Nuneaton
Encyclopedia
Nuneaton is the largest town in the Borough of Nuneaton and Bedworth
and in the English
county of Warwickshire
.
Nuneaton is most famous for its associations with the 19th century author George Eliot
, who was born on a farm on the Arbury Estate
just outside Nuneaton in 1819 and lived in the town for much of her early life. In her novel Scenes of Clerical Life
(1858), "Milby" is the thinly disguised market town of Nuneaton.
The Nuneaton Urban Area
is a conurbation
based around Nuneaton and several surrounding towns and villages.
, 20 miles (32.2 km) east of Birmingham
and 103 miles (165.8 km) northwest of London. The River Anker
runs through the town.
Nuneaton (as defined by the Office for National Statistics) had a population of 70,721 according to the 2001 census, though the 2008 estimate is closer to 73,000 inhabitants. However, both of these figures exclude the Camp Hill area of the town, which is deemed to be in the Hartshill subdivision of the Nuneaton urban area by the Office for National Statistics
(ONS), as can be seen from the map included in its report on Key Statistics for urban areas and the dataset of this report, which cites a population of 12,207 for the Hartshill subdivision http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/ssdataset.asp?vlnk=8271&More=Y (by comparison, the population of the civil parish of Hartshill
in 2001 was just 3,611 http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=7&b=800162&c=hartshill&d=16&e=15&g=493200&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1252646301218&enc=1&dsFamilyId=781). A more representative figure is given by the combined population of Nuneaton's 11 wards, which was 78,403 in 2001 according to the ONS (see table below).
Towns close to Nuneaton include Bedworth
, Atherstone
and Hinckley
, with Tamworth
and Lutterworth
a little further afield. The nearest city is Coventry
, sited 9 miles (14.5 km) from the centre of Nuneaton. Leicester
and thereafter Birmingham
are next closest major cities. A local landmark is Mount Judd, which is a large mound of quarry residue that was formed when Judkins Quarry was dug out. Mount Judd lies in the northwest of the town and can be seen for miles around. The town lies 3 miles from the Leicestershire
border, 8 miles from Staffordshire
and 12 miles from Derbyshire
.
There are various Ordnance Survey
-recognised viewpoints at the extremities of the town. One of the most noteworthy is in the west of Hartshill Hayes Country Park from where looking north Atherstone
can be seen and looking northeast Leicester
can be seen, depending on favourable visibility.
nunnery (parts of which still survive) around which much of the town grew. Prior to this it was a settlement known as 'Etone', which translates literally as 'water-town'. Nuneaton was listed in the Domesday Book
as a small hamlet
. A market was established in 1233 (and is still held today). The first recorded use of the modern name was in 1247 when a document recorded it as 'Nonne Eton'. The Nunnery fell into disrepair after 1539 (with Henry VIII's Dissolution of the Monasteries
). King Edward VI School
was established by a royal charter in 1552. From 1944 it became a grammar school
for boys and, although it was locally known as KEGS, it never included the word "grammar" in its name. In 1974 it became a sixth form college
. Other grammar schools in Nuneaton during the 1944 to 1974 period were Nuneaton High School for Girls and Manor Park. Additionally Nicholas Chamberlaine School in Bedworth was an early comprehensive school
that had a grammar school stream.
Nuneaton grew gradually from the 17th century onwards, due to its position at the centre of the Warwickshire coalfields. At the time of the first national census in 1801 Nuneaton was already one of the largest towns in Warwickshire, with a population of 5,000. During the Industrial Revolution
in the 19th century, Nuneaton developed a large textile
industry. Other industries which developed in the town included brick
and tile
making and brewing
. By 1901 the population of Nuneaton had grown to 25,000.
Nuneaton became an urban district
in 1894, and was upgraded to the status of a municipal borough
in 1907.
Due largely to munitions factories located in Nuneaton, the town suffered heavy bombing damage during World War II
. The heaviest bombing raid on Nuneaton took place on 17 May 1941, when 100 people were killed, 380 houses were destroyed, and over 10,000 damaged, a few smaller raids took place on the town, most notably on 25 June 1942. As a result of the bombing, much of the town centre was rebuilt in the post-war
years.
On 6 June 1975, six people died and 38 were injured when a train crashed
just south of Nuneaton railway station
.
nuns and gave the present town the name 'Nuneaton'.
Very little survives today of the original building. The cruciform church was sold after the Dissolution and converted into a mansion. Abandoned in the 17th century it was quarried away until all that survived by the 1860s were the foundations, some low walls and the battered crossing piers of the former central tower.
In 1876-77 this desolate ruin was brought back to life as a place of worship after centuries of neglect, when four of the original seven bays
of the nave
were rebuilt on the old foundations in Neo-Romanesque
style by the Gothic Revival architect
C.C. Rolfe with the old crossing piers enclosed by a temporary brick structure for use as a chancel. The west wall was also left in plain brick to allow for possible completion of the nave on the ancient footings further west at a later date, though this retains its incomplete appearance to this day.
In 1904 the chancel
was rebuilt in neo-gothic style on the old foundations east of the crossing by Harold Brakspear
, followed by the north transept in 1930. The architect had drawn up plans to restore the south transept and central tower too, but sadly these were never realised, leaving the south transept as a ruin sealed off by the 1877 'temporary' brick wall and leaving the church in an odd truncated state today (comprising half the nave, the chancel, north transept and base of the crossing).
