house history

Marlborough Hotel

This page is one of several pages which are based on articles in our book entitled Royal Leamington Spa, A History in 100 Buildings which was published in 2018 and is no longer in print. Marlborough Hotel started life in the 1850s as a private Regency house, Elmley Lodge, in Brandon Parade, designed by builder, Benjamin Bradshaw.  … Read more

Hexagonal Houses

This page is one of several pages which are based on articles in our book entitled Royal Leamington Spa, A History in 100 Buildings which was published in 2018 and is no longer in print. The concept of constructing hexagonal houses is not a new one, with examples surviving from the 19th century. Indeed in 1941 … Read more

French Houses

This page is one of several pages which are based on articles in our book entitled Royal Leamington Spa, A History in 100 Buildings which was published in 2018 and is no longer in print. Originally the land on which houses in Aintree Drive were built belonged to Mr S McGregor, who ran a successful stud … Read more

Beech Lawn, Home of Dr Jephson

Beech Lawn, “Dr Jephson’s splendid mansion” once stood at the corner of Warwick Street and Dale Street. Designed by a local architect, William Startin, it was built by a workforce of 140 in 1830-31 for the Leamington doctor, whose advocacy of a plain diet, exercise and the taking of the Leamington waters made the Spa … Read more

Clarendon Street Baptist Chapel

I was recently in Clarendon Street watching the demolition of the old chapel, originally known as the Free Baptist Chapel. The construction came about when a group broke away from the Warwick Street chapel, ostensibly over the lack of provision of a school. The new chapel cost some £2, 098 and was opened in June … Read more