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
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. The scene looks remarkably unchanged today, save for the differing garden features. Norman Stevens proposed in Kenilworth History 2001 – 2002 that these properties might… Read More Castle Green Chapel of Ease – 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 cottage on the right, which has since been demolished. Cob is defined as “a natural building material made from subsoil, water, some kind of fibrous… Read More Old Cob House, Fieldgate Lane – 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 bricked number 44 on the extreme left has been re-fronted since the original photo was taken. Every self respecting English market town should have a… Read More The Red Lion – 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 the background of the 1960s ‘then’ image it is clear that something had recently been demolished. Today’s slightly unusual ‘Then, Then & Now’ post provides… Read More Little Chase Cottage – Then, 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 to modern eyes. In fact, only the differences that really stand out are the models of the cars on display. A few more front gardens… Read More Waverley Road – 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 telephone box and belisha beacon represent pretty much the only substantial changes in the foreground of the image. Parking was still permitted along Warwick Road… Read More The West Side of The Square – 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 was built in 1906. The right hand side of the scene is not unfamiliar to modern eyes. The buildings either side of Station Road, including… Read More The Square from Warwick Road – 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 visible progress in building a replacement. Both stations are visible in the Then & Now scenes above, taken from the Priory Road footbridge. The curve… Read More Kenilworth Station Platforms – 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 top hat. A lady in fine attire and an elegant hat walks alongside on the pavement. A child in a smock is ambling along in… Read More St John’s – 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 Lord Leycester’s Lodge, shown here in an early 20th century postcard view. The origins of Lord Leycester’s Lodge are somewhat lost in the mists of… Read More Lord Leycester’s Lodge – 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 but the clock faces and weather vane are yet to be added. In the background we can see the buildings of Abbey End as they… Read More The Clock Tower – 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 be seen in this previous Then & Now pairing showing the building of the square from Warwick Road. The text of the billboard proclaimed the… Read More Talisman Square Plans – 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 brook at the bottom end of School Lane and across to Lower Ladyes Hills and the Common in the distance. At the bottom of the… Read More Hyde Road – 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 once known as the Drovers Inn, having been used by Welsh drovers, although further dates and details of the pub itself are hard to come… Read More Drovers Inn – 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 swept away several historic properties in the area. They stand on Clinton Lane, which forms the approach to the Castle for travellers coming from the… Read More Little Chase Cottage – 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 and local character. A nation confident of a better future, with a buoyant economy for the first time since WWII, sought to clear away the… Read More The Old Cottage, Clinton Lane – 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 at the photographer. Warwickshire, like all counties nationally, had been forced to provide a constabulary by Act of Parliament since 1858. Kenilworth Hall was owned by… Read More Bridge Street from Kenilworth Hall – 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 point for the ‘now’ photo because it would result in a photo containing a wall of foliage that obscures the scene to be captured! This… Read More Abbey Fields & St Nicholas’ Church – 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 the path between Bridge Street and Abbey Hill is newly planted. Following the dissolution of the Abbey of St Mary, Kenilworth in 1538, the land… Read More Bridge Street from Abbey Fields – 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 building shown (centre) was a millinery shop that once stood at the corner of School Lane and Rosemary Hill. It was demolished for road widening… Read More Rosemary Hill – 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 in Street Names – Third Edition by Robin Leach and Geoff Hilton (Rookfield Publications, 2015) Rosemary Mews was developed in 1987 on the site of… Read More Rosemary Mews, School Lane – 