Here is a collection of composite Then & Now photos, showing scenes we have loved and lost around Kenilworth, for better or for worse.
Do you have a Then & Now image suggestion? We’d really like to collect reader Then & Now scene suggestions, or simply old photos you’d like us to create a Then & Now match for. If you have any suggestions, please email [email protected] with your submission.
This then & now comparison shows an etching of the Tantara Gatehouse, one of the largest surviving fragments of the old Abbey of St Mary, Kenilworth, matched as closely as possible to its modern day vantage point in June 2021. A more precisely matched ‘now’ vantage point can’t quite be achieved, as a large yew… Read More Tantara Gatehouse Etching – Then & Now
This wonderful colour image seems somehow tangibly recent and yet it captures a long vanished snippet of old Warwick Road, shortly before its demolition. We’ve glimpsed these cottages from a distance before, in 12 – 16 Warwick Road – Then & Now, but it’s interesting to see them close up and in colour. Robin Leach… Read More Tannery Cottages – Then & Now
This ‘then’ image of St Augustine’s RC Church (also known as St Austin’s) on Beehive Hill was taken by Rob Steward sometime in the 1960s. The ‘now’ image was taken in June 2021. From the time of the Dissolution of the Abbeys, by order of Henry VIII in 1538, until the 18th and 19th century… Read More St Augustine’s Church – Then & Now
This undated view shows Rosemary Hill, taken from the junction with Upper Rosemary Hill and Abbey Hill, looking down towards Bridge Street. What’s notable about the ‘then’ image is that the bank to the left has been significantly cut back to allow road widening and to permit a slightly less challenging gradient for traffic coming… Read More Rosemary Hill Road Widening – Then & Now
This Then & Now comparison shows a surprisingly altered Queen & Castle; ‘then’ as it appeared in its days as a hotel, and ‘now’ as it appears in June 2021. The ‘then’ image is undated but we can perhaps infer its age from the sign proclaiming it to have “Good stabling, Tea Gardens” on the… Read More The Queen & Castle – Then & Now
This Then & Now scene of the High Street looks familiar to the modern eye. Mercifully spared the modernisations inflicted upon Warwick Road and elsewhere, the High Street retains its old world charm. Still there are one or two alterations evident between the two scenes worth noting. Firstly though, we might be able to determine… Read More The High Street – Then & Now
Here’s a Then & Now comparison of two scenes of The Ford in very different meteorological conditions. The ‘then’ image comes from Rob Steward’s collection of photographs, taken around the town in the 1960s. The ‘now’ image was taken in June 2021. The former is taken in dingy winter light conditions, with no leaves on… Read More The Ford in Flood – Then & Now
This undated postcard shows a view of Warwick Road looking north. The image is taken from beside the Bear & Ragged Staff public house, looking up Warwick Road towards the clock tower. To the left of the ‘then’ image can be seen the access to the rear of the pub and to the Bear Field… Read More Bear & Ragged Staff – Then & Now
The photo above comes once again from the aerial imagery snapped by the late John Webster, kindly provided to us by his son Steve Webster, now living in New Zealand. This fantastic image shows the old Abbey Fields swimming pool as it appeared up until its redevelopment in the 1980s. The ‘now’ image is taken… Read More The Swimming Pool from Above – Then & Now
The photo above comes once again from the aerial imagery snapped by the late John Webster, kindly provided to us by his son Steve Webster, now living in New Zealand. This fantastic image, taken very close to the previous aerial image of School Lane , shows many seldom photographed features which have now been lost,… Read More Upper Rosemary Hill & Albion Street Aerial Photo – Then & Now
The photo above comes once again from the aerial imagery snapped by the late John Webster, kindly provided to us by his son Steve Webster, now living in New Zealand. This fantastic aerial photo of the School Lane area shows many seldom photographed features which have now been lost, or substantially altered, since the ‘then’… Read More School Lane Aerial photo – then & now
In April 2020 we were contacted by Steve Webster of Nelson, New Zealand, regarding a number of photographs from the collection of his late father, John Webster. Steve told us “My late Father John Webster lived in Kenilworth at 40 Tainters Hill (The Cottage) from birth, in 1927 and I too was born in the… Read More North-West Kenilworth Aerial Photo – then & now
