In 1818 the only places of worship in Leamington Priors were the parish church of All Saints (see article) and the non-conformist Congregationalist chapel in Clemens Street. A few Methodists did establish a place of worship in a loft in Barnacle’s Yard, Satchwell Street, in 1817, but did not establish a permanent home in Leamington … Read more
St Mark’s Church is a Church of England establishment which is on the north-east corner where St Mark’s Road leaves Rugby Road. Rugby Road was a turnpike road running from Warwick to Rugby and several cottages and houses were in existence along parts of it for many years before the church was built. In the early … Read more
The project to build a church in Tachbrook Street was inspired by Mrs. Matthew Wise of Shrubland Hall in 1874 whilst she was making alterations to her will. She donated £1,000 for the purpose. A Committee, including Lord Leigh of Stoneleigh and Canon Young, Rector of Whitnash, was formed and a meeting was held in the … Read more
St Alban’s Church stood at the corner of Warwick Street and Portland Street. Its most distinguishing feature was a copper-coated spire. According to historian, T B Dudley, St Alban’s has had the most eventful history of all the Leamington churches. In 1861 the Rev. J Craig, vicar of All Saints erected a corrugated iron building … Read more
Leamington is justly renowned for its Regency elegance, its squares, crescents and the Parade. However, after the glamorous early days of the spa town, it settled into middle-class respectability and residential life. The coming of the railway in the 1840s supported both visitors to the town and an increasing number of commuters, wealthy manufacturers and … Read more
Despite the fact that there were five baths in the town already, one man was desperate to find a spring or well of saline water on his land north of the river. That man was Bertie Greatheed (later Greatheed Bertie Percy) of Guy’s Cliffe House and indeed a well was found on his land just to … Read more
From the Portobello Bridge between Warwick and Leamington can be seen an intriguing group of old brick riverside buildings. The Rock Mill, a watermill built in 1792, is the most prominent; this stands next to a substantial Georgian house. Both of these have been redeveloped in recent years, with a row of modern town houses … Read more
The Regent Hotel opened on 19th August 1819, – amongst the earliest of the buildings erected north of the River Leam as the Spa expanded. On a triangular plot, it was wedged between Regent Street, the Parade, and what later became Regent Grove and the site of the new Town Hall. The land had once belonged … Read more
This railway station is the sole survivor of the four railway stations that served the town at some time. Two earlier stations not on this site were constructed: one off Rugby Road for the London and Birmingham Railway Company in 1844 (see article) and the other off Avenue Road was opened in 1854 for the London … Read more
The expansion in the population of Leamington Spa brought with it the challenge of treating sewage, a subject not often recognised. It was common practice in the 1850s to allow such effluent to be discharged into the nearest watercourse or river, with the attendant risk of spreading infectious diseases. Other sources of contamination were from … Read more
The first Post Office in Leamington is thought to have been the cottage home of the village cobbler and postmaster, later the discoverer of the first commercial spring, Benjamin Satchwell. By 1829, with the Spa town developing very rapidly and the demand for postal services with it, an independent local post office was set up under … Read more
As the town became a fashionable spa, people needed entertainment when not taking the waters. Bath Street was close to several baths in the town and in 1814 John Sims opened a theatre there, opposite Abbotts’ Baths. Two years later Robert William Elliston (1774-1828), an actor-manager from the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane, London took it over. He … Read more
Contact the Secretary, Margaret Rushton: secretary@leamingtonhistory.co.uk
November 7, 2026
November 6, 2026
November 6, 2026