60-550: Lillington is a suburb of Leamington Spa , in the civil parish of Royal Leamington Spa, in the Warwick District in the county of Warwickshire , England. Historically a village which existed before the time of the Domesday Book (1086), it was incorporated into the borough of Leamington in 1890. Lillington is a ward of Warwick District Council and Royal Leamington Spa Town Council. Lillington itself has two main areas –
120-639: A 'Royal' prefix , and 'Leamington Priors' was renamed 'Royal Leamington Spa'. Queen Victoria had visited the town as a Princess in 1830 and as Queen in 1858. In 1840 the Victoria Bridge was opened, connecting the old and new towns, replacing an old, narrow, and inconvenient bridge. Nine years earlier, the opening of Portobello Bridge , a three-arch bridge over the River Avon, reconnected the town to neighbouring Warwick—an earlier bridge nearby having been condemned and demolished in 1830. The growth of Leamington
180-546: A ring of eight bells. The sixth bell is attributed to Thomas Harrys of London, cast about 1480, which makes it contemporary with the tower. The seventh bell was cast in 1625 by Watts of Leicester , and the tenor in 1675 by Henry Bagley of Chacombe , Northamptonshire. Mears and Stainbank of the Whitechapel Bell Foundry cast the remaining five bells in 1927. The bells were re-hung by Nicholson Engineering of Bridport , Dorset in 2007. Lillington church clock
240-656: A spa town in the 18th century following the popularisation of its water which was reputed to have medicinal qualities. In the 19th century, the town experienced one of the most rapid expansions in England. It is named after the River Leam , which flows through the town. The town contains especially fine ensembles of Regency architecture , particularly in parts of the Parade , Clarendon Square and Lansdowne Circus. The town also contains several large public parks, such as Jephson Gardens ,
300-551: A Bottle , Ubisoft Leamington , Unit 2, Electric Square, Full Fat , Kwalee , Pixel Toys, Playground Games , Red Chain Games, Stickman Studios, Supersonic Software and Midoki. Codemasters are based at Southam near Leamington and were the initial impetus behind the cluster, providing many of the staff for the companies in Leamington. In 2013, Sega 's mobile platform studio Hardlight Studio set up in Leamington, and Exient opened
360-468: A co-educational school for pupils aged 3 to 18, and The Kingsley School , a school for girls. Myton School in Warwick, although located just outside Leamington, includes parts of Leamington as being within its priority area . As well as these schools, Leamington children can attend Stratford-upon-Avon Grammar School for Girls , a state run selective school, Warwick School , an independent school for boys,
420-461: A day, making it the largest of its kind in the UK. It is expected to create up to 1,500 jobs. 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 schools of North Leamington School , Campion School , Trinity Catholic School , and the independent schools of Arnold Lodge School ,
480-562: 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, Khalsa Leamington Hockey Club, Leamington Cycling club, Leamington Athletics club, Spa Striders Running Club, Royal Leamington Spa Canoe Club, Leamington Chess Club , formed in 1851, and municipal tennis courts. The Royal Leamington Spa Bowling Club in Victoria Park hosts
540-675: A much smaller scale. Karobes Limited , with its headquarters in Queensway, was one of Britain's major suppliers of accessories for cars between World War II and the 1970s. Commercial parks for service providers and light industry and offices are primarily located to the south of the town: Althorpe Street Industrial Estate, Queensway Trading Estate, Shires Gate Trading Estate and Sydenham Industrial Estate. In June 2014, Detroit Electric announced that they would be building their SP.01 all-electric roadster in Leamington Spa. Leamington Spa and
600-565: A police station, the complex houses a magistrates' court , and the Crown Court , County Court , and other agencies such as the Probation Service and Victim Support . It was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 4 March 2011. 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
660-534: A popular place for shopping. In 1832 the town's main hospital, Warneford Hospital , opened, named after philanthropist Samuel Wilson Warneford . At first a semi-private affair it was taken over by the National Health Service after the Second World War, before succumbing to budget cuts and closing in 1993. Leamington is closely associated with the founding of lawn tennis . The first tennis club in
