community in the town has recently constructed a gurdwara
Gurdwara
A Gurdwara , meaning the Gateway to the Guru, is the place of worship for Sikhs, the followers of Sikhism. A Gurdwara can be identified from a distance by tall flagpoles bearing the Nishan Sahib ....
, with a white dome, which can easily be seen if the town is approached from the M40 motorway.
An oak tree just to the northeast of the town centre is marked by a plaque stating that it commemorates the Midland Oak
Midland Oak
The Midland Oak was an oak tree that grew near the boundary between Lillington and Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, at the junction of Lillington Road and Lillington Avenue....
, a tree that grew near the spot and was reputed to be at the centre of England.
Suburbs
The town has enveloped the older village of LillingtonLillington, Warwickshire
Lillington is an area of the town of Leamington Spa in Warwickshire, England. Lillington was formerly a village which existed before the time of the Domesday Book , until it was subsumed into Leamington Spa, the parish being incorporated into that borough in 1890.-Geography:Lillington itself has...
. Other suburbs include New Milverton, Campion Hills and Sydenham to the southeast.
Nearby places
The ancient town of WarwickWarwick
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...
lies adjoined directly to the west of Leamington, on the opposite bank of the river Avon. Whitnash
Whitnash
Whitnash is a small town contiguous with both Royal Leamington Spa and Warwick in Warwickshire, England. In 2001, it had a population of 7,798.-History:...
is a small residential town contiguous with Leamington directly to the south. Cubbington
Cubbington
Cubbington is a village and civil parish with a population of 4,034 adjoining the north-eastern outskirts of Royal Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England. Welsh Road, running through the village crossroads, may have been an old sheep drovers' route connecting London and Wales...
is adjoined to the northeast. Whitnash has forged a separate identity in recent years after long being considered a suburban district of Leamington.
Just outside the town lie the villages of Old Milverton
Old Milverton
Old Milverton is a hamlet in Warwickshire situated in a bend of the River Avon just north of Leamington Spa. It lies at an altitude of 60-65 metres above sea level. The Anglican parish church of St. James includes a stained-glass window honouring Henry Jephson, who promoted the therapeutic benefits...
to the north and Radford Semele
Radford Semele
Radford Semele is a village and civil parish in Warwickshire, England, close to the town of Leamington Spa. According to the 2001 UK census, Radford Semele parish had a population of 2,034. It lies to the east of Leamington, on the A425 road between Leamington and Southam. It has a 16th century pub...
2.5 miles (4 km) to the east.
Compass
Climate
Leamington Spa experiences the oceanic climateOceanic climate
An oceanic climate, also called marine west coast climate, maritime climate, Cascadian climate and British climate for Köppen climate classification Cfb and subtropical highland for Köppen Cfb or Cwb, is a type of climate typically found along the west coasts at the middle latitudes of some of the...
which covers most of the United Kingdom.
Tourism
The popularity of the town's waters in the 19th century led to the town's initial growth, making tourismTourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
Leamington's primary industry in the 19th century.
Retail
Leamington Spa offers a variety of shops from some of the more common high street stores to the independent retailers. The Royal Priors is the only indoor shopping centre in the town centre and the Leamington Shopping Park is the town's main out of town shopping centre.Manufacturing
Tourism was initially driven by the spring waters. The arrival of the Warwick and Napton Canal (later amalgamated into the Grand Union CanalGrand Union Canal
The Grand Union Canal in England is part of the British canal system. Its main line connects London and Birmingham, stretching for 137 miles with 166 locks...
) officially opened in 1799 as the primary means of cargo transport and led to growth in other industries until rail gradually took over in the mid 19th century,
The canal supplied coal to the gasworks on Tachbrook Road, providing gas to light the town from 1835. Pig iron
Pig iron
Pig iron is the intermediate product of smelting iron ore with a high-carbon fuel such as coke, usually with limestone as a flux. Charcoal and anthracite have also been used as fuel...