Inside the ruined crossing piers remain from the original church, as well as part of a fine medieval tiled floor and the bases of what remained of the walls. Outside, the ruins of the nave and south transept remain as they were, along with the base of what is thought to have been a chapter house.
The church (such as it stands) is used as the Parish Church of St. Mary and is known locally as the Abbey Church.
Despite this building's significance in Nuneaton's past and its extraordinary recent history, it is a relatively unknown and obscure place, with little promotion or signage.
for nearby Coventry and Birmingham. However electronics and distribution remain major economic activities in the town. MIRA Limited
, formerly the Motor Industry Research Association, is based on a disused wartime airfield on the A5, to the north of the town. One of the biggest developments in the town's history, the multi-million pound Ropewalk Shopping Centre
, opened on 1 September 2005 in the hope that it will give the town extra income from the shopping, attract more visitors and retailers, and steer shoppers away from larger retail centres such as Birmingham, Coventry, Leicester and Solihull, with other shopping available at the longer established Abbeygate Shopping Centre located in the centre of the town. The town centre itself has undergone a successful transition from being an uninteresting 'dormitory town' service centre in the 1980s to a relatively thriving and well-planned retail and business district by the 2000s. Holland & Barrett
has its headquarters based in the town while Bermuda Park, which is south of Nuneaton, is home of the national distribution centres of Dairy Crest
and RS Components
.
in the House of Commons, which is currently represented by the Conservative Party
Member of Parliament
(MP), Marcus Jones
. From 1935-1983 Nuneaton was a safe Labour seat, but it has since been a marginal. The local council, Nuneaton and Bedworth
, currently has no party in overall control, with Labour as the largest party. On 1 April 1974, Nuneaton's council was merged with the neighbouring Bedworth
Urban District
to form a new district council
, originally named just "Nuneaton". Borough status was conferred on the new district on 15 November 1976. Following objections from Bedworth residents, the name of the borough was changed to "Nuneaton and Bedworth" in 1980. The council was controlled by the Labour Party from 1973, when the shadow council was elected in preparation for the 1974 merger, until the 2008 local elections
, when the Conservatives gained control, ending 35 years of Labour rule. The official result was: Labour lost 6 seats, the Conservatives won 4 seats, and the BNP
(British National Party) won 2 seats. The Labour Party won two seats from the Conservative Party in the 2010 local elections
, giving no party overall control of the council.
Nuneaton is currently covered by 11 of the borough's 17 electoral wards (see table below). Each ward elects two councillors, who serve 4 year terms. There are elections every 2 years.
has paid in the town's history. Although the Benedictine
nunnery which gave the town its name was destroyed at the time of the reformation
, the remaining fragments were incorporated into the Anglican church building now known as the Abbey Church of St Mary the Virgin in Manor Court Road. This is a Victorian
construction. The original ruins are left to be an obvious feature of the new building and its immediate setting.
Near the town centre, but unusually not actually a part of it and outside the ring road, lies the mediaeval church of St Nicolas- Nuneaton's only grade 1 listed building. Chilvers Coton contains All Saints' Church where Mary Ann Evans (George Eliot
) worshipped. This was badly damaged by bombing during the Second World War, and rebuilt largely by German prisoners of war. There are also Anglican churches in Weddington (St James's), Attleborough (Holy Trinity), Stockingford (St Paul's), Galley Common (St Peter's), Abbey Green (St Mary's), more recently built, Camp Hill (St John's).
Roman Catholicism is represented by Our Lady of the Angels Church on Coton Road, whose building was largely remodelled in the 1930s, and St Anne's, Chapel End, Nuneaton
whose current building dates from 2000.
Other Christian traditions in the town include Baptist
, Methodist, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and United Reformed
churches.
Immigration from the Indian subcontinent
has, like many British towns, brought with it believers in Islam
, Sikhism
and Hinduism
, and Nuneaton has a substantial ethnic minority population. There is a mosque
on Frank Street, Chilvers Coton, and two gurdwara
s (Sikh temples): the Nuneaton Guru Nanak Gurdwara in Park Avenue, Attleborough, and the Shri Guru Tegh Bahadur Gurdwara in Marlborough Road, Chilvers Coton.
and BBC Coventry & Warwickshire
, all are based in the nearby city of Coventry and also Oak FM
(formerly Fosseway Radio) which is broadcast from the nearby town of Hinckley
. Parts of Nuneaton can also receive BBC Radio Leicester
. Within Nuneaton itself there is Anker Radio which serves the George Eliot Hospital
.
The main local newspaper is the Tribune, which is a free paper delivered to most homes in the area weekly on a Thursday or Friday, taking in Nuneaton, Bedworth and Atherstone. There is also the Nuneaton Telegraph, a localised version of the Coventry Telegraph (but mostly focuses on Coventry). The News circulated free every Wednesday, was formerly the Heartland Evening News daily paper .
The Nuneaton area is covered by BBC West Midlands TV News Show BBC Midlands Today and ITV Central's Central Tonight but gets limited coverage from both, with some areas of the town receiving the East Midlands transmission of BBC East Midlands Today.