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#1733084862853720-574: A satellite studio. Former companies were Blitz Games Studios , FreeStyleGames , Bigbig Studios and Titus Software UK Limited . Local hospitals include the Leamington Spa Hospital and the Warwickshire Nuffield Hospital . On 13 July 2021 a coronavirus "mega lab" was opened in the town. Named after English chemist Rosalind Franklin , the laboratory is intended to be capable of processing hundreds of thousands of samples
780-731: A small mosque and a Hindu temple. In 2009, the Sikh community built the Gurdwara Sahib Leamington and Warwick in Warwick which also serves Leamington. There are also Christadelphian and Jehovah's Witnesses meeting halls in the town. Eden Court in Lillington is a residential tower block and one of several tall landmarks. In December 2010, the Warwickshire Justice Centre was completed in Newbold Terrace. As well as
840-522: A wider aisle built in 1868. Dormer windows were inserted in the roof in 1875. In 1884 the chancel, apart from the south wall, was rebuilt and the Lady chapel and Sacristy on the north side of the chancel were added, the Romanesque doorway being relocated for the second time since 1847. Three of the stained glass windows are by C.E. Kempe and Company : the east window of the south aisle (1895) and two windows in
900-537: Is North Leamington School . A Sure Start Children’s Centre opened in late 2006, adjacent to the 1950s-built community centre , and Lillington Library on Mason Avenue. The Church of England parish church of St. Mary Magdalene in Vicarage Road retains some Saxon work, but was largely rebuilt between 1847 and 1884. The late Perpendicular tower also remains, with a contemporary bell cast around 1480. With two seventeenth-century bells and five more dating from 1927,
960-427: Is Leamington's transmission tower which relays TV signals from Sutton Coldfield and broadcasts local commercial radio station, Hits Radio Coventry & Warwickshire . Its Severn Trent water treatment plant serves the whole Leamington area. Warwick District Council runs a BMX track on the hills. The Bins Brook is a mainly culverted watercourse that runs south into Leamington. Just inside Lillington, on
1020-422: Is a civil parish in the Warwick District , an administrative division of the county of Warwickshire , it thus falls under the jurisdiction of Warwickshire County Council , based in Warwick as the upper-tier authority. 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
1080-461: Is adjoined to the north-east. Just outside the town lie the villages of Old Milverton to the north and Radford Semele 2.5 miles (4 km) to the east. Leamington has several suburbs; the town has encompassed the former village of Lillington , directly to the north of the town centre. Other suburbs include Milverton to the northwest, Campion Hills to the east, and Sydenham the east. The rapidly expanding Heathcote (or "Warwick Gates") district to
1140-411: Is adjoined with the neighbouring towns of Warwick and Whitnash , and the village of Cubbington ; together these form a conurbation known as the "Royal Leamington Spa Built-up area" which in 2011 had a population of 95,172. Leamington lies around 9 miles (14 km) south of Coventry , 20 miles (32 km) south-east of Birmingham , and 81 miles (130 km) north-west of London . Leamington
1200-657: Is also home to two national educational charities – The Smallpeice Trust and The Arkwright Scholarships Trust . They specialise in making young people aware of how STEM fields studied in school can lead to fulfilling and exciting careers in science and engineering sectors of industry. Leamington Spa Art Gallery & Museum is located in the Royal Pump Rooms, on the Parade. It holds a collection of over 12,000 objects, including fine and decorative arts, as well as items relating to local and social history. It provides exhibitions in
1260-573: Is provided by local bands in a variety of venues. In December 2005 the band Nizlopi from Leamington, reached Number 1 in the UK Singles Chart with "JCB" . The Woodbine Street Recording Studios has been used by several well-known music acts such as Paul Weller , Ocean Colour Scene , Felt , The Specials , and local band The Shapes , whose single "Batman in the Launderette" charted first in 1979. Classical music concerts are organised throughout
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#17330848628531320-464: Is the town's local newspaper. St Mary Magdalene%27s Church, Lillington St Mary Magdalene's Church, Lillington is the Church of England parish church of Lillington, Warwickshire , a part of Royal Leamington Spa with a population of about 11,000. The church is at the junction of Vicarage Road and Church Lane. It has been a Grade II listed building since 1949. The earliest surviving parts of