, coke
Coke (fuel)
Coke is the solid carbonaceous material derived from destructive distillation of low-ash, low-sulfur bituminous coal. Cokes from coal are grey, hard, and porous. While coke can be formed naturally, the commonly used form is man-made.- History :...
and limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
were delivered by canal, allowing a number of foundries to be established in Leamington, specialising in cast iron stoves. Today the Eagle Foundry, dating from at least 1851, continues to manufacture Rangemaster stoves. The Imperial Foundry, dating from around 1925, was subsequently taken over by Ford
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
, casting engine blocks until its closure in 2008. The prominent car parts manufacturer Automotive Products
Automotive Products
Automotive Products, commonly abbreviated to AP, was an automotive industry components company set up in 1920 by Edward Boughton, Willie Emmott and Denis Brock, to import and sell American-made components to service the fleet of ex-military trucks left behind in Europe after World War I.In 1928,...
based in the south of the town grew from a small garage to occupy a large site. Throughout the 20th century, while tourism took a downturn, Automotive Products expanded and built a factory in the South of the town in 1928 that is still operative in 2009, although on a much smaller scale.
Commercial parks for service providers and light industry and offices are primarily located to the south of the town: Althorp Street Industrial Estate, Queensway Trading Estate, Shiresgate Trading Estate and Sydenham Industrial Estate.
Video game industry
Leamington is a significant centre for the game industry in the UK. Based in the town itself are Blitz GamesBlitz Games Studios
Blitz Games Studios is a video game developer located in Leamington Spa, United Kingdom. It was founded by the Oliver Twins, Andrew and Philip Oliver, in 1981. They completed their first game in 1984 and started developing titles for video game publisher Codemasters.The Codemasters publishing...
, FreeStyle Games
FreeStyleGames
FreeStyleGames Ltd. is a British video game development company with approximately 100 staff based in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire. The company was originally formed by Ex-Codemasters and Ex-Rare staff in late 2002, and has developed over the last 5 years into a well-respected development...
, Supersonic Software, Playground games, Big Big Studios, Stick Man Studios, DNA Studios, Fish in a Bottle
Fish in a bottle
Fish in a Bottle Limited is a creative digital agency based in Leamington Spa, United Kingdom specialising in browser game development , website development and social network design and development...
, RedChain Games and Kwalee. Codemasters
Codemasters
The Codemasters Software Company Limited, or Codemasters is a British video game developer founded by Richard and David Darling in 1986...
are based in the countryside outside Leamington and were the initial impetus behind the cluster and provided many of the staff for the companies in Leamington.
Education
There are a number of schools either located within Leamington, or which include Leamington in their priority (catchment) area. Those within Leamington include the state secondary schoolSecondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
s of North Leamington School, Campion School, Trinity Catholic School, and the independent schools of Arnold Lodge School
Arnold Lodge School
Arnold Lodge School is a co-educational independent school in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England, founded in 1864.The school has approximately 280 day pupils, ranging from kindergarten, aged three, to GCSE pupils aged sixteen...
, a co educational school pupils aged 3 to 16, and Kingsley School
Kingsley School
The Kingsley School is situated in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England, just to the north of the town centre. Kingsley is an independent girls' day school taking girls from 3 to 18; the Junior School also takes boys up to the age of seven....
, a school for girls. Myton School
Myton School
Myton School is a secondary school located on Myton Road in the town of Warwick in Warwickshire, England. The history of the school in its current form dates from 1968. the school has 1,626 pupils.-History:...
in Warwick, although located just outside of Leamington, includes parts of Leamington as being within its priority area
Catchment area (human geography)
In human geography, a catchment area is the area and population from which a city or individual service attracts visitors or customers. For example, a school catchment area is the geographic area from which students are eligible to attend a local school...
.
Leamington is the location of the first of Warwickshire College
Warwickshire College
Warwickshire College is a large further and higher education college in England. It provides National Curriculum courses and vocational education in a broad range of subjects to students aged 16 and over...
's five campuses. The closest higher education institution is the University of Warwick
University of Warwick
The University of Warwick is a public research university located in Coventry, United Kingdom...
, in southwestern 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...
.
Road
From Leamington's centre it is 3 miles (5 km) to the M40 motorwayM40 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...
which links it to 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 London. It is also served by 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...
, which links it to 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...
and Stratford-upon-Avon
Stratford-upon-Avon
Stratford-upon-Avon is a market town and civil parish in south Warwickshire, England. It lies on the River Avon, south east of Birmingham and south west of Warwick. It is the largest and most populous town of the District of Stratford-on-Avon, which uses the term "on" to indicate that it covers...
