Castle Green Chapel of Ease – Then & Now
This then & now pairing shows a 1960s view of numbers 12 and 13 Castle Green, the origins of which have been the source of much speculation in recent years.…
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.
Old Cob House, Fieldgate Lane – Then & Now
This rustic looking mid-1960s scene is an image of Fieldgate Lane at the junction of Fancott Drive. The ‘then’ photo was captioned as ‘Old Cob Building’ which relates to the…
The Red Lion – Then & Now
This Then & Now pairing shows the High Street in the mid 1960s looking down towards the direction of New Street. The scene is gratifyingly unchanged today, although the red…
Little Chase Cottage – Then, Then & Now
In March 2017 we posted a Then & Now image showing Little Chase Cottage on Clinton Lane featuring a 1960s colour photo, presumably taken by KHAS member Rob Steward. In…
Waverley Road – Then & Now
Not all Then & Now articles relate to dramatic changes or destruction and reconstruction. This Then & Now comparison shows a Waverley Road of the 1960s that is immediately familiar…
The West Side of The Square – Then & Now
This mid-1960s image shows a rank of shops on the west side of The Square, opposite the clock tower, which survived the blitz and look remarkably unchanged today. A lost…
The Square from Warwick Road – Then & Now
This scene of Warwick Road and The Square is much like many other postcards of the scene from the era. It does however show The Square before the Clock Tower…
Kenilworth Station Platforms – Then & Now
This is a timely Then & Now pairing, insofar as Kenilworth, which has been without a station since the old station was shut in the 1960s, is at last making…
Randall Road Junction – Then & Now
This Then & Now pairing shows the junction of Randall Road and Warwick Road, taken from the niche where the estate agents opposite is a little bit set back from…
St John’s – Then & Now
This sedate looking scene of the St John’s end of town shows a horse and cart heading towards the direction of Warwick, watched over by an elderly gentleman in a…
Lord Leycester’s Lodge – Then & Now
Possibly the saddest casualty of the November 1941 Luftwaffe parachute mine, after the tragic loss of life itself of course, was the wonderful property at 1 Borrowell Lane known as…
Poundland – Then & Now
The chipping away of pre-20th Century buildings on Warwick Road during the last 75 years has left us with numerous Then & Now examples such as this one. Listed building…
The Clock Tower – Then & Now
This unusual postcard, dated 1906, shows the clock tower in The Square during its construction. The scaffolding and hoardings are still in place, the stonework appears to have been completed…
Talisman Square Plans – Then & Now
The ‘then’ image above shows a photo of the somewhat tattered billboard that stood at the entrance to Talisman Square as it was being built in 1965. It can clearly…
Hyde Road – Then & Now
This Then & Now pairing shows the open land now occupied by Hyde Road. The ‘then’ photo shows what looks like an idyllic view across the fields, over the mill…
Drovers Inn – Then & Now
This property, which hugs the bend of Clinton Lane opposite the entrance to Avenue Road, was once an inn. As Robin Leach records on his Victorian Kenilworth website it was…
Little Chase Cottage – Then & Now
Little Chase Cottage, and its partner Chase Cottage (out of shot, left) are welcome survivors from the pre-conservation era of demolition and modernisation in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s that…
The Old Cottage, Clinton Lane – Then & Now
Time and time again in these Then & Now images, we see how the push for modernity in the 1950s, 60s and 70s swept away old properties of historic value…
Bridge Street from Kenilworth Hall – Then & Now
This slightly sinister looking scene shows Bridge Street, presumably taken from Kenilworth Hall. The ‘then’ photo shows what might conceivably be a local bobby peering suspiciously round a gas lamp…
Abbey Fields & St Nicholas’ Church – Then & Now
One thing that is apparent when trying to recreate Then & Now pictures is how much leafier today’s scenes are than those of yesteryear. Sometimes it’s difficult to match the exact vantage…
Bridge Street from Abbey Fields – Then & Now
This postcard scene shows Bridge Street and Rosemary Hill from the Abbey Fields. The ‘then’ postcard must date to about 1905 or 1906, as the the avenue of trees along…
Rosemary Hill – Then & Now
This then and now view shows Rosemary Hill looking towards Bridge Street. According to Helen Scott & Richard Storey in ‘A Second Kenilworth Collection’ (Odibourne Press, 1988) the elegantly gabled…
Rosemary Mews, School Lane – Then & Now
This pair of Then & Now photos shows a small factory on the south side of School Lane, where Rosemary Mews is now situated. According to A Portrait of Kenilworth…
Empty Plot of Liggins Bakery – Then & Now
This somewhat forlorn picture shows the final stages of clearing the plot of the former Liggins' Bakery site at the junction of Park Hill and Stoneleigh Road. A Midland Red…