, the M42
and M69
motorways and the main A5 trunk road (Watling Street
), which also acts as a border with Leicestershire and the neighbouring town of Hinckley. The A444
provides a high-speed dual-carriageway route into the town from the south and also acts as the often busy town centre ring road
. The A47
links the town with neighbouring Hinckley and onwards to Leicester, and the A4254 - Eastern Relief Road - provides direct access from the east of Nuneaton to the south, avoiding the town centre.
Nuneaton railway station
near the town centre is an important railway junction, served by the West Coast Main Line
, the Birmingham to Leicester
railway line and by a line to Coventry
via Bedworth
. It offers direct rail services to those destinations. There are plans to build a new station at Bermuda Park in the south of the town on the line towards Coventry.
Its importance as a railway junction is underlined by the fact that Nuneaton has the third highest level of interchange passengers (after Birmingham New Street and Wolverhampton
), of any railway station in the Midlands. This changed in December 2008 when a new Very High Frequency (VHF) timetable was introduced by Virgin Trains
on the West Coast Main Line. Very few Virgin services now stop in Nuneaton. Instead, London Midland
operate an hourly daytime service between London Euston and Crewe
via Northampton
, Stafford
and Stoke-on-Trent
with journey times increased significantly, e.g. 81 minutes to Crewe versus 40 minutes on Virgin. The December 2008 timetable has been the source of much outrage locally.
The Coventry Canal
passes through the town.
The main operator for buses in Nuneaton is Stagecoach in Warwickshire
teams of note: Nuneaton Town who play in the Conference North
and Nuneaton Griff who play in the Midland Combination
Premier Division. There is also a thriving Sunday League football scene in the town, with teams from Nuneaton, Bedworth and North Warwickshire competing in the Nuneaton & District Sunday Football League (NDSFL).
There are three rugby union
clubs in the town: Nuneaton R.F.C.
(nicknamed "the Nuns"), who play in National Division 1, Nuneaton Old Edwardians of Midlands 3 West (South)
division and Manor Park of the Midlands 5 West (South)
league.
The town is also home to Nuneaton Bowling club, where flat green bowls is played.
There are three main leisure centre
s in the town owned by Nuneaton and Bedworth Leisure Trust and maintained by Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council:
Nuneaton has a museum and art gallery in the grounds of Riversley Park adjacent to the town centre.
Secondary:
Colleges:
, France
Guadalajara, Spain
Cottbus
, Germany
Outside the borough boundaries but often considered to be part of the town:
Nuneaton and Bedworth
Nuneaton and Bedworth is a local government district with borough status, in northern Warwickshire, England, consisting of the densely populated towns of Nuneaton and Bedworth, the village of Bulkington and the green belt land in between. It has a population of just over 120,000.It borders the...
and in the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
county of Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
.
Nuneaton is most famous for its associations with the 19th century author George Eliot
George Eliot
Mary Anne Evans , better known by her pen name George Eliot, was an English novelist, journalist and translator, and one of the leading writers of the Victorian era...
, who was born on a farm on the Arbury Estate
Arbury Hall
Arbury Hall is a Grade I listed country house in Nuneaton in Warwickshire, England, and is the ancestral home of the Newdigate family, later the Newdigate-Newdegate and Fitzroy-Newdegate families....
just outside Nuneaton in 1819 and lived in the town for much of her early life. In her novel Scenes of Clerical Life
Scenes of Clerical Life
Scenes of Clerical Life is the title under which George Eliot's first published fictional work, a collection of three short stories, was released in book form, and the first of her works to be released under her famous pseudonym...
(1858), "Milby" is the thinly disguised market town of Nuneaton.
The Nuneaton Urban Area
Nuneaton Urban Area
The Nuneaton Urban Area is a conurbation in the West Midlands of England, based around the town of Nuneaton in Warwickshire. It had a population of 132,236 at the 2001 Census....
is a conurbation
Conurbation
A conurbation is a region comprising a number of cities, large towns, and other urban areas that, through population growth and physical expansion, have merged to form one continuous urban and industrially developed area...
based around Nuneaton and several surrounding towns and villages.
Geography
The town is located 9 miles (14.5 km) north of CoventryCoventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
, 20 miles (32.2 km) east of Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
and 103 miles (165.8 km) northwest of London. The River Anker
River Anker
The River Anker is a river in England. The river flows through the centre of Nuneaton towards Tamworth in Staffordshire. The river continues on before merging with the River Tame in Tamworth...
runs through the town.
Nuneaton (as defined by the Office for National Statistics) had a population of 70,721 according to the 2001 census, though the 2008 estimate is closer to 73,000 inhabitants. However, both of these figures exclude the Camp Hill area of the town, which is deemed to be in the Hartshill subdivision of the Nuneaton urban area by the Office for National Statistics
Office for National Statistics
The Office for National Statistics is the executive office of the UK Statistics Authority, a non-ministerial department which reports directly to the Parliament of the United Kingdom.- Overview :...
