Warwick has ancient origins and an array of historic buildings, notably from theMedieval,Stuart andGeorgian eras. It was a major fortified settlement from the early Middle Ages, the most notable relic of this period beingWarwick Castle, a major tourist attraction. Much was destroyed in theGreat Fire of Warwick in 1694 and then rebuilt with fine 18th century buildings, such as theCollegiate Church of St Mary and theShire Hall. The population was estimated at 36,665 at the2021 Census.[1]
Human activity on the site dates back to theNeolithic, when it appears there was a sizable settlement on the Warwick hilltop. Artifacts found include more than 30 shallow pits containing early Neolithic flints and pottery and a number of small post holes indicating rectangular buildings. These are believed to have been created byEarly European Farmers, sometime between 4000 and 2351 BC. An arrowhead from theBell Beaker culture was likewise found, believed to date from 2500 to 1700 BC.[2]
Archaeological work on the site ofWarwick School in 2017–2018 revealed the footings of a sizeable Roman barn from the 2nd century AD.[3] Roman rule in Britain begin to break down with theGreat Conspiracy in 367–368,[4] the withdrawal of Roman troops from Britain from 383 to 406 and the barbarian raids of 408.
Warwick was continuously inhabited from the 5th century onwards. There are three alternative explanations for town'sOld English name, Wæringwīc:
(a) it may be composed ofWæring, which is a clan name or patronymic,[5][6][7] and the suffixwīc, meaning a 'settlement characterised by extensive artisanal activity and trade';
(b) alternatively, it may be derived fromwering, meaning a 'fortification'[8][9]
(c) or it may reflect a 'weir,'[10] the latter implying that the original settlement was located by a natural weir over theRiver Avon, possibly on the south side of the river, which offered easily cultivable land.[11]
TheAnglo-Saxon Chronicle for the year 914 reports that theAnglo-SaxonÆthelflæd, Lady of theMercians, daughter of kingAlfred the Great and sister of kingEdward the Elder of Wessex, built aburh or fortified dwelling there on a hilltop site overlooking the earlier riverside settlement, as one of ten to defend Mercia from theVikings.[12] Warwick was chosen as a site for the burh because the local outcrop ofsandstone alongside the Avon provided an easily defensible position at a strategic site by the river crossing, with a good source of water and building material.
In the early 10th century, ashire was founded with Warwick as its county town.[13] During the reign ofÆthelstan (924-939) a royalmint was established at Warwick. This was one of two established in Warwickshire at the time, the other being atTamworth. The Warwick mint continued until the mid-12th century.[14] In 1016 the Danes invaded Mercia and burned down much of Warwick including anunnery, which stood on the site of today's St Nicholas Church.[15]
William the Conqueror foundedWarwick Castle in 1068, while on his way to Yorkshire to deal with rebellion in the north.[13] Building it involved pulling down four houses.[16] The castle stood within the larger Anglo-Saxon burh and a new town wall was created close to the burh ramparts.[17]
Alidar view of the site of a Deserted Medieval Settlement withridge and furrow at Warwick Racecourse
The prosperity of medieval Warwick rested on its status as an administrative and military centre, however it was poorly positioned from the point of view of trade, and was consequently never a commercial or industrial centre of more than local significance in medieval times.[14] Medieval Warwick was controlled by variousEarls of Warwick, mostly of the Beauchamp family. It became awalled town. It is unknown quite when the town wall was built, but references to it are found as early as the 12th century. It had mostly been demolished by the early 16th century.