1380-743: Is thought to have dated from the 16th century. Having died, it was removed in 1967, which allowed the Lillington Road to be straightened. Its successor was planted in the 1980s, from an acorn collected from the original. In the 1930s prehistoric elephant and woolly rhinoceros remains were found in sand and gravel pits in Cubbington Road, near the site of the present Lillington Free Church. Some of these are displayed in Warwick Market Hall Museum. Stone Age remains have also been found there. Roman artefacts and burials have been discovered in
1440-628: The 2005 general election , where James Plaskitt won with a majority of just 266 votes. In the 2010 general election the seat returned to the Conservative Party, with Chris White winning the seat by 3,513 votes. White remained the MP until the 2017 general election , when the seat was won by Matt Western of the Labour Party with a narrow majority, he retained his seat at the 2019 general election with his majority reduced from 1,206 to 789, and again at
1500-566: The 2024 election with a greatly increased majority of 12,412. 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. Amongst the Anglican churches in Leamington is the Gothic parish church All Saints' Church , and St John
1560-515: The Royal Pump Room Gardens and Victoria Park . Although originally founded around its spa industry, Leamington today has developed into a centre for retail, and digital industries, which has gained it the moniker "silicon spa". In 2023 The Sunday Times named Leamington as the best place to live in the Midlands . In the 2021 census Leamington had a population of 50,923. Leamington
1620-524: The Spa Centre and the amateur The Loft , with outdoor summer productions in Jephson Gardens. Leamington also has two cinemas: the Spa Centre and a multiplex. There are a number of sports clubs and leisure facilities in Leamington Spa, including the oldest purpose built Real Tennis court in the world at Leamington Tennis Court Club, the football club Leamington F.C. , a disc golf course Quarry Park ,
1680-461: 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 of the Labour Party ; until then this had been a Conservative safe seat , counting former British prime minister Anthony Eden among its Members of Parliament (MPs). The seat became highly marginal at
1740-516: The Baptist's Church . St Mark's Church on Rugby Road was designed by George Gilbert Scott Jr. in 1879. It is a Gothic revival design, in red brick with stone dressings. It was endowed by the Carus-Wilson family, in memory of Frances Carus-Wilson (d.1872), wife of Sir Trevor Wheler . There is a Roman Catholic church, St Peter's Church , two United Reformed churches ( one being in Lillington ),
1800-537: The King's High School for Girls , Warwick's twin school and Princethorpe College , a mixed independent school in the nearby village of Princethorpe . Leamington is the location of the first of Warwickshire College 's six sites, and additionally another site is located just outside the town. The closest higher education institutions are the University of Warwick , in southwestern Coventry, and Coventry University . Leamington
1860-603: The Leamington Shopping Park (formerly The Shires Retail Park ), even though it sits within the boundaries of Warwick . It opened in 1989. Tourism was initially driven by the spring waters. The arrival of the Warwick and Napton Canal (later amalgamated into the Grand Union Canal ) officially opened in 1799 as the primary means of cargo transport and led to growth in other industries until rail gradually took over in
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1920-522: The Leamington town centre side adjacent to the Midland Oak, is a fenced area of meadow plants in a man-made depression. This excavated area is normally dry, but fills from the Bins Brook if it overflows during flash floods , to reduce the risk of local flooding to property. The Midland Oak by the junction of Lillington Avenue and Lillington Road marks the supposed very centre of England . The original oak
1980-463: The Warwick District, which has its offices in Leamington. Since the 2023 elections , Warwick District Council has been run by a coalition of the Labour Party and Green Party , it was previously run by a Conservative -led minority administration. In 2002 Leamington Spa became a civil parish and gained a new Town (parish) Council , as the most local tier of government. Leamington is part of
2040-591: The annual National Lawn Bowls Championships . 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 the "Elephant Walk" 19th-century slipway down to
2100-659: The area of Highland Road and Braemar Road. Lillington was once well known as a centre for horse-breeding at the stud farm owned by Sydney McGregor (1889–1970). McGregor's best known horse was probably April the Fifth , which won the Epsom Derby in 1932. The farm buildings and house stood at the end of Epsom Road. After 1970, the area was developed for housing, with many of the new roads having racing-related names. The local schools are Lillington Nursery and Primary School, Telford Infant and Telford Junior Schools. The nearest secondary school