(ONS), as can be seen from the map included in its report on Key Statistics for urban areas and the dataset of this report, which cites a population of 12,207 for the Hartshill subdivision http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/ssdataset.asp?vlnk=8271&More=Y (by comparison, the population of the civil parish of Hartshill
Hartshill
Hartshill is a village in the borough of North Warwickshire, England.Hartshill is three miles from Nuneaton town centre but is still regarded as a suburb of the town despite being in the North Warwickshire borough....
in 2001 was just 3,611 http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=7&b=800162&c=hartshill&d=16&e=15&g=493200&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1252646301218&enc=1&dsFamilyId=781). A more representative figure is given by the combined population of Nuneaton's 11 wards, which was 78,403 in 2001 according to the ONS (see table below).
Towns close to Nuneaton include Bedworth
Bedworth
Bedworth is a market town in the Nuneaton and Bedworth district of Warwickshire, England. It lies northwest of London, east of Birmingham, and north northeast of the county town of Warwick. It is situated between Coventry, to the south, and Nuneaton, to the north.In the 2001 census the town...
, Atherstone
Atherstone
Atherstone is a town in Warwickshire, England. The town is located near the northernmost tip of Warwickshire, close to the border with Staffordshire and Leicestershire and is the administrative headquarters of the borough of North Warwickshire.-History:...
and Hinckley
Hinckley
Hinckley is a town in southwest Leicestershire, England. It has a population of 43,246 . It is administered by Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council...
, with Tamworth
Tamworth
Tamworth is a town and local government district in Staffordshire, England, located north-east of Birmingham city centre and north-west of London. The town takes its name from the River Tame, which flows through the town, as does the River Anker...
and Lutterworth
Lutterworth
Lutterworth is a market town and civil parish in the Harborough district of Leicestershire, England. The town is located in southern Leicestershire, north of Rugby, in Warwickshire and south of Leicester. It had a population of 8,293 in the 2001 UK census....
a little further afield. The nearest city is Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
, sited 9 miles (14.5 km) from the centre of Nuneaton. Leicester
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
and thereafter Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
are next closest major cities. A local landmark is Mount Judd, which is a large mound of quarry residue that was formed when Judkins Quarry was dug out. Mount Judd lies in the northwest of the town and can be seen for miles around. The town lies 3 miles from the Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
border, 8 miles from Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
and 12 miles from Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
.
There are various Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey , an executive agency and non-ministerial government department of the Government of the United Kingdom, is the national mapping agency for Great Britain, producing maps of Great Britain , and one of the world's largest producers of maps.The name reflects its creation together with...
-recognised viewpoints at the extremities of the town. One of the most noteworthy is in the west of Hartshill Hayes Country Park from where looking north Atherstone
Atherstone
Atherstone is a town in Warwickshire, England. The town is located near the northernmost tip of Warwickshire, close to the border with Staffordshire and Leicestershire and is the administrative headquarters of the borough of North Warwickshire.-History:...
can be seen and looking northeast Leicester
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
can be seen, depending on favourable visibility.
History
Nuneaton's name came from a 12th century BenedictineBenedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
nunnery (parts of which still survive) around which much of the town grew. Prior to this it was a settlement known as 'Etone', which translates literally as 'water-town'. Nuneaton was listed in the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
as a small hamlet
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
. A market was established in 1233 (and is still held today). The first recorded use of the modern name was in 1247 when a document recorded it as 'Nonne Eton'. The Nunnery fell into disrepair after 1539 (with Henry VIII's Dissolution of the Monasteries
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
). King Edward VI School
King Edward VI College, Nuneaton
King Edward VI College is a sixth form college located in Nuneaton, England, in Warwickshire. Currently, it teaches subjects in preparation for AS and A-level Examinations, for students generally aged sixteen to eighteen.-Grammar school:...
was established by a royal charter in 1552. From 1944 it became a grammar school
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
for boys and, although it was locally known as KEGS, it never included the word "grammar" in its name. In 1974 it became a sixth form college
Sixth form college
A sixth form college is an educational institution in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Belize, Hong Kong or Malta where students aged 16 to 18 typically study for advanced school-level qualifications, such as A-levels, or school-level qualifications such as GCSEs. In Singapore and India, this is...
. Other grammar schools in Nuneaton during the 1944 to 1974 period were Nuneaton High School for Girls and Manor Park. Additionally Nicholas Chamberlaine School in Bedworth was an early comprehensive school
Comprehensive school
A comprehensive school is a state school that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude. This is in contrast to the selective school system, where admission is restricted on the basis of a selection criteria. The term is commonly used in relation to the United...
that had a grammar school stream.
Nuneaton grew gradually from the 17th century onwards, due to its position at the centre of the Warwickshire coalfields. At the time of the first national census in 1801 Nuneaton was already one of the largest towns in Warwickshire, with a population of 5,000. During the Industrial Revolution
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
in the 19th century, Nuneaton developed a large textile
Textile
A textile or cloth is a flexible woven material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibres often referred to as thread or yarn. Yarn is produced by spinning raw fibres of wool, flax, cotton, or other material to produce long strands...
industry. Other industries which developed in the town included brick
Brick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
and tile
Tile
A tile is a manufactured piece of hard-wearing material such as ceramic, stone, metal, or even glass. Tiles are generally used for covering roofs, floors, walls, showers, or other objects such as tabletops...
making and brewing
Brewery
A brewery is a dedicated building for the making of beer, though beer can be made at home, and has been for much of beer's history. A company which makes beer is called either a brewery or a brewing company....