.
Rail
Leamington Spa railway stationLeamington Spa railway station
Leamington Spa railway station serves the town of Leamington Spa, in Warwickshire, England. It is situated on Old Warwick Road towards the southern edge of the town centre.-History:...
is served by the Chiltern Main Line
Chiltern Main Line
The Chiltern Main Line is an inter-urban, regional and commuter railway, part of the British railway system. It links London and Birmingham on a 112-mile route via the towns of High Wycombe, Banbury, and Leamington Spa...
, which links London (Marylebone
Marylebone station
Marylebone station , also known as London Marylebone, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex. It stands midway between the mainline stations at Euston and Paddington, about 1 mile from each...
) to 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...
(Snow Hill
Birmingham Snow Hill station
Birmingham Snow Hill is a railway station and tram stop in the centre of Birmingham, England, on the site of an earlier, much larger station built by the former Great Western Railway . It is the second most important railway station in the city, after Birmingham New Street station...
). Fast train services on this route are operated by Chiltern Railways
Chiltern Railways
Chiltern Railways is a British train operating company. It was set up at the privatisation of British Rail in 1996, and operates local passenger trains from Marylebone station in London to Aylesbury and main-line trains on the Chiltern Main Line to Birmingham Snow Hill with its associated branches...
. London Midland
London Midland
London Midland is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. Legally named London and Birmingham Railway Ltd, it is a subsidiary of Govia, and has operated the West Midlands franchise since 11 November 2007....
operate local services to 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 onwards to Worcester
Worcester
The City of Worcester, commonly known as Worcester, , is a city and county town of Worcestershire in the West Midlands of England. Worcester is situated some southwest of Birmingham and north of Gloucester, and has an approximate population of 94,000 people. The River Severn runs through the...
. A line connecting Leamington Spa to 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...
used by CrossCountry
CrossCountry
CrossCountry is the brand name of XC Trains Ltd., a British train operating company owned by Arriva...
provides services to Reading
Reading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
, Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
and Bournemouth
Bournemouth
Bournemouth is a large coastal resort town in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. According to the 2001 Census the town has a population of 163,444, making it the largest settlement in Dorset. It is also the largest settlement between Southampton and Plymouth...
to the south, and to 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...
, 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...
(New Street
Birmingham New Street Station
Birmingham New Street is the main railway station serving Birmingham, England, located in the city centre. It is an important hub for the British railway system, being served by a number of important long-distance and cross-country lines, including the Birmingham loop of the West Coast Main Line,...
), Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, Newcastle
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
and Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
to the north.
Bus
Regular busBus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
services to Kenilworth
Kenilworth
Kenilworth is a town in central Warwickshire, England. In 2001 the town had a population of 22,582 . It is situated south of Coventry, north of Warwick and northwest of London....
, the University of Warwick
University of Warwick
The University of Warwick is a public research university located in Coventry, United Kingdom...
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...
are operated by Stagecoach in Warwickshire
Stagecoach in Warwickshire
Stagecoach in Warwickshire is the Stagecoach Group bus operator in and around the county of Warwickshire, England. While Stagecoach in Warwickshire is the brand image of the company, its legal name is Midland Red Ltd...
and National Express Coventry
National Express Coventry
National Express Coventry is the current trading name and brand name of West Midlands Travel Ltd , a company which operates bus services from its depot in the city of Coventry in the West Midlands region of England. All of West Midlands Travel Ltd other bus depots in the West Midlands operate...
. Services to 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...
, Banbury
Banbury
Banbury is a market town and civil parish on the River Cherwell in the Cherwell District of Oxfordshire. It is northwest of London, southeast of Birmingham, south of Coventry and north northwest of the county town of Oxford...
, Stratford Upon Avon and Rugby
Rugby, Warwickshire
Rugby is a market town in Warwickshire, England, located on the River Avon. The town has a population of 61,988 making it the second largest town in the county...
are operated by Stagecoach in Warwickshire and by other independent companies.
Air
Leamington's nearest international airport is Birmingham Airport. A general aviationGeneral aviation in the United Kingdom
General aviation in the United Kingdom has been defined as a civil aircraft operation other than a commercial air transport flight operating to a schedule. Although the International Civil Aviation Organization excludes any form of remunerated aviation from its definition, some commercial...
airport and former tourist charter hub, is the nearby 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...
from which currently (2011) no scheduled passenger services are in operation.
