Radford Semele
Encyclopedia
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 with a priest hole
. The local school is the Radford Semele Church of England
School. This is a primary school and most senior pupils go to school in either Southam
, Leamington Spa
or Warwick
which are close by. As well as the parish church of St Nicholas, which burnt down in March 2008, the village also has a second church built in 1874, the Radford Semele Baptist Church.
The village is named after a family from Saint-Pierre-de-Semilly
in Normandy
- they were lords of the manor in around 1120.
The old Weedon to Leamington railway line used to run through the village but in the late 1960s the line was closed to passengers. The site of where the old line used to be is now a new cycleway as part of The National Cycle Network.
The fire was not considered suspicious, although there is evidence that there was a break in on the night of the fire.
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
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, close to the town of 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...
. According to the 2001 UK census
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....
, Radford Semele parish had a population of 2,034. It lies to the east of Leamington, on the A425 road
A425 road
The A425 road is an A road in England, which runs between Daventry in Northamptonshire and Warwick in Warwickshire via Staverton, Lower Shuckburgh and Southam.At Southam it links with the A426 as well as the A423....
between Leamington and Southam
Southam
Southam is a small market town in the Stratford-on-Avon district of Warwickshire, England. The 2001 census recorded a population of 6,509 in the town.The nearest sizeable town to Southam is Leamington Spa, located roughly 7 miles to the west...
. It has a 16th century pub with a priest hole
Priest hole
"Priest hole" is the term given to hiding places for priests built into many of the principal Catholic houses of England during the period when Catholics were persecuted by law in England, from the beginning of the reign of Queen Elizabeth I in 1558....
. The local school is the Radford Semele Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
School. This is a primary school and most senior pupils go to school in either Southam
Southam
Southam is a small market town in the Stratford-on-Avon district of Warwickshire, England. The 2001 census recorded a population of 6,509 in the town.The nearest sizeable town to Southam is Leamington Spa, located roughly 7 miles to the west...
, 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...
or 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...
which are close by. As well as the parish church of St Nicholas, which burnt down in March 2008, the village also has a second church built in 1874, the Radford Semele Baptist Church.
History
A poorly preserved Roman Villa was excavated in 1974 at NGR SP 342624 near Pounce Hill Farm, approximately 1.5 km south of the village. See http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/search/fr.cfm?RCN=NMR_NATINV-335629&CFID=309384&CFTOKEN=35496457 and http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0068-113X%281975%296%3C220%3ARBI1%3E2.0.CO%3B2-M.The village is named after a family from Saint-Pierre-de-Semilly
Saint-Pierre-de-Semilly
Saint-Pierre-de-Semilly is a commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France.-References:*...
in Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
- they were lords of the manor in around 1120.
The old Weedon to Leamington railway line used to run through the village but in the late 1960s the line was closed to passengers. The site of where the old line used to be is now a new cycleway as part of The National Cycle Network.
Pubs
In the village there is a pub called The White Lion which is situated on Southam Road the main road running through the village. Unfortunately on Thursday 2 February 2006 the pub caught alight and the pub was ruined causing over 2 million pounds worth of damage. As of January 2011 the pub is open for business.St Nicholas Church
St Nicholas Church, a Grade II listed building, was discovered to be on fire on 16 March 2008 and all that remains is the tower and shell of the building.The fire was not considered suspicious, although there is evidence that there was a break in on the night of the fire.