. By 1901 the population of Nuneaton had grown to 25,000.
Nuneaton became an urban district
Urban district
In the England, Wales and Ireland, an urban district was a type of local government district that covered an urbanised area. Urban districts had an elected Urban District Council , which shared local government responsibilities with a county council....
in 1894, and was upgraded to the status of a municipal borough
Municipal borough
Municipal boroughs were a type of local government district which existed in England and Wales between 1835 and 1974, in Northern Ireland from 1840 to 1973 and in the Republic of Ireland from 1840 to 2002...
in 1907.
Due largely to munitions factories located in Nuneaton, the town suffered heavy bombing damage during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The heaviest bombing raid on Nuneaton took place on 17 May 1941, when 100 people were killed, 380 houses were destroyed, and over 10,000 damaged, a few smaller raids took place on the town, most notably on 25 June 1942. As a result of the bombing, much of the town centre was rebuilt in the post-war
Post-war
A post-war period or postwar period is the interval immediately following the ending of a war and enduring as long as war does not resume. A post-war period can become an interwar period or interbellum when a war between the same parties resumes at a later date...
years.
On 6 June 1975, six people died and 38 were injured when a train crashed
Nuneaton rail crash
The Nuneaton rail crash was a train crash which occurred on 6 June 1975, on the West Coast Main Line just south of Nuneaton railway station in Warwickshire, England....
just south of Nuneaton railway station
Nuneaton railway station
Nuneaton railway station serves the large town of Nuneaton in Warwickshire, England. The station is managed by London Midland.It is situated at the point where the Birmingham - Leicester route crosses the Trent Valley Line section of the West Coast Main Line north of London Euston, with a branch...
.
Nuneaton Abbey
An ancient abbey church founded at 'Eaton' in the 1150s was home to BenedictineBenedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
nuns and gave the present town the name 'Nuneaton'.
Very little survives today of the original building. The cruciform church was sold after the Dissolution and converted into a mansion. Abandoned in the 17th century it was quarried away until all that survived by the 1860s were the foundations, some low walls and the battered crossing piers of the former central tower.
In 1876-77 this desolate ruin was brought back to life as a place of worship after centuries of neglect, when four of the original seven bays
Bay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
of the nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
were rebuilt on the old foundations in Neo-Romanesque
Romanesque Revival architecture
Romanesque Revival is a style of building employed beginning in the mid 19th century inspired by the 11th and 12th century Romanesque architecture...
style by the Gothic Revival architect
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
C.C. Rolfe with the old crossing piers enclosed by a temporary brick structure for use as a chancel. The west wall was also left in plain brick to allow for possible completion of the nave on the ancient footings further west at a later date, though this retains its incomplete appearance to this day.
In 1904 the chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
was rebuilt in neo-gothic style on the old foundations east of the crossing by Harold Brakspear
Harold Brakspear
Sir Harold William Brakspear was a noted restoration architect and archaeologist.He restored a number of ancient and notable buildings, including*Bath Abbey*Windsor Castle*Brownston House, Devizes....
, followed by the north transept in 1930. The architect had drawn up plans to restore the south transept and central tower too, but sadly these were never realised, leaving the south transept as a ruin sealed off by the 1877 'temporary' brick wall and leaving the church in an odd truncated state today (comprising half the nave, the chancel, north transept and base of the crossing).
Inside the ruined crossing piers remain from the original church, as well as part of a fine medieval tiled floor and the bases of what remained of the walls. Outside, the ruins of the nave and south transept remain as they were, along with the base of what is thought to have been a chapter house.
The church (such as it stands) is used as the Parish Church of St. Mary and is known locally as the Abbey Church.
Despite this building's significance in Nuneaton's past and its extraordinary recent history, it is a relatively unknown and obscure place, with little promotion or signage.
Economy
Nuneaton's traditional industries like textiles and manufacturing have declined drastically in the post-war years. Due to its good transport links, Nuneaton is now largely a commuter townCommuter town
A commuter town is an urban community that is primarily residential, from which most of the workforce commutes out to earn their livelihood. Many commuter towns act as suburbs of a nearby metropolis that workers travel to daily, and many suburbs are commuter towns...
for nearby Coventry and Birmingham. However electronics and distribution remain major economic activities in the town. MIRA Limited
Motor Industry Research Association
MIRA Ltd, formerly known as the Motor Industry Research Association, is a limited company based near Nuneaton in Hinckley and Bosworth, Leicestershire in the United Kingdom, which provides product engineering, research, testing, information and certification services to the automotive...
, formerly the Motor Industry Research Association, is based on a disused wartime airfield on the A5, to the north of the town. One of the biggest developments in the town's history, the multi-million pound Ropewalk Shopping Centre
Ropewalk Shopping Centre
The Ropewalk Shopping Centre is a shopping centre in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, England. It has a glass roof not connected to the building, two floors retail stores, including high street retailers, and also a car park.-History and impact:...