In a previous Then & Now, we showed an image provided by Steve Webster of Nelson, New Zealand, of the family cottage on Tainters Hill, taken from the collection of his late father, John Webster. Steve told us “My late Father John Webster lived in Kenilworth at 40 Tainters Hill (The Cottage) from birth, in… Read More Cottage on Tainters Hill – Then & Now
In April 2020 we were contacted by Steve Webster of Nelson, New Zealand, regarding a number of photographs from the collection of his late father, John Webster. Steve told us “My late Father John Webster lived in Kenilworth at 40 Tainters Hill (The Cottage) from birth, in 1927 and I too was born in the… Read More Cars on Tainters Hill – Then & Now
The painting in this Then & Now comparison is a watercolour on paper by Peter de Wint (1784 – 1849), entitled simply ‘Kenilworth Castle’. The painting was bequeathed to the Tate Collection by John Henderson in 1879. The Tate biography for de Wint says that he was born at Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, the son of a… Read More Peter de Wint’s Kenilworth Castle – Then & Now
This Then & Now comparison shows the area now occupied by the Priorsfield housing estate, bordered by Clinton Lane (left), Beehive Hill (top), Malthouse Lane (right) and Castle Green (out of shot, bottom). The ‘then’ image is cropped from the 1953 aerial photo EAW048847 from the Britain from Above website, principally of the Castle to… Read More Clinton Lane & Beehive Hill – Then & Now
In a recent Then & Now article we showed a comparison of the long demolished house known as Elmdene, courtesy of Joanna Illingworth. In the article, we remarked upon the difficulty in achieving an exact vantage point for the ‘now’ image, due to houses having been built on that spot subsequently, on what is now… Read More Elmdene – Then & Now, another angle
This Then & Now comparison, of the long demolished house known as Elmdene, comes courtesy of Joanna Illingworth. Elmdene was a Victorian house that was once on the site of what is now Tulip Tree Avenue. The position of Elmdene can be seen on the following side-by-side map comparison of the OS 25-inch 1892-1914 map… Read More Elmdene – Then & Now
The Then & Now comparison above shows two images used for advertisements of sale for Quarry House on Fieldgate Lane. It is interesting that the estate agent photographers, separated by the best part of a century, chose exactly the same view of the house to sell its charms. The original image is taken from a… Read More Quarry House, Fieldgate Lane – Then & Now
This then & now pairing shows an oblique aerial photo of Woodcote Avenue and its junction with De Montfort Road. The ‘then’ photo is taken from the Cambridge Air Photos collection and is dated precisely to 30th January 1966. The ‘then’ photo is simply titled “Housing Estate, Warwicks, UK” and shows construction in progress of… Read More Woodcote Avenue – Then & Now
This pair of then and now images compares a watercolour depiction of part of the inner court of Kenilworth Castle, known as The Great Chamber or White Hall, to a modern day photo of the same scene. The original painting is in the Tate collection, painted by an artist named Heneage Finch, Fourth Earl of… Read More The Great Chamber – Then & Now
The then and now images above show the intricate tracery of a window of the castle’s Great Hall and a corner turret of Saintlowe Tower. The scene shown in the undated black and white ‘then’ image has not changed a great deal by the time the ‘now’ image was taken in the autumn of 2018,… Read More Saintlowe Tower – Then & Now
This then and now image comparison of Leicester’s Building is so gratifyingly unchanged, we might as well have converted the ‘now’ image to black and white just to cheat you all! There is very little difference between the two images, apart from the shadows showing the time of day the two photos were taken. Leicester’s… Read More Leicester’s Building – Then & Now
The undated ‘then’ photo above shows the Boxing Day Duck Race, nowadays a firm fixture in Kenilworth’s calendar over the Christmas period. The image shows officials from the Kenilworth Lions Club dumping a huge sack full of numbered plastic ducks into Finham Brook from the parapet of the Ford’s foot bridge. The banks are packed… Read More The Duck Race – Then & Now
