Outdoor Spaces

The Canal at Royal Leamington Spa

The canal is familiar as the half-forgotten waterway beneath the steep bridges at the top of Clemens Street, at the northern end of Tachbrook Road and on the approach to The Shires. The canal arrived in town just as Leamington was about to become a popular spa town but there was no connection between the two events. … Read more

Boundary Walk – Part Twelve – Hill Street to Black Lane

The parish boundary crosses Upper Hill Street, passing between the backs of the North Villiers Street houses and the side of the newer houses in Waller Street. The parish boundary seen from part way up Leicester Street hill. The hedge line at the rear of the photograph is the edge of the old brick works … Read more

Boundary Walk – Part Eleven – Binswood Avenue

Parish boundary now crosses Lillington Avenue towards Leamington College before cutting off the corner of the Kenilworth Road/Lillington Avenue junction, to reappear on Kenilworth Road at this wall, just north of Binswood Avenue. The parish boundary now passes along Binswood Avenue for a short distance, moving diagonally across the corner plot on Kenilworth Road. It … Read more

Boundary Walk – Part Ten – The Dell to Binswood

This is the Dell park, north of Warwick Street, the gentrified conversion of the muddy valley that was the Binn’s Brook. From the north of the Dell, the Binn’s Brook and the parish boundary passes through the gardens on the right of this photograph, along Strathearn Road. The route of the Binn’s Brook between Strathearn … Read more

Boundary Walk – Part Nine – Leam to the Dell

The parish boundary reaches the River Leam down, or close to, this stream. Curiously the boundary is dry a short distance away, yet here it is quite full of water. The water is most probably the overflow from the sewerage plant. The parish boundary now moves upstream through the Princess Drive bridge and alongside Victoria … Read more

Boundary Walk – Part Eight – Lockheed to Old Warwick Road

This is the point on Tachbrook Road closest to the rear of the cemetery shown on the last shot. The parish boundary now crosses the Tachbrook Road and enters the Lockheed site. It crosses this car park at roughly 45degrees to the left, to end somewhere to the right of the brown chimney. Somewhere under … Read more

Boundary Walk – Part Seven – Cemetery

The parish boundary now passes towards Leamington along Brunswick Street until it reaches the first and original entrance to the cemetery. .The parish boundary travels up the centre of this shot, across the grass before joining the footpath and turning left. Old path through the cemetery, with Whitnash parish on the left, Leamington on the … Read more

Boundary Walk – Part Six – Park to Whitnash

The parish boundary now leaves the footpath alongside the railway, passes along the right-hand hedge, before following the hedge at the rear of the playing field towards the gateway. The parish boundary leaves the playing field at this gate after following the far hedge line. The parish boundary now turns right across the front of … Read more

Boundary Walk – Part Five – Boundary hedge

This is the boundary hedge as it leaves the stream. The housing estate developments on either side of the hedge can be seen to be of different styles and age, but this probably has more to do with development of the various fields at differing times, than with the parish boundary. Boundary hedge can now … Read more

Boundary Walk – Part Four – Whitnash Ocean

Boundary stream between the River Leam and the Radford Road. This small field alongside the stream is designated as a nature reserve and is overgrown and appears to be abandoned! It takes a dedicated follower of parish boundaries to venture into this rural cul-de-sac. Boundary stream from the canal towpath, looking towards the Radford Road. … Read more

Boundary Walk – Part Three – River Leam

The parish boundary now returns westward towards Leamington, along the River Leam. This is best followed along the bank-side footpath, although the actual boundary is in the centre of the river, and would appear to have been the path followed in 1856. The parish boundary now follows the River Leam. At this point the parish boundary … Read more

Boundary Walk – Part Two – Pedlar’s Wood

The footpath to Offchurch cuts across the parish boundary at this point. The parish boundary, after two or three bends, turns alongside Pedley’s Wood. It then follows the edge of the wood until it reaches the wetland bird sanctuary. At this point the parish boundary enters the wetland bird sanctuary and is not easily accessible … Read more