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 bus turns from Park Hill into Albion Street and a Renault 5 starts the steep climb up the hill. Behind can be seen the 1970s… Read More Empty Plot of Liggins Bakery – 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 estate that replaced them, shot in 2016. In case you are struggling to place the scene, the modern day vantage point is at the junction… Read More Demolition of Prefabs – 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 buildings of the Albion Street area have suffered badly over the last 50 years, culminating in the recent demolition of the Albion Tavern. The Victorian… Read More Demolition of Liggins’ Bakery – 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 wind, grinding com for the inhabitants of Kenilworth for seventy-six years until it succumbed to the power of steam”. Rob also speculates, that whilst the… Read More Tainters 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 records some details of Joseph Liggins in his book Kenilworth People & Places Volume 2 (Rookfield Publications, 2013). In the census of 1871, Liggins was… Read More Liggins’ Bakery, Park Hill – 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 tabernacle’ constructions built during the mid 19th century as a result of the development of corrugated galvanised iron for the use of constructing prefabricated buildings.… Read More The Brethren Meeting Rooms – 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 of “forty acres of Hilly Wast Ground [which] are to remain as unenclosed and common land so that the poor of the parish should from… Read More The Common – 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 the early 12th Century as a result of a charter issued by the pope on land issued to them by Henry I. Residents of the… Read More The Square from the Clock Tower – 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 and the Tannery buildings behind have been demolished and building the new shopping precinct is already well under way. A sign proclaims the forthcoming pedestrian… Read More Building of Talisman Square – 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 sloping sides, each of which becomes steeper halfway down. This row of houses sat at ninety degrees to School Lane, with the lower end butting… Read More Noah’s Ark – 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 on a completely different site, originally as the town’s station opened in 1844. An engraving of this can be found on the Windows on Warwickshire… Read More The Vaults – 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 the Abbey Courts Leet in the 16th century, was later extended by the addition of gables to the rear of the building which can be… Read More The Kings Arms & Castle From the Rear – 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 1979. The D.S. in question was David Soden Fancott, who became a master baker and a well-established figure in the town. Robin Leach’s excellent book… Read More Fancott’s Bakery – 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 Enclosure Award of 1756, where it is referred to the be description “One other footway leading from the North side of Odiborne Bridge along the…… Read More Lower Ladyes Hills – 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 the end of the stone bridge eastern side wall in the bottom left. In which case the camera was about three metres below the general… Read More Preparing to Repair the Breach in the Tiltyard, 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 History 2015: “The question has often been asked when the breach in the dam was made? This is not known. Hawkesworth may have just opened… Read More Laying the Pipes Under 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 opened in 1967, replacing the lower walkway which sits beside the Tiltyard. The dam was probably constructed in three phases; initially circa 1125, then subsequently… Read More Filling in the Gap in the Tiltyard, 1964 – 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 when St Nicholas’ Church was established. The nearby Priory (later Abbey) of St Mary was established by Geoffrey de Clinton in 1122 and we do… Read More St Nicholas Church – 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) “What is now known as the Lapidarum Wall was completely rebuilt from its foundations, including the bench, in 1984. The work was carried out by… Read More Garden of Rest Stonework part 2 – 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 according to architectural type”. He goes on to say “Not all examples of each type have been exposed, as some are buried in the wall… Read More Garden of Rest Stonework part 1 – 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 was taken from the wrong angle. The updated ‘now’ photo is taken from as close to the original spot as today’s buildings will allow, as can… Read More The Tannery, Warwick Road Updated – 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 