This wonderful old postcard captures the spirit of what it must have been like to visit Kenilworth Castle back before the age of mass tourism. The ruins look wild, ivy clad and untamed. Many a visitor must have been enticed to come and explore for themselves by such a postcard. Although undated, a similar postcard… Read More The Banqueting Hall – Then & Now
This pair of then and now images evocatively captures the end of the era from before universal state education was available to all. The ‘then’ image shows the pupils of Mrs McEwan’s day school at Upper Ladyes Hills. The ‘now’ image was photographed in 2019, with the kind permission of the then owners of the… Read More Mrs McEwan’s School – Then & Now
This undated image of St Nicholas’ Churchyard, was provided to KHAS from the collection of the late Reg Palmer. It shows the path running down from the High Street from the north-west towards the Norman west door of St Nicholas’ Church, which was rescued from the Abbey and inserted into the church’s tower by Robert… Read More St Nicholas’ Churchyard – Then & Now
This ‘then’ image comes from the photo collection of Rob Steward. The alleyway shown here runs from behind number 2, Bridge Street and behind all of the houses on the eastern side of the road down to Finham Brook. On modern maps it is addressed as being part of School Lane itself. From the front,… Read More School Lane Alley – Then & Now
This undated image of St Nicholas’ Church, was provided to KHAS from the collection of the late Reg Palmer. It shows the east end of the chancel, the south chapel and the south transept, presumably taken some time in the nineties or noughties. The ‘now’ image is mostly unchanged, save for some additional undergrowth present… Read More St Nicholas’ South Chapel – Then & Now
This undated ‘then’ postcard shows the junction of Castle Green, Castle Hill and Castle Road opposite the Queen & Castle pub, known locally as ‘The Godcake’. The ‘now’ images was photographed in early Autumn of 2018. First, a few words about the term ‘godcake’. I confess, I first came across the term amongst the writings… Read More The Godcake – Then & Now
This image of Oxpen Meadow, was provided to KHAS from the collection of the late Reg Palmer. In the distance (left) is the Castle, and in front of it can be seen 38 Castle Road, beside the Ford. The meadow beneath Little Virginia can be seen to the rear. A few trees have come and… Read More Oxpen Meadow Marsh – Then & Now
This image of the Stone House’s courtyard, was provided to KHAS from the collection of the late Reg Palmer. This image pairing shows the courtyard belonging to the grand Stone House on the High Street, to the west of the main house itself. The house itself has large grounds to the rear, including a tennis… Read More The Stone House Courtyard – Then & Now
This image of The Stone House, was provided to KHAS from the collection of the late Reg Palmer. This image shows the garden wall and eastern end of The Stone House. This imposing dwelling was Grade II listed as early as June 1949, which is very early indeed for a listing, presumably reflecting the grandiose… Read More The Stone House – Then & Now
This image of 50 – 62 High Street was provided to KHAS from the collection of the late Reg Palmer. The ‘then’ image is undated, but presumably taken some time in the nineties or noughties. The ‘now’ image was taken in the autumn of 2018. Little has changed between the two images, save for a… Read More 50 – 62 High Street – Then & Now
Sometimes it is almost impossible to match a then and now view, and this is most definitely one of those scenarios. This then and now pairing shows what was known as Kenilworth Junction, situated in The Common. The bridge shown is that of Common Lane, as it crosses the railway from east to west. Kenilworth… Read More Kenilworth Junction – Then & Now
This early photo of the southern end of Malthouse Lane is notable for two reasons. Firstly, it shows the road as a rural lane, surrounded by fields, long before the modern housing estates built in the 1950s and 1960s existed. Secondly, it also shows the actual Malt House, which gives the road its name. Today,… Read More The Malthouse – Then & Now
This fascinating Then & Now comparison shows a view of Priory Road at a time when the west side of the road was yet to be built upon. A pair of girls, dressed in smart white smocks and wide brimmed hats, look on curiously at the photographer. Behind them, fields stretch as far as the… Read More Priory Road Fields – Then & Now