Today the only remains are the east and westgatehouses, there was previously also a north gatehouse, but this was demolished. On the south side, thebridge over the Avon was said to fulfil the role of a gatehouse, and likely had a barrier.[11] The west gate was first recorded in 1129, and had a chapel of St James above it, which was reconstructed in the 14th century and extensively restored in 1863–1865.[18][19] The east gate was rebuilt in the 15th century with the Chapel of St Peter above it.[20] It was rebuilt again in 1788 and was once used as part ofThe King's High School,[21] but is now a holiday home.[22]
The town'sPriory was founded in around 1119 byHenry de Beaumont, the first Earl of Warwick. It was later destroyed during theDissolution of the Monasteries in 1536, it stood on the site of the current Priory Park.[23] Henry de Beaumont also founded theHospital of St John near the east town gate.[24] It is now the site of the 17th century St John's House.[25] Relatively few medieval buildings survive in Warwick, however one of the most notable examples is theLord Leycester Hospital on the High Street, whose oldest parts date from 1383.[26] Warwick was not incorporated as aborough until 1545.[15]
During theEnglish Civil War, the town and castle were garrisoned forParliament under SirEdward Peyto. In 1642 the castle underwent a two-weeksiege by theRoyalists commanded by theEarl of Northampton, however, the besiegers lacked anycannons powerful enough to damage the castle. The siege collapsed when, on hearing of the approach of theEarl of Essex toSoutham, Lord Northampton marched his force away towardsWorcester. MajorJohn Bridges was appointed governor of the castle in 1643, and a garrison was maintained there with artillery and other stores until 1659, which at its height in 1645 consisted of 302 soldiers.[27]
Much of the medieval town centre was destroyed in theGreat Fire of Warwick on 5 September 1694, which, within five hours destroyed 460 buildings and left 250 families homeless.[28][29] Thus most of the town-centre buildings are of late 17th and early 18th-century origin, although some medievaltimber-framed buildings survive, especially around the edges of the town centre.[29]
One of the aims of the rebuilding of Warwick following the fire, was to encourage thegentry and professional men to settle in the town, and so impetus was given to rebuilding the town in the then contemporaryGeorgian style. Many of the buildings in the rebuilt town were designed by the architectsFrancis Smith, and laterWilliam and David Hiorne, who gave Warwick its 18th century appearance.Daniel Defoe gave his opinion that Warwick had been 'rebuilt in so noble and so beautiful a manner that few towns in England make so fine an appearance'.[30]
The fire burnt down much of the medievalchurch of St Mary. However, thechancel and the Beauchamp Chapel survived, the latter having been built between 1443 and 1464 according to the wishes ofRichard Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick, who had died inRouen in 1439. A full-size reclining copper-gilteffigy of him lies on hisPurbeck marble tomb – a fine piece of medieval metalwork cast in 1459.[31]
In 1788 the Earl of Warwick obtained an Act of Parliament to enable him to build a new bridge over the Avon:Castle Bridge, which consists of a single sandstone arch was opened in 1793.[32] It replaced an older 14th century bridge further downstream, known asOld Castle Bridge, which fell into ruin, although remains of it can still be seen.[33] The Warwick andBirmingham and Warwick andNapton canals were both opened through Warwick in 1800. They now form parts of theGrand Union Canal.[34]
TheWarwick Pageant was a major festival in the grounds of Warwick Castle in 1906, organised byLouis N. Parker from a house in Jury Street. As Pageant House, this subsequently served as the offices of Warwick Borough Council,[36][37] until the enlargedWarwick District Council was formed in Leamington Spa in 1974.[38]
In 2021 it was announced that Warwick had entered a competition with 38 other contenders to be awardedcity status as part of thePlatinum Jubilee Civic Honours. However, it was not among the eight winners ultimately chosen in May 2022.[41][42]
Populations before the 1801census can be based on indirect measures. Historians suggest that Warwick had a population of about 1,500 in 1086. Indicators for ensuing centuries are sparse; however, by the mid-16th century, it is thought to have been about 2,000, which increased by the late 17th century to over 3,000.[43] At the time of the first national census in 1801, Warwick had 5,592 inhabitants. This population nearly doubled by 1851, when it reached 10,952; thereafter, growth was slower for more than a century, reaching 15,349 in 1951 and 16,051 in 1961.[44] Since then it has almost doubled, to 31,315 in 2011.[45]
The Court House: Headquarters of Warwick Town Council
There are three tiers of local government covering Warwick, atparish (town),district, andcounty level: Warwick Town Council,Warwick District Council andWarwickshire County Council. The town council is based at the Court House on Jury Street, which was completed in 1731.[46][47] The district council, although taking its name from Warwick, is based in the neighbouring town of Leamington Spa. Warwickshire County Council has its headquarters atShire Hall, a complex of buildings betweenMarket Place and Northgate Street in the centre of Warwick.