2160-412: The first railway station at the current location was opened. As the popularity of spa resorts declined towards the end of the 19th century, the focus of Leamington's economy shifted towards becoming a popular place of residence for retired people and for members of the middle class , many of whom relocated from Coventry and Birmingham . Its well off residents led to the development of Leamington as
2220-413: The former village with the parish church of St. Mary Magdalene , the manor house, some Victorian terraced houses as well as estates of predominantly semi-detached houses built since 1930. The Campion Hills are the highest area of Leamington, rising to an altitude of 97m (318 ft) above OD . Situated to the north of, and above Newbold Comyn park, they offer a view over the whole town. Sited here
2280-490: 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 Aga stoves. The Imperial Foundry, dating from around 1925,
2340-465: The new centre based around Crown Way which contains shops, dry cleaners and a post office . The area was predominantly built as a council house estate from 1950 onwards, and contains three tower blocks . The tallest of these, the fifteen-storey Eden Court , standing at the highest point of the estate, dominates the skyline and can be seen from south Leamington Spa, Radford Semele and for miles outside Leamington. The second, and older area, contains
2400-838: The north aisle (1908 and 1920). A choir vestry was added in 1914. The pulpit is 20th century, designed by T. Lawrence Dale . A detached octagonal meeting room in the churchyard was built in 1987. Benjamin Satchwell , co-founder, promoter and poet of the spa at nearby Leamington, married Mary Whitmore in this church on 23 April 1764. In the churchyard, opposite the vestry door, is the famous 'Miser's Grave'. The headstone of William Treen, who died aged 77 on 3 February 1810, carries this inscription, quoted in many nineteenth-century guides to Leamington, and most famously by Nathaniel Hawthorne in Our Old Home in 1863: "I Poorly Liv'd and Poorly Dy'd, Poorly Bury'd and no one Cry'd." The church has
2460-493: The parish had a population of 1,241. The parish was abolished on 1 April 1902 to form "Leamington". Lillington adjoins Cubbington to the north. Leamington Spa Royal Leamington Spa , commonly known as Leamington Spa or simply Leamington ( / ˈ l ɛ m ɪ ŋ t ən / ), is a spa town and civil parish in Warwickshire , England. Originally a small village called Leamington Priors , it grew into
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2520-469: The present building are the possibly pre-Conquest doorway now located between the Lady Chapel and Sacristy, and the south wall of the chancel. The Perpendicular Gothic west tower is 15th century, built in about 1480. The remainder of the church is Victorian, built or rebuilt between 1847 and 1884. The old south aisle was extended and the north aisle added in 1847. The south aisle was then demolished and
2580-563: The present ring of eight bells was formed. They were re-hung by Nicholsons' of Bridport in 2007. The Roman Catholic Church of Our Lady, in Valley Road next to the Public Library, was consecrated in 1963. It has notable stained glass in the ' Dalle de verre ' style, designed by Dom Charles Norris of Buckfast Abbey , and made at Prinknash Abbey . Lillington Free Church is on the north side of Cubbington Road, close to The Holt. In 1901
2640-580: The rediscovery of spa waters, which had been known in Roman times, and their rediscovery in 1784 by William Abbotts and Benjamin Satchwell led to their commercialisation, with invalids beginning to resort here in 1786. Six of the seven wells were drilled for; only the original spring at the site of the Aylesford Well, adjacent to the Parish Church, occurred naturally. The old village of Leamington Priors
2700-490: 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 , The Dell and Newbold Comyn which includes the nature reserves Welches Meadow and Leam Valley. The Leamington Observer
2760-512: The southwest, though often referred to as part of Leamington, actually lies mainly within the boundaries of Warwick, with parts in Whitnash and the parish of Bishop's Tachbrook. The main road running through the town centre is the Parade (called Lillington Lane until 1860). This shopping street contains high street chains and The Royal Priors shopping mall. Leamington Spa falls under three tiers of local government, county, district and parish: it
2820-461: The surrounding area, known as Silicon Spa, is a significant global centre for the video game industry , with a higher than average proportion of digital media companies involved in games development, digital design and publishing, and over a thousand employed directly in game development. Companies based in or around the town include Third Kind Games, Super Spline Studios, Lab42, Sumo Leamington, Caperfly, Widgit Software, DNA Interactive, Fish in