People
- John BetjemanJohn BetjemanSir John Betjeman, CBE was an English poet, writer and broadcaster who described himself in Who's Who as a "poet and hack".He was a founding member of the Victorian Society and a passionate defender of Victorian architecture...
's poem "Death in Leamington" portrays one view of Leamington's ambience in the 1920s - Annie ButlerAnnie ButlerAnnie Butler was an English supercentenarian, who, at the age of 112, was the second-oldest person in the United Kingdom until her death in 2009....
, supercentenarianSupercentenarianA supercentenarian is someone who has reached the age of 110 years. This age is achieved by about one in a thousand centenarians....
, who was Britain's second oldest person when she died in 2009 at the age of 112. - Chris ColemanChris Coleman (footballer)Christopher "Chris" Coleman is a Welsh football manager and former player. He is currently the manager of Greek Side Larissa....
, Association football manager lives in the town - Aleister CrowleyAleister CrowleyAleister Crowley , born Edward Alexander Crowley, and also known as both Frater Perdurabo and The Great Beast, was an influential English occultist, astrologer, mystic and ceremonial magician, responsible for founding the religious philosophy of Thelema. He was also successful in various other...
, occultist, poet and mountaineer was born in Leamington in 1875. - Charles DickensCharles DickensCharles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
set a scene in his novel Dombey and SonDombey and SonDombey and Son is a novel by the Victorian author Charles Dickens. It was first published in monthly parts between October 1846 and April 1848 with the full title Dealings with the Firm of Dombey and Son: Wholesale, Retail and for Exportation...
, and gave readings from his work there in 1855 and 1862. - Roberto Di MatteoRoberto Di MatteoRoberto Di Matteo is a Swiss-born Italian former professional footballer and the current assistant manager of Chelsea. As a midfielder, he enjoyed spells at Schaffhausen, Zürich Aarau, Lazio, and Chelsea. He was capped by Italy 34 times, scoring two goals for the Italian national team, and played...
, Association football manager lives in the town - Henry Twiselton EllistonHenry Twiselton EllistonHenry Twiselton Elliston , was an English musical composer and inventor.Elliston was born in or about 1801, the second son of Robert William Elliston, and resided during most of his life at Leamington, where his father had formerly leased the theatre...
, musician and inventor - Ben FosterBen Foster (footballer)Benjamin Anthony "Ben" Foster is an English professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for West Bromwich Albion, on loan from Birmingham City, and internationally for the England national team.-Stoke City:...
, West Bromwich Albion F.C goalkeeper - Sir Terry FrostTerry FrostSir Terry Frost RA was an English artist noted for his abstracts....
R.A. was born in the town in 1915. - Ethel R. HarradenEthel R. HarradenEthel Rosalie Harraden was an English pianist, composer and music critic. She was born in Islington, Middlesex, England, in 1857, the daughter of Samuel Harraden, a London/Calcutta agent, and studied at the Royal Academy of Music. After completing her studies, she worked as a pianist and composer...
Glover (1857–1917), English composer, lived and worked in Leamington Spa. She married Frank Glover, owner of the Leamington Spa Courier newspaper. - Nathaniel HawthorneNathaniel HawthorneNathaniel Hawthorne was an American novelist and short story writer.Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in 1804 in the city of Salem, Massachusetts to Nathaniel Hathorne and the former Elizabeth Clarke Manning. His ancestors include John Hathorne, a judge during the Salem Witch Trials...
lived in the town, in Lansdowne Circus. - Aman HayerAman HayerAmandeep Singh Hayer, better known as Aman Hayer, is a British Asian music artist and producer, born and based in the United Kingdom. The Bhangra producer, lyricist, director, musician and singer has worked on numerous albums since 2002...
, music producer, born in Leamington Spa and lives in Leamington Spa. - David Hobbs, former racing driver for McLaren Formula 1 team, and 24 Hours of Le Mans24 Hours of Le MansThe 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world's oldest sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since near the town of Le Mans, France. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency, race teams have to balance speed against the cars' ability to run for 24 hours without sustaining...
driver, was born in Leamington Spa. - Leonard HodgsonLeonard HodgsonLeonard Hodgson was an Anglican priest, philosopher, theologian, historian of the early Church and Regius Professor of Divinity at the University of Oxford from 1944 to 1958.-Early life :...
