Another shot of the timber framed tannery buildings that later housed J.C. Clarke, Wheelwrights up until 1952, which stood on Bridge Street until it was demolished in May 1961. The Ministry of Housing had endorsed the Council surveyor’s view that the buildings had become dangerous, despite them having been listed as having architectural or historic… Read More J.C. Clarke, Wheelwrights, Bridge Street – Then & Now
1964 – Charles Blick and John Drew at Tilt Yard Mill site. Now obscured by the more recent 1960s bridge and undergrowth, this 1964 picture shows the excavation of one of a number of watermills surrounding the castle and abbey. As Rob Steward put it in Kenilworth History 1997/98 “To control the water of the… Read More Tilt Yard Mill, 1964 – Then & Now
The Castle from the Brays. – Old post card postmarked 1907. Mortimer’s Tower was originally a Norman stone gatehouse, extended in the late 13th and 16th centuries. Following the slighting of the castle by Colonel Hawkesworth at the end of the Civil War, the Tiltyard became impassable and thus in the ‘then’ picture it is… Read More The Castle from the Brays, 1907 – Then & Now
The End Cottage, Castle Green met with a sorry fate, having been struck on more than one occasion by passing motor vehicles. It was eventually demolished in the 1960s. The remaining end cottage now bears a plaque above the door stating “These eight cottages were restored & improved by Kenilworth Urban District Council with financial… Read More The End Cottage, Castle Green – Then & Now
The Queen & Castle, Castle Green, Kenilworth. According to Rob Steward’s book ‘The Inns and Roads of Kenilworth’ (Odiborne Press, 2000) the first mention of this establishment was when it was known as The Castle Inn in 1835. It was once a hotel with fine oak panelled corridors, with some panelling rumoured to be taken… Read More Queen & Castle – Then & Now
The High Street, Kenilworth, looking largely unchanged with the exception of the house on the extreme right hand side. This house, known as The Priory, was the subject of the book ‘A House in the High Street’ by Joyce Powell (Odibourne Press, 1987). The Priory was built in 1770, replacing some older ‘messuages’ of about… Read More The Priory, The High Street – Then & Now
The building of the Parochial Hall, High Street 1910. The foundation stone is laid by Edward Hyde Villiers, Earl of Clarendon. The hall stands on the spot of the earlier tithe barn.
March 1966 – John Drew indicating position of ‘the Manticora’ carved on the wall which sits opposite the castle’s modern gift shop. A manticore is a Persian legendary creature similar to the Egyptian sphinx. It has the body of a red lion, a human head with three rows of sharp teeth, sometimes bat-like wings, and… Read More Manticora – Then & Now
Widow’s Charity Houses, High Street, founded in 1644, rebuilt 1840s. To the right of the ‘then’ photo can be seen a single storey, windowless brick building which was demolished much later providing an alleyway through to the 1960s Elmbank Road, as well as the entry to the slaughterhouse behind the butchers owned by John Bausor.… Read More Widow’s Charity Houses – Then & Now
Bridge Street, Kenilworth. The old timber framed houses to the left of the ‘then’ photo were demolished in May 1961, despite having been listed as having architectural or historic interest since July 1949. Harry Sunley in his book ‘A Kenilworth Chronology’ (Odibourne Press, 1989) tells us that these buildings had housed J.C. Clarke, Wheelwrights, up… Read More Bridge Street – Then & Now
DECEMBER 2015 NEWSLETTER Advanced notice of the AGM in February 2016. Barbara Platten will, sadly, be resigning from the Committee for personal reasons, so that there will be a vacancy. Tonight, self-explanatory nomination forms are available. Please take one and nominate someone you know who would be an asset to the Society’s functioning. Do be… Read More December 2015 Newsletter
The moving story below was first published in the 2003 / 2004 edition of the Society’s Kenilworth History publication, written by Roy Stanley. It tells the story of the tragic events of November 21, 1940 when a Luftwaffe parachute landmine fell on Abbey End, killing 26 people. Kenilworth recently marked the 75th anniversary of these horrific events… Read More From the Archives: Last Night at ‘The Globe’