Webmaster Leamington’s Vue Cinema started life as ‘The Regal’, designed in Art Deco style by Horace G Bradley and opened in September 1931. It was then one of the 15 largest cinemas in the UK. Remodelled several times since then, it is reputedly haunted, by a lady thought by many to be the late Edith Devis. Mrs … Read more
A presentation by Alan Griffin, Chair of Leamington History Group, about the history of Leamington’s Parish Church. Click on the forward and back arrows to navigate through the presentation. Click on the two-headed arrow symbol in the bottom right to enter full-screen mode.
Elizabeth Mordecai provided us with a wonderful slideshow presenting many pictures of pre-war Leamington – from the development of Bath Street and All Saints church to kids’ days out from Clapham Terrace School. Click on the forward and back arrows to navigate through the presentation. Click on the four-headed arrow symbol in the bottom right … Read more
William Gascoyne (1827 – 1902) – A Nineteenth Century Leamington Builder. A stonemason by training, William Gascoyne came to dominate the building industry in late 19th Century Royal Leamington Spa. He undertook a variety of projects, in public, commercial and domestic buildings, playing a prominent and important role in the local building industry, and contributing significantly to … Read more
Henry Wise, Royal Gardener to Queen Anne and King George I, and garden designer to many of the great families of the time, was born in Oxfordshire in 1653. When he retired from London in 1709, he had become a very wealthy man. He settled in Warwick, buying himself a house and garden in the … Read more
Portland Street Wesleyan Chapel This was the original purpose built home of Methodism in Leamington. ‘The earliest Leamington Methodists went over to Warwick to worship’, by 1817 William Scott and his wife had founded a place of worship in ‘Barnacle’s Yard, Satchwell St., they later moved to Brunswick St. The next move was to purchase … Read more
Milverton Episcopal Chapel or Pepper Pot Chapel This chapel was built to solve the problem of those of Milverton’s parishioners who preferred not to travel to St. James, or brave the Binn’s brook to worship outside their home parish in a Leamington chapel. The ‘Pepper Pot Chapel’ as it was generally called due to the … Read more
Leamington Episcopal Chapel This was, in 1825, the first of the proprietary chapels or chapel of ease, built in Leamington. The chosen site across the top of the Parade, was at the opposite end of the town from the parish church and it was built on open land, which soon became the centre of a … Read more
The New Church In July 1836 a group of nonconformist worshippers who called themselves Congregationalists opened a new chapel set amongst green meadows near the banks of the river Leam. The architect of this elegant building was Mr John Russell himself a member of the congregation. The chapel was the third nonconformist place of worship … Read more
Many children in early Victorian England never went to school. More than half of them never learned to read or write. For many families, this was of little consequence; with no welfare state and many mouths to feed, their concern was to send their children out to work to earn whatever they could towards the … Read more
Alexander and May Wilkinson moved to Leamington from Birmingham in 1946, to open a garden and flower shop at No 9 Spencer Street. Birmingham, 1900-1946 May had always loved working with flowers, having started at the age of 12 helping in her auntie’s florist’s shop in Birmingham. It was hard work. Saturday meant starting at … Read more
Thomas William Bone was born in Warwick on the 15th November 1850 and lived with his parents Thomas William Bromidge and Maria Bone and an elder brother Albert Robert, born in 1849, at 124 Parkes Street, Saltisford Warwick. Early Life His father had also been born in Saltisford Warwick in 1828 and was living in … Read more
Contact the Secretary, Margaret Rushton: secretary@leamingtonhistory.co.uk
June 9, 2026
Nelly (later known as Eleanor Velasco) Thornton was born in Stockwell, London, on 15th April 1880 to Frederick and Sarah Ann Thornton, who was also known as ‘Nellie’. They had...
May 26, 2026
This is Mark’s own brief personal and professional story about how he became interested in the history of Leamington Spa and producing films about the town’s full, varied and fascinating...
May 6, 2026
Acknowledgements to Contributors Writers of Articles Stella BolithoNigel BriggsPeter CoullsBarry FranklinMichael JeffsAllan JenningsMichael PearsonDr Sylvia PinchesMargaret RushtonSidney SysonRichard TaulbutDr John Wilmot Substantial Contributors to Articles. Kay Bugg; Alan Griffin; Dr...