, theologian, lived in Leamington. - Christian HornerChristian HornerChristian Horner is the team manager of the Red Bull Racing Formula One team, a position he has held since 2005...
, team principal of Red Bull RacingRed Bull RacingRed Bull Racing is a Formula One racing team based in Milton Keynes, England which currently holds an Austrian licence. It is, along with Scuderia Toro Rosso, one of two teams owned by beverage company Red Bull GmbH. The team have won two Constructors' Championship titles, in and , becoming the...
Formula 1 team and former driver in F3000, born in Royal Leamington Spa. - Russell HowardRussell HowardRussell Joseph Howard is an English comedian best known for his TV show Russell Howard's Good News and his appearances on the topical panel TV show Mock The Week...
, comedian and performer lives in the town - Antonin Petrak MBE, a Czechoslovakian who served in the SOE on the plot to assassinate Reinhard Heydrich, lived in Leamington Spa after he escaped Nazi occupied Europe in 1940-41.
- Erwin SchrödingerErwin SchrödingerErwin Rudolf Josef Alexander Schrödinger was an Austrian physicist and theoretical biologist who was one of the fathers of quantum mechanics, and is famed for a number of important contributions to physics, especially the Schrödinger equation, for which he received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1933...
's maternal family was from Leamington Spa; the physicist visited his family there - Howard SkemptonHoward SkemptonHoward Skempton is a British composer and accordionist. Since the late 1960s, when he helped organize the Scratch Orchestra, he has been associated with the English school of experimental music...
, minimalist composer lives in Leamington. - Lytton StracheyLytton StracheyGiles Lytton Strachey was a British writer and critic. He is best known for establishing a new form of biography in which psychological insight and sympathy are combined with irreverence and wit...
, biographer, attended Leamington College for Boys in Binswood Avenue - Randolph Turpin, boxer, was born in Leamington. He defeated Sugar Ray RobinsonSugar Ray RobinsonSugar Ray Robinson was an African-American professional boxer. Frequently cited as the greatest boxer of all time, Robinson's performances in the welterweight and middleweight divisions prompted sportswriters to create "pound for pound" rankings, where they compared fighters regardless of weight...
to become world middleweight champion in 1951. - Frank WhittleFrank WhittleAir Commodore Sir Frank Whittle, OM, KBE, CB, FRS, Hon FRAeS was a British Royal Air Force engineer officer. He is credited with independently inventing the turbojet engine Air Commodore Sir Frank Whittle, OM, KBE, CB, FRS, Hon FRAeS (1 June 1907 – 9 August 1996) was a British Royal Air...
, inventor of the jet engineJet engineA jet engine is a reaction engine that discharges a fast moving jet to generate thrust by jet propulsion and in accordance with Newton's laws of motion. This broad definition of jet engines includes turbojets, turbofans, rockets, ramjets, pulse jets...
, attended Leamington College for Boys in Binswood Avenue - Sir Arthur Young, police chief and police reformer, was Chief Constable of Leamington Spa from 1938 to 1941.
- Malcolm SayerMalcolm SayerMalcolm Sayer was an aircraft and car designer. His most notable work being the iconic E-Type Jaguar. He spent the last twenty years of his life working at Jaguar Cars and was one of the first engineers to apply principles of aerodynamics to car design.-Background:Sayer was born in Cromer,...
, aircraft and car designer, designer of the E Type Jaguar lived in Leamington Spa. - Charles Louis Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon III and emperor of France lived here in exile between 1838 and 1839.
Television
Leamington has been featured in a number of television series, including the 1990s BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
situation comedy Keeping Up Appearances
Keeping Up Appearances
Keeping Up Appearances is a British sitcom created and written by Roy Clarke for the BBC. Centred on the life of eccentric, social-climbing snob Hyacinth Bucket , the sitcom portrays a social hierarchy-ruled British society...