Population growth has led to Warwick adjoining its larger and younger neighbourLeamington Spa and alsoWhitnash as part of aconurbation of some 95,000 inhabitants.[48]
The 17th-century antiquarianWilliam Dugdale wrote that Warwick was "standing upon a rocky ascent from every side, and in a dry and fertile soil, having... rich and pleasant meadows on the south part... and... woodland on the north."[50] Two factors have affected Warwick'sbuilt environment: theGreat Fire of 1694 and the lack of industrialisation. In the 19th century, the widespread industrialisation of England largely passed Warwick by.[51] One reason was that the town did not lie on important roads and theRiver Avon was not navigable as far as Warwick.[52]
Suburbs of Warwick include Bridge End, Cliff Hill, Emscote, Woodloes Park, Forbes, Myton (connecting Warwick withLeamington Spa), Packmores, The Cape, The Percy, Warwick Gates, Chase Meadow and Myton Green. Warwick Gates is a housing estate and business park in Heathcote, south-east Warwick, which was built in the late 1990s. Although separated from Warwick town centre by open fields, Warwick Gates falls within the Warwick South andBishops Tachbrook parish.
Warwick experiences the usual English maritime climate, marked by a narrow temperature range, mild winters and cool summers. The nearest official Met Office weather station is atWellesbourne, about 6 miles (10 km) south of the town centre and at a similar elevation. The absolute maximum temperature (also the absolute maximum for the county ofWarwickshire) stands at 36.1 °C (97.0 °F)[53] recorded in August 1990. During a typical year, the warmest day should reach 30.0 °C (86.0 °F),[54] and 16.5 days[55] should report a maximum of 25.1 °C (77.2 °F) or higher. The lowest recorded temperature is −17.8 °C (0.0 °F),[56] recorded in January 1982. Typically, 53.3 air frosts are recorded in an "average" year. Rainfall averages out at 608 millimetres (23.9 in) per year,[57] with over 114 days[58] seeing 1 mm (0.04 in) or more falling. All averages refer to the 1971–2000 period.
Climate data for Wellesbourne, elevation 47 m (154 ft), 1971–2000, extremes 1960–
At the2011 census, there were 31,345 residents in Warwick in 14,226 households, and the median age of Warwick residents was 39.[60] In terms of ethnicity:[60]
0.2% wereArab, and 0.9% were from another ethnic group.
In terms of religion, 58.0% of Warwick residents identified asChristian, 26.9% said they hadno religion, 7.4% did not state any religion, 4.6% wereSikh, 1.3% wereHindu, 1.0% wereMuslim, 0.4% wereBuddhists, 0.2% wereJewish and 0.4% were from another religion.[60]
Due to its proximity to north–south and east–west motorway routes, many companies have a head office in the town. Since November 2004,National Grid UK has had itsUnited Kingdom headquarters on the Warwick Technology Park south of the town near theA452 road.[61]Phillips 66 and their petrol station group,JET, have an office on the Technology Park. Other businesses with head offices here include lingerie companyBravissimo.IBM,Wolseley UK andVolvo Group UK have bases on the Wedgnock Industrial Estate in the north of the town, near to theA46 trunk road. Other companies with regional headquarters in Warwick includeBridgestone,Calor Gas, Kantar andDelphi Automotive. In recent years several high-profile national and international companies have set up large office complexes in and around Warwick, notably National Grid and IBM. There is also an out-of-town retail park calledLeamington Shopping Park (formerlyThe Shires Retail Park).
Warwick hosts several annual festivals, including: the spoken word;classical andcontemporary music; afolk festival; and aVictorian Evening, held in late November or early December. St. Mary's Church hosts a series of Early Music concerts,[62] and the Bridge House Theatre hosts the Music-in-Round concerts.[63] Warwick Chamber of Trade helps to promote the town for visitors, residents and businesses. The town is also famous forWarwick Castle, whose construction began in 1068. The town centre is also known for its mixture ofTudor and 17th-century buildings.
Warwick is also known forWarwick Racecourse, near the west gate of the medieval town, which hosts several televised horse racing meetings a year. Within the racecourse is a small golf course.J. R. R. Tolkien seems to have been very influenced by Warwick (where he was married in the CatholicChurch of Saint Mary Immaculate and is commemorated by a blue plaque[64]) and by its Mercian connections: Lynn Forest-Hill, in an article in theTimes Literary Supplement (TLS 8 July 2005 pp 12–13) argues cogently that two important settlements in Tolkien's work were modelled on Warwick –Edoras closely on the early town, andMinas Tirith more remotely on the Norman; and that aspects of the plot ofThe Lord of the Rings are paralleled in the romance known asGuy of Warwick. Christopher Tolkien, inThe Book of Lost Tales, stated that Kortirion, the main city ofTol Eressëa, "would become in after days Warwick."
