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
The present field pattern in almost every village in central England is the result of an Enclosure Award at some time in the distant past. Prior to Enclosure, each village would have had two, three or possibly four large open fields, farmed on a communal system, with the good and not-so-good fields being divided equally … Read more
It was from the Wise family that Elizabeth Surcombe the elder purchased the leasehold plot in Bath Street. They owned much of the land south of the river in Leamington Priors, including part of Bath Street, as well as land around Whitnash, Lillington and Warwick. Matthew Wise Snr was one of the principal landowners who … Read more
Population growth In 1781, Leamington Priors was a village of 300 people built around a muddy mineral spring and the modern Althorpe Industrial Estate was primarily agricultural land owned by the Church. The next fifty years saw the population of Leamington Priors grow significantly as the Industrial Revolution in Britain gained momentum. The building of … Read more
Beginnings In 1784 Benjamin Satchwell and William Abbotts discovered a spring in Bath Lane in the hamlet of Leamington Priors, and 2 years later opened Abbotts Original Baths. At this time, much of the hamlet and surrounding land was owned by a handful of wealthy families, including the Wise family. In 1783 Bath Lane (not … Read more
With special thanks to Jeff Clarke for his contribution to this history of Clemens Street.Additions in 2026 are by Michael Jeffs. Clicking on the images will bring up a larger more detailed picture. Leamington or ‘Lamintone’ was listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 as “240 acres of land worth £4 with two mills worth … Read more
Elizabeth Surcombe the Elder The Surcombes came from the village of Lifton near Tavistock, Devon. William Surcombe married Mary Crocker and they had four children: Mary, Ann, William and Elizabeth who was born about 1766. It is not known when Elizabeth Surcombe came to Leamington Priors but an early rate book of 1813 shows her … Read more
Priory Terrace is a short street near the centre of Leamington Spa. One end is between All Saints Parish Church and the main Post Office, near the Pump Rooms; the other end runs into Leam Terrace at the junction with Mill Street. Click on any of the pictures below to enlarge them. The street runs … Read more
Contact the Secretary, Margaret Rushton: secretary@leamingtonhistory.co.uk
November 7, 2026
November 6, 2026
November 6, 2026