This image of the lake at Oxpen Meadow, Abbey Fields, was provided to KHAS from the collection of the late Reg Palmer. Formerly a fishpond belonging to the Abbey of St Mary up until the dissolution, Robin Leach dates its draining to become the oxpen meadow as c1650. Harry Sunley tells us in A Kenilworth… Read More Oxpen Meadow – Then & Now
This Then & Now comparison is one which, at first glance, appears to be little changed, due perhaps to the relatively small timescale between the two images, but on closer inspection the differences begin to appear. The undated ‘then’ image may perhaps have been taken some time in the late nineties or early noughties, the… Read More Abbey Fields Playground – Then & Now
This image of the junction of High Street, Fieldgate Lane, New Street and Bridge Street was provided to KHAS from the collection of the late Reg Palmer. The ‘then’ image is undated, but the ‘now’ image was taken in the summer of 2018. At the time the ‘now’ photo was taken, the former Abbotsford School… Read More Bridge Street from High Street – Then & Now
This image of the upper High Street and its environs was provided to KHAS from the collection of the late Reg Palmer. The ‘then’ image is undated, presumably having been taken some time in the early 2000s, whereas the ‘now’ image dates from Summer 2018. Little has changed between the two images. In the distance… Read More Upper High Street – Then & Now
This image of Lower Ladyes Hills and allotments was provided to KHAS from the collection of the late Reg Palmer. The images were both taken from the Manor Road bridge, looking towards Lower Ladyes Hills. The allotments shown here sit on the former site of the Woodmill Pool, a mill pond used to feed the… Read More Lower Ladyes Hills and Allotments – Then & Now
This image of the old Abbey Hotel wall was provided to KHAS from the collection of the late Reg Palmer. It shows the Abbey Hotel in the late 1980s or early 1990s, now converted to flats. Betty Sunley wrote in Kenilworth History 2006 / 2007 of the hotel’s predecessor, based on information from Robin Leach’s… Read More Abbey Hotel – Then & Now
This image of the surviving part of the Manor Road bridge was provided to KHAS from the collection of the late Reg Palmer. It shows a view from Manor Road looking towards Park Road taken some time in the late 1980s or early 1990s, matched to an image taken in the Summer of 2018. David… Read More Manor Road Bridge – Then & Now
This image of the Kenilworth Castle’s Keep was provided to KHAS from the collection of the late Reg Palmer. It shows the Keep some time in the late 1980s or early 1990s, and again in the summer of 2018. According to the English Heritage history of the Castle, “Henry I (reigned 1100–35) granted land from… Read More The Keep – Then & Now
This image of an archway adjoining the Abbey Gatehouse was provided to KHAS from the collection of the late Reg Palmer. The comparison shows two images of the archway into the sunken chamber beside the Abbey Gatehouse, sadly showing visible signs of deterioration to the stone work between the two images. The ‘then’ image above… Read More Abbey Gatehouse Archway – Then & Now
This image of the Old Council House was provided to KHAS from the collection of the late Reg Palmer. According to Harry Sunley’s A Kenilworth Chronology (Odiborune Press, 1989) the Old Council House was built on Upper Rosemary Hill in 1885, at a cost of £1600 including the land. Robin Leach, however, has a slightly… Read More The Old Council House – Then & Now
These images of the restoration of the Abbey’s Lapidarium Wall were provided to KHAS from the collection of the late Reg Palmer. A lapidarium (from the Latin lapis, meaning stone) is defined as a place where stone monuments and fragments of archæological interest are exhibited. The images show the rebuilding of the wall in 1984,… Read More Rebuilding the Lapidarium Wall – Then & Now
This 1980s ‘then’ image of the surviving part of the Abbey’s chapter house wall was provided to KHAS from the collection of the late Reg Palmer. The ‘now’ image was taken in the Summer of 2018. The area of the Abbey is a scheduled ancient monument under the Ancient Monuments and Archæological Areas Act 1979.… Read More The Chapter House Wall – Then & Now
This undated image of Bridge Street was provided to KHAS from the collection of the late Reg Palmer. It shows Bridge Street looking north, taken from the hump of the former air-raid shelter on Rosemary Hill. In the distance we can see the distinctive white, Grade II listed, late 18th Century Kenilworth Hall, former grand… Read More Lower Bridge Street – Then & Now