, opened on 1 September 2005 in the hope that it will give the town extra income from the shopping, attract more visitors and retailers, and steer shoppers away from larger retail centres such as Birmingham, Coventry, Leicester and Solihull, with other shopping available at the longer established Abbeygate Shopping Centre located in the centre of the town. The town centre itself has undergone a successful transition from being an uninteresting 'dormitory town' service centre in the 1980s to a relatively thriving and well-planned retail and business district by the 2000s. Holland & Barrett
Holland & Barrett
Holland & Barrett is a chain of health food shops with over 600 stores in the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, South Africa, Singapore and Malta. The company also has stores in The Netherlands, where they trade as "De Tuinen".-Ownership:...
has its headquarters based in the town while Bermuda Park, which is south of Nuneaton, is home of the national distribution centres of Dairy Crest
Dairy Crest
Dairy Crest Group plc is a major dairy products company in the United Kingdom. Its brands include Cathedral City Cheddar cheese, Utterly Butterly, Vitalite, Clover, St Ivel and Frijj. The company delivers milk to around 1.1 million households via their milkmen...
and RS Components
RS Components
RS Components, commonly known as RS, is a global, world leading industrial component distributor headquartered in Corby in the United Kingdom. It distributes to the United Kingdom, most of Europe and Asia and is part of the Electrocomponents group....
.
Politics
Nuneaton is part of the constituency of the same nameNuneaton (UK Parliament constituency)
Nuneaton is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.- Pre-2010 :...
in the House of Commons, which is currently represented by the Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP), Marcus Jones
Marcus Jones (UK politician)
Marcus Charles Jones is a British Conservative Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Nuneaton since 2010. Previously, he had been Leader of Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council.-Education and early career:...
. From 1935-1983 Nuneaton was a safe Labour seat, but it has since been a marginal. The local council, Nuneaton and Bedworth
Nuneaton and Bedworth
Nuneaton and Bedworth is a local government district with borough status, in northern Warwickshire, England, consisting of the densely populated towns of Nuneaton and Bedworth, the village of Bulkington and the green belt land in between. It has a population of just over 120,000.It borders the...
, currently has no party in overall control, with Labour as the largest party. On 1 April 1974, Nuneaton's council was merged with the neighbouring Bedworth
Bedworth
Bedworth is a market town in the Nuneaton and Bedworth district of Warwickshire, England. It lies northwest of London, east of Birmingham, and north northeast of the county town of Warwick. It is situated between Coventry, to the south, and Nuneaton, to the north.In the 2001 census the town...
Urban District
Urban district
In the England, Wales and Ireland, an urban district was a type of local government district that covered an urbanised area. Urban districts had an elected Urban District Council , which shared local government responsibilities with a county council....
to form a new district council
Non-metropolitan district
Non-metropolitan districts, or colloquially shire districts, are a type of local government district in England. As created, they are sub-divisions of non-metropolitan counties in a so-called "two-tier" arrangement...
, originally named just "Nuneaton". Borough status was conferred on the new district on 15 November 1976. Following objections from Bedworth residents, the name of the borough was changed to "Nuneaton and Bedworth" in 1980. The council was controlled by the Labour Party from 1973, when the shadow council was elected in preparation for the 1974 merger, until the 2008 local elections
United Kingdom local elections, 2008
The 2008 United Kingdom local elections were held on 1 May 2008. These elections took place in 137 English Local Authorities and all Welsh Councils....
, when the Conservatives gained control, ending 35 years of Labour rule. The official result was: Labour lost 6 seats, the Conservatives won 4 seats, and the BNP
British National Party
The British National Party is a British far-right political party formed as a splinter group from the National Front by John Tyndall in 1982...
(British National Party) won 2 seats. The Labour Party won two seats from the Conservative Party in the 2010 local elections
United Kingdom local elections, 2010
The 2010 United Kingdom local elections were held on Thursday 6 May 2010, when the 2010 general election also took place. Direct elections were held to all 32 London boroughs, all 36 metropolitan boroughs, 76 second-tier district authorities, 20 unitary authorities and various Mayoral posts, all in...
, giving no party overall control of the council.
Nuneaton is currently covered by 11 of the borough's 17 electoral wards (see table below). Each ward elects two councillors, who serve 4 year terms. There are elections every 2 years.
Religion
Nuneaton's name reflects the part that ChristianityChristianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
has paid in the town's history. Although the Benedictine
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
nunnery which gave the town its name was destroyed at the time of the reformation
English Reformation
The English Reformation was the series of events in 16th-century England by which the Church of England broke away from the authority of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church....
, the remaining fragments were incorporated into the Anglican church building now known as the Abbey Church of St Mary the Virgin in Manor Court Road. This is a Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
construction. The original ruins are left to be an obvious feature of the new building and its immediate setting.
Near the town centre, but unusually not actually a part of it and outside the ring road, lies the mediaeval church of St Nicolas- Nuneaton's only grade 1 listed building. Chilvers Coton contains All Saints' Church where Mary Ann Evans (George Eliot
George Eliot
Mary Anne Evans , better known by her pen name George Eliot, was an English novelist, journalist and translator, and one of the leading writers of the Victorian era...
) worshipped. This was badly damaged by bombing during the Second World War, and rebuilt largely by German prisoners of war. There are also Anglican churches in Weddington (St James's), Attleborough (Holy Trinity), Stockingford (St Paul's), Galley Common (St Peter's), Abbey Green (St Mary's), more recently built, Camp Hill (St John's).