The Warwickshire Museum has two sites in Warwick,[67] firstly the historic 17th centuryMarket Hall in theMarket Square, which hosts collections which are primarily focused on objects in the fields of archaeology, geology and natural history, and particularly those local toWarwickshire.[68] Secondly, the 17th centurySt John's House, which hosts, among other things, a full sized replica of aVictorian kitchen and classroom, and theRoyal Warwickshire Regiment ofFusiliers Museum.[69]
Local news and television programmes are provided by BBC West Midlands andITV Central. Television signals are received from the Lark Stoke TV transmitter and the local relay transmitter inLeamington Spa.[70][71]
Warwick Racecourse is located just west of the town centre. Adjacent to it isRacing Club Warwick F.C., founded in 1919. The city has many long-established sports clubs, including Warwick Hockey Club, founded in 1920.
Secondary schools in Warwick includeWarwick School, an independent day and boarding school for boys.The King's High School For Girls is also independent, butMyton School andAylesford School are state-run co-educational schools.Campion School andTrinity Catholic School inLeamington include parts of Warwick in their catchment areas.[72] Warwick Preparatory School is an independent day school and nursery for boys aged 3–7 and girls 3–11.[73] It is part of the Warwick Independent Schools Foundation, together with King's High School and Warwick School.
The nearest university is theUniversity of Warwick, which is named after the county of Warwickshire, rather than the town, and is in fact situated several miles north of Warwick on the southern outskirts ofCoventry.
Warwick is on theM40London-Birmingham motorway, connected to junctions 13, 14 and 15; it is also on theA46 dual-carriageway trunk road positioned betweenCoventry andStratford-upon-Avon. Warwick has several council off-street car parks in the town.[75] There are also a few privately run car parks, including those at the railway station and the castle.
TheGrand Union Canal passes through Warwick. The restoredSaltisford Canal Arm is close to the town centre – it is a short branch of the Grand Union Canal, the remains of the original terminus of the Warwick and Birmingham Canal, dating back to 1799. The Saltisford Canal Trust has restored most of the surviving canal, which is now the mooring for colourfulnarrowboats and a waterside park open to the public.
TheRiver Avon which also passes through the town is not navigable as far as Warwick; the navigable stretch of the river currently ends atStratford-upon-Avon. There have been proposals made to extend the Avon navigation to Warwick, which would involve the construction of seven newlocks, some dredging, and some new canal sections.[76] The most recent proposals, which would have seen the river linked with the Grand Union Canal at Warwick, failed to win the support of the local council in 2019.[77]
The nearest international airport to Warwick isBirmingham Airport, about 20 miles (32 km) by road from the town centre. There also used to be aRoyal Air Force station calledRAF Warwick.
^"Hospitals: Warwick."A History of the County of Warwick: Volume 2, ed. William Page. London: Victoria County History, 1908, pp. 115–117.British History Online website Retrieved 4 May 2020.
Allison, K. J.; Dunning, R. W.; Jones, S. R. (1969), "The Borough of Warwick: Introduction", in Stephens, W. B. (ed.),A History of the County of Warwick: Volume 8: The City of Coventry and Borough of Warwick,Victoria County History, pp. 417–451,ISBN0-19-722734-1
Harfield, C. G. (1991), "A Hand-list of Castles Recorded in the Domesday Book",English Historical Review,106 (419):371–392,doi:10.1093/ehr/CVI.CCCCXIX.371,JSTOR573107
Allison, K. J. (1969a), "The Borough of Warwick: Political and Administrative History to 1545", in Stephens, W. B. (ed.),A History of the County of Warwick: Volume 8: The City of Coventry and Borough of Warwick,Victoria County History, pp. 476–480,ISBN0-19-722734-1
Allison, K. J. (1969b), "The Borough of Warwick: Economic and Social History to 1545", in Stephens, W. B. (ed.),A History of the County of Warwick: Volume 8: The City of Coventry and Borough of Warwick,Victoria County History, pp. 480–489,ISBN0-19-722734-1
.jpg)
_(cropped).jpg)