– filmed in and around the area. Notable episodes included one with Walton Hall
Walton Hall, Warwickshire
Walton Hall is a 19th century country mansion at Walton, near Wellesbourne, Warwickshire, once owned by the late entertainer Danny La Rue, now in use as an hotel. It is a Grade II* listed building....
which had footage of the actual town in them, including the River Leam being featured as a fishing and boating spot. Other series include the drama Dangerfield
Dangerfield (TV series)
Dangerfield is a British drama series about a small town doctor / police surgeon, which ran for 6 series, between 1995 and 1999. Originally Nigel Le Vaillant played the central role , but this character later left the series, the focus switching to his replacement, played by Nigel Havers.The BBC...
, BBC's comedy children's show on CBBC ChuckleVision
ChuckleVision
ChuckleVision is a popular British television series shown mainly on CBBC. New episodes are always first aired on BBC One, and occasionally episodes are shown on BBC Two. The first episode was shown on 26 September 1987. It follows the adventures of the Chuckle Brothers & the Patton Brothers, who...
, Broke starring Timothy Spall, and comedy detective series Mayo
Mayo (TV series)
Mayo was a comedy detective drama television series made by the BBC and starring Alistair McGowan, Jessica Oyelowo, Huw Rhys and Loo Brealey. The series is based on a popular series of Gil Mayo mysteries books by Marjorie Eccles. It was filmed on location in and around Leamington Spa. The series...
. In September 2010 scenes for a re-make of the series Upstairs, Downstairs
Upstairs, Downstairs
Upstairs, Downstairs is a British drama television series originally produced by London Weekend Television and revived by the BBC. It ran on ITV in 68 episodes divided into five series from 1971 to 1975, and a sixth series shown on the BBC on three consecutive nights, 26–28 December 2010.Set in a...
were shot on Clarendon Square and in The Jephson Gardens
The Jephson Gardens
The Jephson Gardens are formal gardens, together with a grassed park, in the town of Leamington Spa, Warwickshire. The gardens, once a place for the wealthy to 'take the air' and 'be seen', are found in the centre of the town with the River Leam flowing to the south of them. One of the town's most...
.
Culture
A Leamington Spa Art Gallery and Museum, maintained by the Warwick District Council, and with free admission, is located in the Royal Pump Rooms, in Parade.Peace Festival
Leamington has held an annual free festivalFree festival
Free festivals are a combination of music, arts and cultural activities for which, often, no admission is charged, but involvement is preferred. They are identifiable by being multi-day events connected by a camping community without centralised control. The Free festival movement being the...
, the Peace Festival - celebration of alternative culture - since 1978, at the Pump Room Gardens.
The performers at the festival in 2009 included 3 Daft Monkeys
3 Daft Monkeys
3 Daft Monkeys are a world music-influenced acoustic band from Cornwall, UK, consisting of Tim Ashton, Athene Roberts, and Lukas Drinkwater...
, Attila the Stockbroker
Attila the Stockbroker
Attila the Stockbroker is a punk poet, and a folk punk musician and songwriter. He performs solo and as the leader of the band Barnstormer...
, the Swanvesta Social Club
The swanvesta social club
Swanvesta Social Club were founded in St Albans, and are a British Cuban-influenced group.-Career:They released a salsa version of "I Predict a Riot" in 2008, on their first CD release the mini album, Never Mind the Bongos, which featured a mixture of traditional Cuban songs, originals and Latin...
, and Rory McLeod.
Music
Live music is provided by local bands in a variety of venues. War Festival, an experimental music event, is held annually and was established in 2008. In December 2005 the band NizlopiNizlopi
Nizlopi were a two-piece band, from 1993–2010, with Luke Concannon on vocals, guitar, and bodhrán, and John Parker on double bass, human beatbox, and providing backing vocals. They were based in Leamington Spa, England. Prior to attending Trinity Catholic Technology College, Luke and John...
from Leamington, reached Number 1 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
with The JCB Song. The Woodbine Street Recording Studios
Woodbine Street Recording Studios
Woodbine Street Recording Studios is a recording studio located in the town of Leamington Spa, UK. There are two recording rooms, the first being the main 31 square metre one. The second is a 13.6 square metre 'live' room which is wood panelled, optimising it for the recording of drums...
has been used by several well-known music acts such as Paul Weller, Ocean Colour Scene
Ocean Colour Scene
Ocean Colour Scene are an English Britpop band formed in Moseley, Birmingham in 1989. They have had five Top 10 albums and six Top 10 singles to date.-Early days :...
and The Specials
The Specials
The Specials are an English 2 Tone ska revival band formed in 1977 in Coventry, England. Their music combines a "danceable ska and rocksteady beat with punk's energy and attitude", and had a "more focused and informed political and social stance" than other ska groups...