This Then & Now comparison pairs a 1960s ‘then’ colour image of what is possibly the castle’s Sally Port with a 2018 ‘now’ equivalent. The images have both been taken with a zoom lens from Echo Meadow to capture the stretch of the castle’s curtain wall between Leicester’s Building and Mortimer’s Tower from the outside.… Read More The Sally Port – Then & Now
This 1980s image of Abbey End was provided to KHAS from the collection of the late Reg Palmer. It shows the section of Abbey End which was redeveloped post-war, to replace the row of residential and commercial properties destroyed in the Blitz. The site of the Bluebell Cafe (extreme left) is now occupied by Pizza… Read More Abbey End 1980s – Then & Now
This Then & Now comparison attempts to match the view of St Mary’s Abbey, Kenilworth as captured an engraving by brothers Samuel and Nathaniel Buck in 1729. The engraving is taken from their work Views of Ruins of Castles & Abbeys in England, Part 2, 1726-1739. Prolific antiquarians, the Yorkshire born Buck brothers travelled the… Read More Buck Print of the Abbey – Then & Now
This then and now comparison shows a pre-war view of the clock tower at Abbey End. It can be identified as pre-war simply because it shows part of Lord Leycester’s Lodge (extreme right) which was destroyed by the Luftwaffe parachute mine of November 1940. We can also see the steps beneath the clock tower, later… Read More The Square and Lord Leycester’s Lodge – Then & Now
This then and now pair of images shows part of an etching by Wenceslas Hollar of Kenilworth Castle, matched with a modern view from 2017. Hollar, properly known as Vaclav Hollar in his native tongue, was born in Prague in 1607 and died in London in 1677, having first travelled over with Lord Arundel to… Read More Hollar Print of the Castle – Then & Now
This Then & Now image is a cropped portion of aerial photo EAW025675 taken from the wonderful Britain From Above website. If you have a moment, I can highly recommend registering for free on the website, because doing so enables you to zoom into their high resolution images to examine details close up. This particular… Read More High Street Aerial View – Then & Now
This ‘then’ view shows the east side of Warwick Road between Station Road and Talisman Square, once the site of The Tannery. Most interestingly in this view, is a glimpse of a row of old cottages, which survived until the demolition frenzy of the 1960s. The History of Warwick Road Tannery, Kenilworth (Gould & James,… Read More 12 – 16 Warwick Road – Then & Now
This old postcard of a horse and cart crossing through The Ford is instantly recognisable, despite subtle changes in the scene over the years. The good citizens of Kenilworth have had ample opportunity to build a bridge here over the years, given the disruption it causes when in flood. The reluctance to do so seems… Read More The Ford – Then & Now
This week’s Then & Now comparison comes courtesy of local historian Robin Leach, who has written extensively on the town’s history, including books focusing specifically on the railway such as Rails to Kenilworth and Milverton (Rookfield Publications, 1999). This remarkable photograph is part of the London & North Western Railway Society archive (which is based in Kenilworth) and… Read More Whateley’s Nursery & Railway – Then and Now
This Then & Now comparison attempts to locate the vantage point of a famous engraving, entitled The East View of Kenilworth Castle in the County of Warwick by Samuel and Nathaniel Buck. The Buck brothers set out around England in 1724 to record numerous antiquaries, including abbeys, castles and townscapes, usually under the patronage of… Read More Buck Print of the Castle – Then & Now
This pair of Then & Now images shows the visit of Edward, Prince of Wales to Kenilworth Castle. The ‘then’ image is an artificially colourised version of another black and white photograph held by Warwick County Records Office. Whoever did the colourisation was evidently unsure which of the Gatehouse windows were bricked up and which… Read More Prince of Wales Visit to the Castle – Then & Now
This Then & Now comparison shows the Carnival of 1978 as it climbs up Castle Hill towards the High Street, matched with an equivalent image taken from last year’s carnival. The ‘then’ image is 40 years old this week. Perhaps some readers may recognise themselves amongst the crowds? For once, your author can be certain… Read More Carnival on Castle Hill – Then & Now