J. Tarver. As can clearly be seen from the ‘then’ picture, the gatehouse had become overgrown and it was later designated as dangerous and fenced… Read More St. Nicholas Church from South-West, 1963 – 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, it was later used as an oat mill for cattle feed. According to Harry Sunley in A Kenilworth Chronology (Odibourne Press, 1989) the mill was… Read More The Mill in 1964 from Forge Road – 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 created by damming Finham brook at the spot where the mill stood (off screen, to the right of the photos above). According to Rob Steward… Read More The Mill, Mill End, from the yard 1964 – 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 Common at Mill End, to which it gave its name. According to Rob Steward in Kenilworth History 1997 – 1998: “Townpool and Woodmill Pool… Read More Mill End from The Common – 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 the 1970s. The ‘now photo’ dates from 2016 showing the Elizabethan garden, now bedding in nicely following an archaeological dig in 2006 and the completion… Read More The Castle from the Air – 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 to prevent cattle straying out of the fields. A larger field gate was situated in the main archway. In June 1973 it was destroyed by… Read More ‘Clappergate’ Stile – 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 in the 1920s, in which the ruins were steadily uncovered for the first time since their destruction following the Reformation, the ruins have long since… Read More Abbey Ruins 1960s – 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 between the barn and the stone wall opposite. Other than that, and the loss of a stone cross grave stone head, the scene is relatively… Read More The Abbey ‘Barn’ – 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 amount of green space that surrounded the now very much built-up Warwick Road area. In fact, it takes a while to familiarise yourself with some… Read More Warwick Road Aerial Photo – 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 as part of the ‘walkway in the sky’ concept that developers of the 1950s were so fond of. The bridge was removed in the early 2000s. In the… Read More Talisman Square, mid 1960s – 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 more of an intimate affair, comprising a cozy triangular area enclosed by low rise buildings on all sides. The ‘then’ picture shows that at this… Read More De Montfort Hotel – 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 tower survived the landmine of November 1940 before being cleared for the post-war Abbey End redevelopment, as shown in the modern image. Up until the early… Read More The Clock Tower Post-War – 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 – 2002, this cottage is “…probably early 17th century and of ‘cruck’ construction. Cruck construction consists of two purpose-grown curved tree branches cut longways down… Read More High Street / Castle Hill Cottage – 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. Talisman Square replaced the Tannery and Warwick Road almshouses, which were demolished in 1965 and 1963 respectively. Talisman Square was so named following a competition in… Read More Talisman Square – 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 Leet in 1563 and remained so until the nineteenth century. By the nineteenth century, Coaches used to call in at the King’s Arms ‘from a… Read More The King’s Arms & Castle – 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 of the century. The ‘then’ image above shows its somewhat truncated state in the early late 1960s, following a number of enforced reductions in its… Read More The Square, Early 1960s – 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 shown right of centre here was once occupied by a house known as ‘The Firs’ which was in itself formerly the site of the Green Dragon… Read More Building the De Montfort – 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 early 20th Century postcard of The Square, taken from the junction with Station Road and Warwick Road with its equivalent image from December 2015. On the… Read More Postcard of The Square – 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 embracing modernity with an alarming disregard for heritage. This then and now pairing shows a ramshackle old farmhouse on School Lane which was swept away… Read More Old Farmhouse on School Lane – 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 end cottage on Castle Green before its demolition and behind it stretches a sparsely populated Clinton Lane with very little in the way of modern… Read More Kenilworth Castle Aerial View – 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 lies the 1960s development including Amherst Road and Berkeley Road, on which lies two wooded hollows which were formerly quarries used during the building of Kenilworth Abbey… Read More Malthouse Lane – 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 Aldridge’s haberdashery, now Warwick Estates and Kenilworth Weekly News offices. The ‘now’ pictures were taken in December 2015. It was a time of change in… Read More Almshouses, Warwick Road – 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 left were destroyed or damaged beyond repair. The rubble was later cleared to make way for a temporary carpark until the Square was redeveloped in… Read More The Square, Abbey End – 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 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