2880-411: The town's waters in the 19th century led to the town's initial growth, making tourism Leamington's primary industry in the 19th century. In the 1950s, a lights festival held in Jephson Gardens drew large crowds. In the town centre there are a variety of shops from high street chains to independent retailers, plus an indoor shopping centre, The Royal Priors . There is an out of town retail park called
2940-453: The town. Spa water can still be sampled outside the building. Leamington became a popular spa resort attracting the wealthy and famous, with numerous Georgian townhouses to accommodate visitors. Construction of what is now the Parade began in sections from 1808, the Regent Hotel in 1818, a town hall in 1830. and the Jephson Gardens in 1834. In 1838 Queen Victoria granted the town
3000-565: The visual arts and about the history of the town, supported by workshops, talks and other events. There are several local community centres. Since 1978, the annual free festival and celebration of alternative culture called the Peace Festival has been held in the Pump Room Gardens, however the event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and not been held since 2019. Live music
3060-462: The west of Leamington, on the opposite bank of the Avon, with parts of Warwick (Myton and Heathcote) extending to the southwest and south of Leamington. Also contiguous with Leamington, directly to the south, with no natural border, is the smaller town of Whitnash . Whitnash and Warwick are themselves contiguous with new housing developments within the parish of Bishop's Tachbrook . The village of Cubbington
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#17330848628533120-569: 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 bombed a number of times during The Blitz ; although this caused substantial damage it caused relatively few casualties. The town
3180-678: 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 is staged annually. Two theatres are located in Leamington:
3240-591: Was also home to the Free Czechoslovak Army; a memorial in the Jephson Gardens commemorates the bravery of Czechoslovak parachutists from Warwickshire. Leamington is divided by the River Leam running east to west, which is susceptible to flooding in extreme weather, with especially heavy floods in 1998 and 2007 . The Leam is a tributary of the River Avon , which it joins just to the west of Leamington. The ancient town of Warwick lies adjoined directly to
3300-527: Was formed to build a new bath house north of the River Leam. A new saline spring was found on land close to the river, belonging to Bertie Greatheed , a wealthy plantation owner and landowner from Guy's Cliffe , and a member of the syndicate. In 1814, the Royal Pump Rooms and Baths were opened on the site, designed by C.S. Smith, who also designed The Regent Hotel and the Upper Assembly Rooms in
3360-500: Was on the southern bank of the River Leam, and early development was based around this. During the early 19th century, developers began concentrating the town's expansion on the land north of the river. This resulted in the Georgian centre of New Town with the Leam flowing between the two. By 1810, the town's existing bath houses could not cope with the increasing visitor numbers, and a syndicate
3420-471: Was originally a small village known as Leamington Priors . Its name came from Anglo-Saxon Leman-tūn or Lemen-tūn = "farm on the River Leam ". 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. Leamington began to develop as a town at the start of the 19th century, due to
3480-545: Was rapid; at the time of the first national census in 1801, Leamington had a population of just 315, by 1851 this had grown to 15,724, and by 1901, the population had reached 26,888. The London and North Western Railway opened the first railway line into Leamington; a branch line from Coventry in 1844, followed by a branch to Rugby in 1851. In 1852 the Great Western Railway 's main line between Birmingham, Oxford and London opened through Leamington, upon which
3540-515: Was reputed to be at the centre of England . At the 2011 census , there were 49,491 residents in Leamington in 22,098 households, and the median age of Leamington residents was 34. In terms of ethnicity: In terms of religion, 51.5% of Leamington residents identified as Christian , 32.1% said they had no religion , 7.5% did not state any religion, 5.1% were Sikh , 1.5% were Hindu , 1.3% were Muslim , 0.4% were Buddhists , 0.3% were Jewish and 0.5% were from another religion. The popularity of
3600-464: 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
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