Wroxall, Warwickshire
Encyclopedia
Wroxall is a small village in the civil parish
of Beausale, Haseley, Honiley and Wroxall
in the county
of Warwickshire
, England
. It is 4 miles (6.4 km) from Kenilworth
, and 6.5 miles (10.5 km) from Coventry
on the A4141 road. According to the 2001 census
the village had a population of 94. It has its own cemetery
to the north of the village.
By far the most important part of the village is the Wroxall Abbey
Estate. Built in 1141 by Sir Hugh de Hatton it was a Benedictine
Priory
for nearly four hundred years, finally closing in 1536 at the Dissolution of the Monasteries
.
For the next four hundred years it passed through various hands, notable examples being the Burgoyne Baronets
and Sir Christopher Wren
who purchased it as a retreat just three years after completing his work on St. Paul's Cathedral in 1710, until it became a girls' school in 1936. The school in turn closed in 1995. In 2001 the current owners, a private investment company, brought the hall. It is now used as a hotel
, spa
and conference centre.
In March 2006, motorsport company Prodrive
announced its intent to build a 200 acre (about 800,000 square metres) motorsport facility called The Fulcrum. It will be based at the former RAF Honiley
airfield which is located between Wroxall and Honiley
. In late 2008 however a change in the rules of Formula One
motor racing meant the proposal became uncertain.
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
of Beausale, Haseley, Honiley and Wroxall
Beausale, Haseley, Honiley and Wroxall
Beausale, Haseley, Honiley and Wroxall is a civil parish in the Warwick District of Warwickshire, England. It was created in 2007 by the merger of the former civil parishes of Beausale, Haseley, Honiley and Wroxall. At the 2001 census it had a population of 565...
in the county
County
A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...
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...
, 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...
. It is 4 miles (6.4 km) from 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 6.5 miles (10.5 km) 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...
on the A4141 road. According to the 2001 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....
the village had a population of 94. It has its own cemetery
Cemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
to the north of the village.
By far the most important part of the village is the Wroxall Abbey
Wroxall Abbey
Wroxall Abbey is today a substantial Victorian mansion house situated at Wroxall, Warwickshire which has been converted for use as an hotel, spa, wedding venue and conference centre...
Estate. Built in 1141 by Sir Hugh de Hatton it was a Benedictine
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
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...
for nearly four hundred years, finally closing in 1536 at 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...
.
For the next four hundred years it passed through various hands, notable examples being the Burgoyne Baronets
Burgoyne Baronets
There have been two creations of Baronetcies for members of the Burgoyne family.The Baronetcy of Burgoyne of Sutton was created in the Baronetage of England on 15 July 1641 for John Burgoyne of Sutton, Bedfordshire....
and Sir Christopher Wren
Christopher Wren
Sir Christopher Wren FRS is one of the most highly acclaimed English architects in history.He used to be accorded responsibility for rebuilding 51 churches in the City of London after the Great Fire in 1666, including his masterpiece, St. Paul's Cathedral, on Ludgate Hill, completed in 1710...
who purchased it as a retreat just three years after completing his work on St. Paul's Cathedral in 1710, until it became a girls' school in 1936. The school in turn closed in 1995. In 2001 the current owners, a private investment company, brought the hall. It is now used as a hotel
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
, spa
Spa
The term spa is associated with water treatment which is also known as balneotherapy. Spa towns or spa resorts typically offer various health treatments. The belief in the curative powers of mineral waters goes back to prehistoric times. Such practices have been popular worldwide, but are...
and conference centre.
In March 2006, motorsport company Prodrive
Prodrive
Prodrive is a British motorsport and automotive engineering group based in Banbury, Oxfordshire, England. It designs, constructs and races cars for companies and teams such as Subaru, Aston Martin and Ford...
announced its intent to build a 200 acre (about 800,000 square metres) motorsport facility called The Fulcrum. It will be based at the former RAF Honiley
RAF Honiley
RAF Honiley is a former Royal Air Force station located in Wroxall, Warwickshire seven miles southwest of Coventry, England. The station closed in March 1958, and after being used as a motor vehicle test track, is presently subject to planning permission from the Prodrive Formula One team for...
airfield which is located between Wroxall and Honiley
Honiley
Honiley is a small village in the civil parish of Beausale, Haseley, Honiley and Wroxall, in Warwickshire, England. It is 2.5 miles from Kenilworth, and 5.5 miles from Coventry on the A4177. According to the 2001 census, the parish of Honiley had a population of 62...
. In late 2008 however a change in the rules of Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
motor racing meant the proposal became uncertain.