This Then & Now comparison shows what is variously referred to on old postcards as either the ‘rustic bridge’ or ‘fairy bridge’, which once connected Mortimer’s Tower to the outer bailey. This allowed visitors inside the castle to cross outwards to visit Mortimer’s Tower at a time when it was otherwise inaccessible from either inside… Read More The Fairy Bridge – Then & Now
It is testament to the fame that the romantic ruins of Kenilworth Castle attained in the early 19th century that an artist of J. M. W. Turner’s calibre chose to paint the scene shown here. The painting of circa 1830, in watercolour, bodycolour and graphite on paper, is now in the Fine Arts Museums of… Read More Turner’s ‘Kenilworth Castle’ – Then & Now
This Then & Now comparison shows the site of another casualty of the night of the 21st of November 1940, when a lone Luftwaffe bomber dropped a parachute mine over Abbey End. This is where a centuries old timber framed building known as Lord Leycester’s Lodge stood until it was fatally damaged during the tragic… Read More Site of Lord Leycester’s Lodge – Then & Now
On the night of the 21st of November 1940, a lone Luftwaffe bomber dropped a parachute mine over Abbey End. The above-ground explosion destroyed a swathe of the densely packed shops, houses and pubs and resulted in the tragic deaths of 26 people, many of whom were refugees from Coventry who had come to Kenilworth… Read More The Site of the Globe – Then & Now
This week’s Then & Now comes courtesy of prolific local historian Robin Leach, whose recent research on Kenilworth’s involvement with animal skin processing, in particular on two major sites in the town centre and at Mill End, will soon be available in his new book Kenilworth People and Places, Volume 3 (Rookfield Publications, 2018) which is due to… Read More The Tannery Pits – Then & Now
This week’s Then & Now comes courtesy of prolific local historian Robin Leach, whose recent research on Kenilworth’s involvement with animal skin processing, in particular on two major sites in the town centre and at Mill End, will soon be available in his forthcoming book Kenilworth People and Places, Volume 3 (2018). Henry Street established his fellmongers… Read More The Fellmongery – Then & Now
The pictures above show a much modified Edwardian terrace, now numbered 44 – 46 The Square, Kenilworth. The ‘Then’ picture was taken from a Kenilworth Weekly News article published in May 1979 in the KHAS archives. The article explains that the original photo was snapped in 1950. It shows that numbers 44 – 46 were… Read More Midland Bank, Warwick Road – Then & Now
This etching comes from a beautifully printed invoice from the wonderfully named “Mrs T.R. Stevens, Milliner and Costumier, Ladies & Children’s Outfitter, Depot for Dr Jaeger’s Clothing”. The millinery shop stood at the mouth of School Lane, at its junction with Rosemary Hill. This etching shows just how narrow School Lane was at this point.… Read More Kenilworth House – Then & Now
This colourised postcard shows a collection of wonderful old timber-framed properties on Bridge Street, which were the subject of our very first Then & Now comparison back in December 2015. It was a very pertinent bit of subject matter for the Society, as it is the destruction of these buildings in 1961 that caused a… Read More Old House, Bridge Street – Then & Now
This Then & Now comparison shows a photograph from 1883 of Kenilworth Fire Brigade posing with their manual pump fire engine on Upper Rosemary Hill. At the time, the brigade’s engine house was situated round the corner, fronting onto Savage lane (now Richards Close). The subsequent engine house stood at the mouth of Richards Close,… Read More Fire Brigade – Then & Now
This postcard shows the Cosy Cafe on Castle Green, which served teas to tourists who came to the town to take in the majestic ruins of Kenilworth Castle. It boasted sumptuous interiors such as the Lustre Room, with lace tablecloths and horse brasses hanging from the ceiling, and a small garden for those brave enough… Read More Cosy Cafe – Then & Now
This quaint postcard of Kenilworth Common shows a pair of semi-detached Victorian houses, with smoke pouring from the chimney stack. A family gathering of the inhabitants poses for the camera. A side-by-side map comparison with the OS 25 Inch, 1892 – 1905 map shows that these houses were reachable only by a trackway which ran… Read More House in The Common – Then & Now
This Then & Now comparison shows Lord Leicester’s Stables, Kenilworth Castle, when it first became used as a cafe for visitors. Later renovations and alterations have since removed extra beams and props and made subtle alterations to the brick and stonework, which make an exact ‘now’ match more troublesome than it might first appear. Hence,… Read More Leicester’s Stable Interior – Then & Now