Demolition of Prefabs – Then & Now
This pair of Then & Now images shows the demolition of the estate of post-war prefabricated houses (or 'prefabs'), just off Stoneleigh Road in the mid 1970s and the housing…
Demolition of Liggins’ Bakery – Then & Now
This Then & Now pairing shows the demolition of Joseph Liggins' bakery buildings which stood at the corner of Park Hill and Stoneleigh Road, opposite the Wyandote pub. The Victorian…
Tainters Hill – Then & Now
This then and now shows the windmill on Tainters Hill, built in 1778. Rob Steward records in Kenilworth History 2000 – 2001 that “this mill battled on, driven by the…
Liggins’ Bakery, Park Hill – Then & Now
Joseph Liggins' Bakery stood at the corner of Park Hill and Stoneleigh Road, opposite St Barnabas' church and the Wyandotte pub. The bakery premises was formerly Parkhill House. Robin Leach…
The Brethren Meeting Rooms – Then & Now
This Then & Now pairing shows the site of the Brethren Meeting Rooms near the junction of The Close and Park Road. It was one of a spate of ‘tin…
The Common – Then & Now
Harry Sunley tells us in A Kenilworth Chronology (Odiborne Press, 1989) that various of the common lands of Kenilworth were enclosed by act of Parliament in 1755, with the exception…
The Square from the Clock Tower – Then & Now
The Square must have been established along with the building of the new Castle End borough on lands granted to the de Clintons as lords of the castle manor in…
Building of Talisman Square – Then & Now
This remarkable street scene, dated 28th November 1965, shows the building of Talisman Square in progress. In the ‘then’ photo, both the Almshouses that used to front onto Warwick Road…
Noah’s Ark – Then & Now
This characterful property, known locally as Noah’s Ark, was situated at 95 – 99 School Lane. It was an 18th century building with a distinctive mansard roof; a roof with…
The Vaults – Then & Now
The Vaults, which fronts onto Station Road behind The Kings Arms & Castle. This building has a long and varied history to it. The first incarnation of this structure was…
The Kings Arms & Castle From the Rear – Then & Now
This shot of the rear of the Kings Arms & Castle shows just how much it was altered during the 1985 demolition and rebuilding. The original building, also used as…
Fancott’s Bakery – Then & Now
Harry Sunley tells us in A Kenilworth Chronology (Odiborne Press, 1989) that DS Fancott established Fancott's Bakery in the high street in 1825. It remained in the Fancott family until…
Lower Ladyes Hills – Then & Now
Rob Steward’s book The Inns and Roads of Kenilworth (Odiborne Press, 2000) records that the ancient brook side trackway that would later become Lower Ladyes Hills was improved by the…
Preparing to Repair the Breach in the Tiltyard, 1964 – Then & Now
Here's a view which is almost impossible to recreate today - a view through the breach in the tiltyard beneath Mortimer's Tower, taken in 1964. The ‘then’ photograph probably shows…
Laying the Pipes Under the Tiltyard in 1964 – Then & Now
It was widely assumed that Colonel Hawkesworth drained the mere and breached the Tiltyard dam to render the former royalist stronghold indefensible. However an article on page 32 in Kenilworth…
Filling in the Gap in the Tiltyard, 1964 – Then & Now
The 'then' photo shows the preparations for filling in a gap in the castle’s Tiltyard by the Ministry of Public Building and Works in 1964 . The restored Tiltyard entrance…
St Nicholas Church – Then & Now
Another shot attributed to J. Tarver from 1963, this time of St Nicholas Church taken from within the Abbey ruins, with matching a 2016 counterpart shot. It is not known…
Garden of Rest Stonework part 2 – Then & Now
This Then & Now set is part 2 to the earlier part 1 posting here: http://www.khas.co.uk/garden-rest-stonework-pt1-now/ According to The Abbey of St Mary guidebook by E. Carey-Hill (Odiboure Press, 1985)…
Garden of Rest Stonework part 1 – Then & Now
According to The Abbey of St Mary guidebook by E. Carey-Hill (Odibourne Press, 1985) “When the north cloister wall of 1890 was rebuilt in 1984, the carved stones were grouped…
The Tannery, Warwick Road Updated – Then & Now
Today's Then & Now pairing is an updated version of an earlier post showing the Tannery, Warwick Road. Thanks to Robin Leach for pointing out that the original 'now' photo…
St Nicholas Church in 1963 – Then & Now
This pair of pictures from 1963 and 2016 shows the Abbey’s Tantara Gatehouse with St Nicholas' Church in the background. The 1963 shot is labelled as having been taken by a…
The Mill in 1964 from Forge Road – Then & Now
This black and white photo from 1964 shows the mill taken from what is now Forge Road, Mill End, shortly before its demolition. Originally built as a mill for bread flour,…
The Mill, Mill End, from the yard 1964 – Then & Now
The mill was powered by water wheel, fed from a pool called Woodmill Pool, located over the modern day allotments between Manor Road and Lower Laydes Hills. The pool was…
Mill End from The Common – Then & Now
