The Dell is a small park in the Milverton area of Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England. Although it is not well known nationally (like The Jephson Gardens) or regionally (like Newbold Comyn), it is a well used and popular park amongst Leamingtonians themselves. The park takes its name from the fact that it is situated in a small sunken hollow, or dell.
Up until the 1820s, the Dell was simply part of the course of a local watercourse, the Bins Brook. As the town grew, however, a new road was needed to connect the town to its neighbour Warwick. The brook was culverted and the road built higher up to avoid the often muddy ground. There was once a small summer house made from the stones of a demolished local church in the park, but it has now itself disappeared. Like another Leamington park, Newbold Comyn, the land stayed in private hands until the Leamington Corporation bought it in 1945. Flowerbeds and paths were laid out in a formal style in the early years but eventually they were grassed over for economic reasons. From the 1970s to late 1990s the park became slightly infamous. Gangs of youths would sometimes gather there, as would drug users.
However since the formation in 1997, of Friends of the Dell, and in 2006, the Gardening Around Leamington Spa (GALS) group, who have helped the Warwick District Council maintain the park, [1] its good name has returned. Friends of the Dell hold regular parties in the park, the most popular being the ones in early summer and Halloween. In the early 2000s the somewhat ageing children's play equipment was upgraded thanks to a council grant. In May 2007, GALS received a £500 donation from Barclays to help weed the steep slopes of the park. [2] In late 2007, the east slope of the park was reinforced with rock filled gabions placed at its foot. In March 2011, there was more great news for The Friends of The Dell when they learnt that the nationwide "Big Lottery Fund" had granted them £50,000. [3] [4] Plans to spend the money include a hard path across the park to allow better access for the disabled as well as improved play equipment, new railings and an information board at the entrance. [5]
There are now, as there have been since the 1940s and before, shops around the Dell named after it such as Dell News (newsagents), Dell Practice (doctor's surgery) and The Dell Guesthouse.
Royal Leamington Spa, commonly known as Leamington Spa or simply Leamington, is a spa town and civil parish in Warwickshire, England. Originally a small village called Leamington Priors, it grew into a spa town in the 18th century following the popularisation of its water which was reputed to have medicinal qualities. In the 19th century, the town experienced one of the most rapid expansions in England. It is named after the River Leam, which flows through the town.
Southam is a market town and civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon district of Warwickshire, England. Southam is situated on the River Stowe, which flows from Napton-on-the-Hill and joins Warwickshire's River Itchen at Stoneythorpe, just outside the town.
Warwick is a market town, civil parish and the county town of Warwickshire, England, adjacent to the River Avon. It is 9 miles (14 km) south of Coventry, and 19 miles (31 km) south-east of Birmingham. It is adjoined with Leamington Spa and Whitnash. It has ancient origins and an array of historic buildings, notably from the Medieval, Stuart and Georgian eras. It was a major fortified settlement from the early Middle Ages, the most notable relic of this period being Warwick Castle, a major tourist attraction. Much was destroyed in the Great Fire of Warwick in 1694 and then rebuilt with fine 18th century buildings, such as the Collegiate Church of St Mary and the Shire Hall.
Warwickshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, and the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare at Stratford-upon-Avon and Victorian novelist George Eliot,, at Nuneaton. Other significant towns include Rugby, Leamington Spa, Bedworth, Kenilworth and Atherstone. The county offers a mix of historic towns and large rural areas. It is a popular destination for international and domestic tourists to explore both medieval and more recent history.
Warwick is a local government district of central Warwickshire in England. It borders the Borough of Rugby and Stratford-on-Avon District in Warwickshire as well as the West Midlands County. The City of Coventry is to the north and northeast, the Stratford-on-Avon District to the southwest and south, the Borough of Rugby to the east, and the Borough of Solihull to the west and northwest.
Whitnash is a town and civil parish located southeast of, and contiguous with Leamington Spa and Warwick in Warwickshire, England. In 2001, it had a population of 7,629 which had increased to 9,129 a decade later.