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
The Society produces a wealth of fascinating insights into the long history and rich heritage of the town of Kenilworth, its inhabitants and its buildings. We hope you enjoy the features on the KHAS website and we welcome your involvement and contributions. Newsletters – The Newsletters section includes the monthly newsletters sent to members by the KHAS… Read More Features
Dear member A reminder that our next KHAS meeting is on Monday 8th April, 7:45pm at the Senior Citizens Club, Abbey End car park. There will be a short EGM followed by our speaker, Roger Warren on “Walter Scott & “Kenilworth”” For those who have not already paid this year’s subscription, there will be an opportunity… Read More KHAS meeting on Monday 8th April
The temperatures have plummeted to suitably Autumnal levels, so we turn our attention to the next edition of our annual publication, Kenilworth History 2023. As you may know, Kenilworth History is made available for free to all KHAS members and is also available for sale to non-members. Copies are also sent to Kenilworth Library for posterity and to our patron… Read More Articles Welcome for Kenilworth History 2023
This Augustinian convent was originally founded as a Priory in 1119 by Geoffrey de Clinton (also founder of Kenilworth Castle) on land granted to him by King Henry I. Although Augustinian Canons lived in communal surroundings they were not Monks; they were all ordained Priests and as such sometimes had a role to play within… Read More Abbey of St. Mary the Virgin, Kenilworth
This article by Carol Smart first appeared in the pages of Kenilworth History back in 1995: WARWICKSHIRE IN THE DARK AGES, SOME UNANSWERED QUESTIONS by Carol Smart “The Dark Ages” is here taken to mean the fifth and sixth centuries, the period between the final collapse of Roman administration at the beginning of the fifth… Read More From the Archives – Warwickshire in the Dark Ages
The Christmas Meeting: Our December meeting was, as always, greatly enjoyed and appreciated by all who could be there. On this occasion we were joined from Kenilworth Castle by “Queen Elizabeth I and her two Ladies in Waiting” who told us all about Elizabethan costume and the importance of the Sumptuary Laws. These stipulated who,… Read More January 2020 Newsletter
To mark the 900th year of the Foundation, there will be a Celebration in S. Nicholas’ Church of “The Masse” at 10 in the morning of the 28th of August, the feast day of S Augustine of Hippo to whom, with the Blessed Virgin Mary, Priory, later Abbey, was dedicated. The order of service will be that… Read More Kenilworth Abbey 900
Why register on the KHAS Website? One aspect of the KHAS website that we’ve never got working satisfactorily, up until now, is the KHAS Forum. We’re pleased to say that this is now up and running, so we’d like to take you through what this feature is and how to use it. The Society would… Read More Register for the KHAS Website Forum
When we left Part Three of this Blacklow Hill ‘From the Archives’ feature it was June 1972 ad the dig had concluded but the official report remained unpublished. The extent to which the dig site would be obliterated by the extension of the Warwick Bypass was at that stage unknown. Harry Sunley returned to the topic… Read More The Blacklow Hill Dig – Part Four
When we left the story in Part 2 of this mini-series, the dig team were coming to terms with the scale and importance of the discoveries on Blacklow Hill, and perhaps not now viewing it to be quite such an archeæological backwater after all. Harry Sunley continues the story, in KHAS Newsletter 39 from June… Read More The Blacklow Hill Dig – Part Three
When we left the story in Part 1 of this mini-series, the Society was grappling with the somewhat underwhelming task of digging and recording a bit of a backwater site at Blacklow Hill, in an almost impossibly short space of time. While the Coventry Archæological Society got the remit to investigate the Romano-British sites around… Read More The Blacklow Hill Dig – Part Two
Introduction – The Importance of Blacklow Hill What follows is part one of four of the remarkable story of how KHAS came to be involved in the discovery of stunning finds at Blacklow Hill, just outside Leek Wootton, in the early 1970s. Up until then, Blacklow Hill had chiefly been known as the scene of the… Read More The Blacklow Hill Dig – Part One