. Classical music concerts are organised throughout the year in the Leamington and Warwick area, including the International String Quartet series at the Royal Pump Rooms. The Assembly, is a 1,000 capacity music venue attracting national and international artists, and was awarded 'Live Music Venue of the Year' at the 2010 Music Week Awards. and the Leamington Spa Competitive Festival for Music Dance and Drama has been staged annually since 1910.
Theatre and cinema
Two theatres are located in Leamington: the Spa CentreRoyal Spa Centre
The Royal Spa Centre is a theatre in Leamington Spa, United Kingdom. The centre was officially opened on 15 June 1972 by Anthony Eden, one time MP for Leamington and Warwick and Prime Minister of the UK. It has two auditoria, the first of which is a traditional theatre which can hold 660 people...
and The Loft
Loft Theatre Company
The Loft Theatre Company is a troupe of actors based in Royal Leamington Spa, United Kingdom, founded in 1922. The company has a strong reputation nationally for the professional quality of productions.-History:...
, with outdoor productions throughout the summer in the Jephson Gardens. Leamington also has two cinemas: the Spa Centre
Royal Spa Centre
The Royal Spa Centre is a theatre in Leamington Spa, United Kingdom. The centre was officially opened on 15 June 1972 by Anthony Eden, one time MP for Leamington and Warwick and Prime Minister of the UK. It has two auditoria, the first of which is a traditional theatre which can hold 660 people...
cinema and the multiplex Apollo Cinema
Apollo Cinemas
Apollo Cinemas is a locally focused, independently owned multiplex cinema operator in the United Kingdom. Its stated mission is to welcome, engage and delight local audiences with a variety of onscreen entertainment and well designed, comfortable cinemas...
.
Sport and leisure
There are a number of sports clubs and leisure facilities in Leamington Spa, including a Real TennisReal tennis
Real tennis – one of several games sometimes called "the sport of kings" – is the original indoor racquet sport from which the modern game of lawn tennis , is descended...
court the football club Leamington F.C.
Leamington F.C.
Leamington Football Club is the main football club in Whitnash, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England, currently playing in the Southern Football League Premier Division....
, a disc golf course Quarry Park, a leisure centre including swimming pool Newbold Comyn Leisure Centre, rugby grounds Leamington Rugby Union Football Club, Leamington Rugby Club – Youth Section and Old Leamingtonians Rugby Football Club, Leamington Cricket and Hockey Club, municipal tennis courts, and an Ultimate Frisbee Team the Leamington Lemmings.
Twin towns
Leamington is twinnedTown 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:
- SceauxSceaux, Hauts-de-SeineSceaux is a commune in the southern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.-Wealth:Sceaux is famous for the Château of Sceaux, set in its large park , designed by André Le Nôtre, measuring...
, France (since 1969) - BrühlBrühl, North Rhine-WestphaliaBrühl is a town in the Rhineland of Germany. It is located in Rhein-Erft-Kreis, 20 km south of Cologne city center and at the edge of Naturpark Kottenforst-Ville Nature Reserve.-History:...
, Germany (since 1973) - HeemstedeHeemstedeHeemstede is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland.-History :Heemstede formed around the Castle Heemstede that was built on the Spaarne River around 1286. Before 1296, Floris V, Count of Holland, granted Heemstede as a fiefdom to Reinier of Holy...
, Netherlands (since 1987)
Leamington has friendship agreements with:
- LeamingtonLeamington, OntarioLeamington is a municipality in Essex County, southern Ontario, Canada, and has a population of 31,113. It includes Point Pelee, the southernmost point of mainland Canada. It has a large H. J. Heinz Company factory and is known as the "Tomato Capital of Canada", with 4 km² of this crop in the...
, Ontario, Canada - BoBo, Sierra LeoneBo 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 LeoneSierra LeoneSierra 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...
Further reading
- Storrie, Janet (1990) Elephants in Royal Leamington Spa Weir Books ISBN 0-9514433-1-3, ISBN 978-0-9514433-1-6