Roman Catholicism is represented by Our Lady of the Angels Church on Coton Road, whose building was largely remodelled in the 1930s, and St Anne's, Chapel End, Nuneaton
St Anne's, Chapel End, Nuneaton
The Roman Catholic parish of St Anne, Nuneaton in Warwickshire, England serves the western side of Nuneaton and outlying villages towards Coleshill. The church itself was rebuilt in 2000 and is on Camp Hill Road, Nuneaton. The parish was formed in 1948 and includes St Joseph's Church in New Arley...
whose current building dates from 2000.
Other Christian traditions in the town include Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
, Methodist, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and United Reformed
United Reformed Church
The United Reformed Church is a Christian church in the United Kingdom. It has approximately 68,000 members in 1,500 congregations with some 700 ministers.-Origins and history:...
churches.
Immigration from the Indian subcontinent
Indian subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent, also Indian Subcontinent, Indo-Pak Subcontinent or South Asian Subcontinent is a region of the Asian continent on the Indian tectonic plate from the Hindu Kush or Hindu Koh, Himalayas and including the Kuen Lun and Karakoram ranges, forming a land mass which extends...
has, like many British towns, brought with it believers in Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
, Sikhism
Sikhism
Sikhism is a monotheistic religion founded during the 15th century in the Punjab region, by Guru Nanak Dev and continued to progress with ten successive Sikh Gurus . It is the fifth-largest organized religion in the world and one of the fastest-growing...
and Hinduism
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
, and Nuneaton has a substantial ethnic minority population. There is a mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
on Frank Street, Chilvers Coton, and two gurdwara
Gurdwara
A Gurdwara , meaning the Gateway to the Guru, is the place of worship for Sikhs, the followers of Sikhism. A Gurdwara can be identified from a distance by tall flagpoles bearing the Nishan Sahib ....
s (Sikh temples): the Nuneaton Guru Nanak Gurdwara in Park Avenue, Attleborough, and the Shri Guru Tegh Bahadur Gurdwara in Marlborough Road, Chilvers Coton.
Media
The local radio stations are Mercia FMMercia FM
Mercia is an Independent Local Radio station serving Coventry and Warwickshire. The station, owned and operated by Orion Media broadcasts from studios shared with BRMB at Broad Street in Birmingham.-History:...
and BBC Coventry & Warwickshire
BBC Coventry & Warwickshire
BBC Coventry and Warwickshire is the BBC Local Radio service serving the City of Coventry and the county of Warwickshire. It broadcasts on 94.8, 103.7 and 104 MHz FM, DAB Digital Radio and is streamed on the internet via the ....
, all are based in the nearby city of Coventry and also Oak FM
Oak FM
Oak FM is a local radio station broadcasting across West Leicestershire as well as the town of Nuneaton in the English Midlands in the United Kingdom...
(formerly Fosseway Radio) which is broadcast from the nearby town of Hinckley
Hinckley
Hinckley is a town in southwest Leicestershire, England. It has a population of 43,246 . It is administered by Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council...
. Parts of Nuneaton can also receive BBC Radio Leicester
BBC Radio Leicester
BBC Radio Leicester is the BBC Local Radio service for the English counties of Leicestershire and Rutland. The station broadcasts from studios in Leicester on 104.9 FM, on DAB, and via the BBC iPlayer.-History:...
. Within Nuneaton itself there is Anker Radio which serves the George Eliot Hospital
George Eliot Hospital
George Eliot Hospital is a single site hospital located in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, it is managed by the George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust. It provides a full range of emergency and elective medical services, including maternity services, to the local area....
.
The main local newspaper is the Tribune, which is a free paper delivered to most homes in the area weekly on a Thursday or Friday, taking in Nuneaton, Bedworth and Atherstone. There is also the Nuneaton Telegraph, a localised version of the Coventry Telegraph (but mostly focuses on Coventry). The News circulated free every Wednesday, was formerly the Heartland Evening News daily paper .
The Nuneaton area is covered by BBC West Midlands TV News Show BBC Midlands Today and ITV Central's Central Tonight but gets limited coverage from both, with some areas of the town receiving the East Midlands transmission of BBC East Midlands Today.
Transport
The town is near the M6M6 motorway
The M6 motorway runs from junction 19 of the M1 at the Catthorpe Interchange, near Rugby via Birmingham then heads north, passing Stoke-on-Trent, Manchester, Preston, Carlisle and terminating at the Gretna junction . Here, just short of the Scottish border it becomes the A74 which continues to...
, the M42
M42 motorway
The M42 motorway is a major road in England. The motorway runs north east from Bromsgrove in Worcestershire to just south west of Ashby-de-la-Zouch in Leicestershire, passing Redditch, Solihull, the National Exhibition Centre and Tamworth on the way. The section between the M40 and M6 road forms...
and M69
M69 motorway
The M69 is a lightly used dual three lane dual carriageway motorway in Leicestershire and Warwickshire, England connecting Leicester and Coventry. It opened in 1977.-History:...
motorways and the main A5 trunk road (Watling Street
Watling Street
Watling Street is the name given to an ancient trackway in England and Wales that was first used by the Britons mainly between the modern cities of Canterbury and St Albans. The Romans later paved the route, part of which is identified on the Antonine Itinerary as Iter III: "Item a Londinio ad...