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
The Abbey ‘Barn’ Museum Kenilworth’s Abbey Museum and Heritage Centre, at The Barn, Abbey Fields, will re-open for the 2017 season on Easter Sunday 16th and Easter Monday 17th April from 2.30 to 4.30 pm and will remain open every Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday afternoon thereafter until the 17th September. Admission is free –… Read More Details of Forthcoming Events
As we reported recently, for a number of years a KHAS member has been researching and creating a virtual 3D model of Kenilworth Castle as it might have been in 1645. Here is another preview of his model, this time a video time focusing on Leicester’s Stables: This recreation is based on archaeological survey reports, English Heritage… Read More 3D Model of Kenilworth Castle – Leicester’s Stables
Heritage Open Days 2016 Kenilworth Abbey ‘Barn’ Museum & Heritage Centre open both Saturday and Sunday 10th & 11th September 2.30 to 4.30 pm. On Saturday 10th there will also be a free guided walk of the Abbey ruins at 3pm. If you have ever wondered who built Kenilworth Abbey, why it is sometimes called… Read More Free Guided Walk of the Abbey – 10th September
A timeline of the events of the great Siege of Kenilworth from its origins in August 1265 to its aftermath in December 1266: August 1265 – survivors of the battle of Evesham make their way back to Kenilworth Castle. The castle has been kept well provisioned with both food and siege equipment. The Countess and… Read More THE GREAT SIEGE OF KENILWORTH – Time Line
The piece of open land known as Parliament Piece, sandwiched between Upper spring Lane and the Coventry Road, is the subject of a bit of local myth and legend. One persistent myth is that it is said to be the site where Henry III held a Parliament during the great siege in August 1266. This subject was tackled by… Read More From the Archives – Parliament Piece, Kenilworth – A Metal Detector Survey
KENILWORTH HISTORY & ARCHÆOLOGY SOCIETY – May 2016 Newsletter » Last Month: Last month Roy Smart gave us an entertaining account of the colourful life of The Last Naval Hero: David, 1st Earl Beatty, in which he incorporated a musical interlude and finale. In contrast, Roy’s statistics concerning the number of British ships and British lives lost at the… Read More May 2016 Newsletter
KENILWORTH HISTORY & ARCHÆOLOGY SOCIETY – April 2016 Newsletter » Last Month: We were unexpectedly privileged to welcome Julie Crawshaw, the Project Manager, no less, for the “New Place Project” which operates under the aegis of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. She gave an animated and comprehensive account of the work being done in Stratford, and inspired many of us… Read More April 2016 Newsletter
Jan Cooper discusses the events of the Great Siege of Kenilworth 1266, following on from her earlier article on the life and death of Simon de Montfort at the Battle of Evesham: Those of Earl Simon’s supporters who had escaped the carnage of Evesham made their way back to Kenilworth Castle. Also returning to the castle was… Read More The Great Siege of Kenilworth 1266
We know a great deal of the phases of development of Kenilworth Castle itself, but what of its enigmatic counterpart known as The Brays? Was it a hastily constructed rampart thrown together as a result of the Siege of 1266? Was it constructed earlier during the reign of King John? Or does it in fact… Read More From the Archives: The Brays
KENILWORTH HISTORY & ARCHÆOLOGY SOCIETY – March 2016 Newsletter » Last month at the AGM, Phil Stock was elected to the Committee in lieu of Barbara Platten, who had resigned. No other changes were made. The Treasurer presented the accounts, to the satisfaction of the membership. The Chairman made a few points, but left the tenor of her view… Read More March 2016 Newsletter
Kenilworth Abbey ‘Barn’ Museum & Heritage Centre open both Saturday and Sunday 10th & 11th September 2.30 to 4.30 pm. On Saturday 10th there will also be a free guided walk of the Abbey ruins at 3pm. If you have ever wondered who built Kenilworth Abbey, why it is sometimes called a Priory, what it… Read More Heritage Open Days 2016
Kenilworth’s role as a royal residence meant that it was often at the centre of events of national and even world importance. A classic example is the story of the insulting gift of a barrel of tennis balls sent to Henry V by the Dauphin, Louis of Viennois during a lull in the Hundred Years War. Henry’s… Read More From the Archives: Anyone for Tennis?
The following article was first published in Kenilworth History 2000 – 2001 by Rob Steward. If you were of the understanding that there was but one windmill in Kenilworth, then this may very well be the article for you. Kenilworth Windmills Rob Steward I have written in the past, in these pages, about water and… Read More From the Archives: Kenilworth Windmills