By 1875 the Leamington Town Council had replaced the Leamington Priors Commissioners who had, in turn, replaced the Local Board of Health. The Commissioners had a base in Church Street adjoining the poorhouse, which they shared with the local magistrates as a Sessions House. It is likely that the Commissioners were persuaded to leave the Church Street … Read more
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 Manor House lies at the centre of the old Lillington village, a short distance from the parish church of St … Read more
The Justice Centre sits on a site near the western end of Newbold Terrace and is the second full redevelopment of the site since the mid-1960s. The original buildings demolished on the site were a terrace of three-storey houses built by G F Jackson between 1835 and 1838. A terrace of similar properties which remain and have … Read more
This building stands on the corner of Pound Lane and Cubbington Road. It was designed by John Cundall in 1882 as the Local Board of Health Offices for Lillington, before Lillington was incorporated into the Borough of Royal Leamington Spa. An early postcard describes it as Corporation House. The Local Board represented an early form … Read more
Samuel Shepheard Stanley was one of four sons and four daughters of John and Sarah Stanley of Sydenham Farm. He was born in 1848 and with his siblings was taught at home by a governess. His older brother Joseph later became the farm manager, and eventually took over from their father. Another brother ran The … Read more
T T Earnshaw was born at Rochdale in 1870 and had 13 years’ experience in various policing roles in St Albans, Wakefield and Wigan, where he served as Chief Superintendent, before his appointment as Leamington Chief Constable in 1902. From that year until his death in office in 1938, he was in charge of the … Read more
A Pigman, Policeman and Publican, the story of Gilbert Hopkins Forest The author, Martin Harrison, is an Ordecomedologist (collector and researcher of Orders, Decorations and Medals). As most British medals are named to the recipient it makes specific research possible, often with interesting results. One such story is that of Gilbert Hopkins Forest whose 1914-18 British War … Read more
When I obtained my Mk V Saloon I had little or no knowledge of the model, history or heritage of the marque. Once I’d spent 2 years coming to terms with restoring, running and attending some shows, I started to appreciate the whys and wherefores of the car, the Designers/Engineers, and Jaguar Cars as a … Read more
Attempted Suicide by Local Leamington Resident Mary Hart, aged 31 years, caused quite a stir on Saturday 2 July 1870 at10.15 p.m. when she tried to drown herself. She was hauled before the magistrates for the crime of attempting to commit suicide by jumping off Castle Bridge, Warwick, into the River Avon. Originally from the … Read more
Harry Warr joined his father George* in business as a plumber and house decorator when he left Clapham Terrace School aged thirteen in 1923. By the outbreak of WW2, he had become a Special Constable, and joined the Police War Reserve. In October 1943, Harry was drafted into the Navy, and the business was ‘mothballed’ … Read more
In the days before mobile phones, as far as I have been able to discover, this system for contacting police officers on the beat, or allowing them to contact the station, was in use in Leamington from 1941 to about 1956. I have managed to find the location of nine of the known pillars, and … Read more
Frederick George Brown was born in 1835 in Leamington Priors to John and Charlotte Brown. John was a local carpenter and had five surviving children, four sons and one daughter. Three of his sons became policemen – two of them, including Frederick, were sergeants in Leamington Priors Borough Police Force. After school, Frederick first became an … Read more
Contact the Secretary, Margaret Rushton: secretary@leamingtonhistory.co.uk
August 12, 2026
August 8, 2026