Readers of this Then & Now feature will be familiar with the fate of some of the buildings shown on this Then & Now comparison. The surviving timber framed cottage buildings in the ‘now’ image are Chase Cottage and Little Chase Cottage (centre). At the rear of the ‘now’ image we can see the white… Read More Clinton Lane – Then & Now
In previous Then & Now comparisons we saw how the old fashioned terraced shop belonging to W.H Watts at number 30 Warwick Road was converted to a modern supermarket by knocking it through into the house at number 32 next door. This Then & Now comparison shows the finished article, complete with a supporting pillar… Read More E.H. Watts VG Stores – Then & Now
This row of Warwick Road properties has undergone so many alterations and demolitions that there aren’t very many clues as to which are their modern day counterparts. However, from similar images it is possible to deduce that the properties on the left of the image, up to and including W.R. Barnett’s Fried Fish and Oyster… Read More W.R. Barnett and W.H. Watts – Then & Now
This Then & Now image shows the demolition the frontage of what is now numbered 30 Warwick Road. As We will see in subsequent Then & Nows, this work was done in preparation for the widening of the E.H. Watts grocery store at number 32 next door, the doorway to which is just visible on… Read More 32 Warwick Road Demolition – Then & Now
This Then & Now pairing shows Boots the Chemist on Warwick Road, some time in the early 1960s and its modern day equivalent location. This grand old double bay windowed house, known as The Limes, was subdivided and converted into two shops. It stood next door to the Tannery Gates, out of shot to the… Read More Boots the Chemist, Warwick Road – Then & Now
This Then & Now image is taken from Upper Rosemary Hill and shows the Abbey Hotel which stands at the junction of Priory Road, Abbey Hill and Rosemary Hill. Very little appears to have changed in the two scenes, but there are some vital clues in the ‘then’ image which allow us to provide some… Read More Abbey Hill – Then & Now
This then & now pairing shows an etching of the grand property named Cumnor House, which sits opposite the War Memorial at 17 – 19 Abbey Hill, along with a modern day equivalent photo from 2017. The name is perhaps a reference to Cumnor Place near Oxford, in which Amy Robsart, wife of Robert Dudley, lived… Read More Cumnor House – Then & Now
This pair of then & now photos show a once familiar scene when the Warwickshire Hunt gathered for its traditional Boxing Day meeting in the car park of Kenilworth Castle. The hounds are gathered and the horses seem to be mounted by exceptionally youthful riders except for one or two older members, which leads one… Read More Warwickshire Hunt – Then & Now
This postcard of The Square can be dated between 1906 when the clock tower was constructed and the 1930s when alterations were made to the buildings comprising Numbers 1 & 2, The Square behind the clocktower. Long distance shots of the same scene can be found in previous Then & Now comparisons here and here.… Read More Postcard of The Square & Clock Tower – Then & Now
Pictures of the gates of the old Tannery on Warwick Road, where Talisman Square now stands, are relatively few and far between. This one was taken in early 1965 by John Drew for his book Kenilworth – A Manor of The King (Pleasaunce Press, 1971). Harry Sunley records in A Kenilworth Chronology (Odibourne Press, 1989).that… Read More Tannery Gates, Warwick Road, early 1965 – Then & Now
Here we see yet another Then & Now pairing which illustrates the scale of the demolition along Warwick Road in the 1960s and 1970s. This scene shows a row of houses at the junction of Randall Road and Warwick Road, taken in 1971 by John Drew for his book Kenilworth – A Manor of The… Read More Randall Road Junction, 1971 – Then & Now
This then & now pair shows the old Post Office building on the corner of Barrow Road and Warwick Road in 1969, shortly before its demolition, taken by John Drew for his book Kenilworth – A Manor of The King (Pleasaunce Press, 1971). According to Victorian Kenilworth and Its People (Rookfield Publications, 2006) by Robin… Read More Post Office, 1969 – Then & Now