For readers under the age of 60 or so, this 'then' image will present a completely unfamiliar scene. It shows the mill buildings which once stood on the edge of…
The Castle from the Air – Then & Now
This remarkable pair of aerial photos shows the castle from the air, taken from the west. The ‘then’ photo dates from before the Elizabethan garden had first been restored in…
‘Clappergate’ Stile – Then & Now
In the days when the Abbey Fields was a patchwork of farmers’ fields, the 'tumbledown' or 'clappergate' stile shown in this old postcard was situated in the Abbey’s Tantara Gatehouse…
Abbey Ruins 1960s – Then & Now
Today there is comparatively little to see above ground of the ruins of St Mary’s Abbey in the Abbey Fields. Following the Abbey Excavations in 1840, in the 1880s and…
The Abbey ‘Barn’ – Then & Now
This shot from 1963 shows the Abbey building known as the ‘barn’, clad in ivy and bathed in the July sun. There appears to be a rickety fence and style…
Warwick Road Aerial Photo – Then & Now
This fascinating aerial view of Kenilworth is dated May 1920, and was obtained from the absorbing Britain From Above website. To the modern eye this scene is notable for the…
Talisman Square, mid 1960s – Then & Now
Talisman square, mid 1960s and again in May 2016. The 'then' picture shows the footbridge being built between the offices built above the north and south sides of the square…
De Montfort Hotel – Then & Now
The De Montfort Hotel (now the Holiday Inn) opened in 1967, occupying part of the site destroyed by the landmine of the 21st November 1940. Historically, the Square had been…
The Clock Tower Post-War – Then & Now
The Square, early 1960s and in December 2015. At first glance, little has changed between the two images. However, a handful of the buildings on the left of the clock…
High Street / Castle Hill Cottage – Then & Now
A timber framed cottage at the junction of Malthouse Lane, with High Street in the distance and Castle Hill behind the camera. As Rob Steward explains in Kenilworth History 2001…
Talisman Square – Then & Now
The 'then' photo below shows Talisman Square, largely as had been initially conceived in the post war planning of the late 1950s. The 'now' counterpart photo was taken in December 2015.…
The King’s Arms & Castle – Then & Now
The King's Arms & Castle, 1960s. According to Rob Steward's “The Inns and Roads of Kenilworth” (Odibourne Press, 2000) the “King's Arms Inn” was the venue of the Abbey Courts…
The Square, Early 1960s – Then & Now
The Square, early 1960s. Where the roundabout now stands once stood an elegant building with grand bay-windows, which can be seen on many a postcard of the Square from before the turn…
Building the De Montfort – Then & Now
The 'then' picture above shows the tower crane in place used for building the De Montfort Hotel, as heralded by an advertising board, which was to open in 1967. The vacant plot…
Postcard of The Square – Then & Now
UPDATED 19/02/2016: I am very much indebted to the incomparable Robin Leach for correcting the inaccuracies in the previous version of this text. The 'then' image above shows an…
Old Farmhouse on School Lane – Then & Now
By the mid-1960s the demolition of what were seen as damp and draughty old half-timbered buildings was in full swing. A nation only recently emerging from rationing and austerity was…
Kenilworth Castle Aerial View – Then & Now
This pair of aerial photos, from 1947 and 2016 respectively, shows a rare mid-twentieth century aerial view of Kenilworth Castle and its modern day equivalent: The 'then' photo shows the…
Malthouse Lane – Then & Now
Malthouse Lane, which was known as Quarry Lane at the time of the 1861 census and then Malthouse Lane by 1874. To the extreme right of the image, behind the Malthouse, now…
Almshouses, Warwick Road – Then & Now
These former almshouses on Warwick Road were demolished in 1963 to make way for the Talisman Square development on the site of the adjoining former tannery. Next door was Olive…
The Square, Abbey End – Then & Now
Pre-war postcard of The Square, Abbey End, taken from the War Memorial end looking towards the clock tower. Following the landmine on 21st November 1940, all the buildings on the…
J.C. Clarke, Wheelwrights, Bridge Street – Then & Now
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…
Tilt Yard Mill, 1964 – 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…
The Castle from the Brays, 1907 – 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…
The End Cottage, Castle Green – 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…
Queen & Castle – 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…
The Priory, The High Street – 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…
Parochial Hall 1910 – 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…
Manticora – Then & Now
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…
Widow’s Charity Houses – 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…
Bridge Street – 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…