Warwick and Leamington is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since the 2017 general election by Matt Western, of the Labour Party.
Leek Wootton is a village in Warwickshire, England, approximately 2 miles south of Kenilworth and 2.5 miles north of Warwick. It lies in the triangle created by Kenilworth, Warwick and Leamington Spa.
Lillington is a suburb of Leamington Spa in the Warwick District in Warwickshire, England. Historically a village which existed before the time of the Domesday Book (1086), it was incorporated into the borough of Leamington in 1890. Lillington is a ward of Warwick District Council and Royal Leamington Spa Town Council.
Bishop's Tachbrook is a village and civil parish in the Warwick District of Warwickshire, England. The village is about 3 miles (5 km) south of Warwick and Leamington Spa. A church at Bishop's Tachbrook is mentioned in the Domesday Book. The village contains traditional half-timbered buildings, and modern residences including council-owned terraced housing. Facilities and amenities include The Leopard public house, the oldest part of which was a morgue for the nearby crematorium, small retail outlets including a corner shop, a primary school for children aged 4 to 11, and a park which includes a BMX track.
Old Milverton is a hamlet east of Warwick and north west of Leamington Spa in Warwickshire, England, and situated in a bend of the River Avon. The population as taken at the 2011 census was 319.
Cubbington is a village and civil parish with a population of 3,929, adjoining the north-eastern outskirts of Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England, approximately 3 miles from the town centre. Welsh Road, running through the village crossroads, was an old sheep drovers' route connecting London and Wales. Since the 1950s when the village expanded there have been two parts to the village: Cubbington proper which was the old village core, and New Cubbington which is to the west, although both are referred to as Cubbington. Topographically the highest point of the village sits about 100 metres (330 ft) above sea level while its lowest is about 60 metres (200 ft). For many years the electorate for Cubbington was represented in government by the MP for Warwick and Leamington but for the 2010 UK Elections it moved to the new Kenilworth & Southam constituency.
Warwick Parkway is a railway station with Park and Ride facilities on the western outskirts of Warwick in Warwickshire, England. It also serves the village of Budbrooke. Contrary to an initial report, the station is not owned by Chiltern Railways, but instead by Network Rail and Warwickshire County Council.
The Jephson Gardens are formal gardens, together with a grassed park, in the town of Leamington Spa, Warwickshire. The gardens, once a place for the wealthy to 'take the air' and 'be seen', are found in the centre of the town on the Parade, with the River Leam flowing to the south of them. One of the town's most popular tourist attractions, they have facilities such as cafes and floral displays. The gardens are often marketed in tandem with the nearby all-grassed Mill Gardens on the south side of the river. The gardens have a total area of 14.6 acres (59,000 m2) with Mill Gardens and its boating lake, both on the opposite side of the river, providing an extra 3.9 acres (16,000 m2).
The Royal Pump Rooms is a cultural centre on the Parade in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England. It was the most famous of several spa baths opened in Leamington between the late-18th and mid-19th centuries. People would travel from throughout the country, and indeed Europe, to benefit from treatments using the town's healing waters. When 'taking the waters' became less fashionable after the mid-19th century the Pump Rooms became Leamington's only surviving spa facility, later also being extended to include the town's public swimming pool. After a major redevelopment in 1997-99 the building now houses Leamington Spa Art Gallery & Museum, a public library, a Tourist Information Centre, cafe and assembly rooms. It is a Grade II listed building.
Newbold Comyn is a park on the Eastern edge of Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England.
Victoria Park is a public park in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England. It is situated about half a mile west of the town centre and is on the south bank of the River Leam. The total area of the park as it stands today is 18.5 acres (7.5 ha).
The Royal Pump Room Gardens is a popular open space found in the centre of Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England, next to the Royal Pump Rooms and just north of the River Leam. Despite being named "gardens" there is only one 5.4-acre (22,000 m2) area divided by footpaths with an ironwork bandstand in the centre.
Stratford-upon-Avon Parkway is a railway station located on the northern outskirts of Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire, England. It is on the North Warwickshire Line, adjacent to the A46.