The postcard above shows an undated view of Mr J. Hughes’ bakery, opposite St John’s church, with the proprietor and presumably his son and daughter in the doorway. A horse and cart has stopped in the road outside to pose for the photographer. The sign above also advertises a sideline “Sacks for Hire”. Fresh loaves… Read More Mr Hughes’ Bakery, St John’s – Then & Now
For a number of years the location of the former King’s Head pub, known to have existed from licensing records, was lost to us. All that changed with an intriguing discovery during demolition work next door. The King’s Head, incidentally, is not to be confused with the nearby King’s Arms & Castle on the opposite… Read More King’s Head Sign, Then & Now
Younger readers may be unaware that a row of houses, named Fairview, once stood where the entrance of the Sainsbury’s carpark now lies. This ‘then’ photo was taken in July 1964 by John Drew for his book Kenilworth – A Manor of The King (Pleasaunce Press, 1971) shortly before the row was demolished. According to… Read More Fairview, July 1964 – Then & Now
This famous old postcard shows the demolition of the old Old Vicarage, in preparation for the building of the Parochial Hall. The vicar of St Nicholas’ Church, to which the hall belongs, seems to be taking an unusually hands-on approach to the proceedings and is pictured here half way up a ladder surrounded by workmen.… Read More Old Vicarage & Tithe Barn – High Street
This then and now pair shows a snowy Abbey End as it appeared in the 1960s, still unoccupied since the rubble was cleared away from the destruction of the parachute mine in November 1940. The rubble of the old buildings was cleared away and the site was used as a car park for many years… Read More Cars Parked at Abbey End – Then & Now
This pair of Then & Now photos shows just how poor the state of repair of the cottages in Little Virginia had become by the late 1960s and early 1970s. Given how idyllic these cottages are today and given their prime location adjacent to historic Kenilworth Castle it seems inconceivable that they lay derelict. This… Read More Little Virginia Cottage – Then & Now
The narrative of this then & now post will be familiar to regular readers. This mid 1960s photo shows a row of brick cottages that comprised 151, 153 & 155 Warwick Road, photographed by John Drew in 1964 for his book Kenilworth – A Manor of The King (Pleasaunce Press, 1971) shortly before its demolition.… Read More 151, 153 & 155 Warwick Road, 1964 – Then & Now
This week’s Then & Now comparison is provided by two local guest contributors who worked in Kenilworth’s NatWest Bank branch before it closed on the 13th of June 2017. The pictures were kindly supplied by Kally Radcliffe to mark the branch’s closure. The text was provided by another ex-branch employee Mark Francis, taken from a… Read More NatWest Bank – Then & Now
This Then & Now pair of photos shows a group of children posing for the camera at the junction of High Street, New Street, Bridge Street and Fieldgate Lane. The group was posed just off the carriageway but thanks to road widening it would not be advisable for children to linger there today! A pair… Read More High Street Children – Then & Now
Had it not been for the fact that the mid-1960s ‘then’ photo above was labelled as ‘86 Warwick Road’, it would have been very difficult to identify the ‘now’ equivalent. In fact, only the tip the chimney of the neighboring Sagar’s carpet shop, poking above the roofline of the now demolished cottage, gives us any… Read More 86 Warwick Road – Then & Now
This undated postcard shows Castle Hill and Little Virginia, with the keep of Kenilworth Castle looming behind. An abundance of foliage has sprung up in the intervening years which means the castle itself is now obscured but the remainder of the scene is largely unaltered. Obscured by the foliage (far right in the ‘now’ photo),… Read More Castle Hill & New Row – Then & Now
If you were to gather together all of the timber framed and thatched properties demolished in Kenilworth from the mid-1960s to the mid-1970s you could build yourself a very pretty, historic village. The area most scarred by this destruction is Warwick Road. At the turn of the 20th Century, Warwick Road still resembled the sort… Read More 17 – 23 Warwick Road, 1964 – Then & Now
This week’s Then & Now comparison comes from our guest contributor, the esteemed local historian Robin Leach. Robin has written numerous books on the history of Kenilworth, maintains two websites on Victorian Kenilworth and Kenilworth in WWII and will be the guest speaker on the History of the Abbey Fields at October’s KHAS meeting. The photos… Read More The Swimming Pool, Abbey Fields – Then & Now