), which also acts as a border with Leicestershire and the neighbouring town of Hinckley. The A444
A444 road
The A444 is a primary road running between Coventry and Burton on Trent in England, usually referred to as the "A treble four".-Route:Starting on the A4600 Sky Blue Way in Coventry, the road heads north on a dual carriageway road, crossing the M6 at junction 3. It bypasses Bedworth to the west and...
provides a high-speed dual-carriageway route into the town from the south and also acts as the often busy town centre ring road
Ring road
A ring road, orbital motorway, beltway, circumferential highway, or loop highway is a road that encircles a town or city...
. The A47
A47 road
The A47 is a trunk road in England originally linking Birmingham to Great Yarmouth. Most of the section between Birmingham and Nuneaton is now classified as the B4114.-Route:...
links the town with neighbouring Hinckley and onwards to Leicester, and the A4254 - Eastern Relief Road - provides direct access from the east of Nuneaton to the south, avoiding the town centre.
Nuneaton railway station
Nuneaton railway station
Nuneaton railway station serves the large town of Nuneaton in Warwickshire, England. The station is managed by London Midland.It is situated at the point where the Birmingham - Leicester route crosses the Trent Valley Line section of the West Coast Main Line north of London Euston, with a branch...
near the town centre is an important railway junction, served by the West Coast Main Line
West Coast Main Line
The West Coast Main Line is the busiest mixed-traffic railway route in Britain, being the country's most important rail backbone in terms of population served. Fast, long-distance inter-city passenger services are provided between London, the West Midlands, the North West, North Wales and the...
, the Birmingham to Leicester
Leicester railway station
Leicester railway station serves the City of Leicester in Leicestershire, England.As of late 2009 Leicester is a Penalty fare station, a valid ticket or Permit to travel must be shown when requested.-Background:...
railway line and by a line to Coventry
Coventry railway station
Coventry railway station is situated about 250 yards to the south of junction 6 of the inner ring road in the city of Coventry, West Midlands, England...
via Bedworth
Bedworth railway station
Bedworth railway station serves the town of Bedworth in Warwickshire, England. It is on the Coventry to Nuneaton Line 6¼ miles north of Coventry railway station....
. It offers direct rail services to those destinations. There are plans to build a new station at Bermuda Park in the south of the town on the line towards Coventry.
Its importance as a railway junction is underlined by the fact that Nuneaton has the third highest level of interchange passengers (after Birmingham New Street and Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
), of any railway station in the Midlands. This changed in December 2008 when a new Very High Frequency (VHF) timetable was introduced by Virgin Trains
Virgin Trains
Virgin Trains is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. It operates long-distance passenger services on the West Coast Main Line between London, the West Midlands, North West England, North Wales and Scotland...
on the West Coast Main Line. Very few Virgin services now stop in Nuneaton. Instead, London Midland
London Midland
London Midland is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. Legally named London and Birmingham Railway Ltd, it is a subsidiary of Govia, and has operated the West Midlands franchise since 11 November 2007....
operate an hourly daytime service between London Euston and Crewe
Crewe
Crewe is a railway town within the unitary authority area of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. According to the 2001 census the urban area had a population of 67,683...
via Northampton
Northampton
Northampton is a large market town and local government district in the East Midlands region of England. Situated about north-west of London and around south-east of Birmingham, Northampton lies on the River Nene and is the county town of Northamptonshire. The demonym of Northampton is...
, Stafford
Stafford
Stafford is the county town of Staffordshire, in the West Midlands region of England. It lies approximately north of Wolverhampton and south of Stoke-on-Trent, adjacent to the M6 motorway Junction 13 to Junction 14...
and Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent , also called The Potteries is a city in Staffordshire, England, which forms a linear conurbation almost 12 miles long, with an area of . Together with the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme Stoke forms The Potteries Urban Area...
with journey times increased significantly, e.g. 81 minutes to Crewe versus 40 minutes on Virgin. The December 2008 timetable has been the source of much outrage locally.
The Coventry Canal
Coventry Canal
The Coventry Canal is a navigable narrow canal in the Midlands of England.It starts in Coventry and ends 38 miles north at Fradley Junction, just north of Lichfield, where it joins the Trent and Mersey Canal...
passes through the town.
The main operator for buses in Nuneaton is Stagecoach in Warwickshire
Stagecoach in Warwickshire
Stagecoach in Warwickshire is the Stagecoach Group bus operator in and around the county of Warwickshire, England. While Stagecoach in Warwickshire is the brand image of the company, its legal name is Midland Red Ltd...
Recreation
Nuneaton has two non-league footballFootball (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
teams of note: Nuneaton Town who play in the Conference North
Conference North
The Conference North also known as Blue Square Bet North for sponsorship reasons, is a division of the Football Conference in England, taking its place immediately below the Conference National. Along with Conference South it is at Step 2 of the National League System and the sixth overall tier of...
and Nuneaton Griff who play in the Midland Combination
Midland Football Combination
The Midland Football Combination is an English football league covering parts of the West Midlands. It comprises five divisions, a Premier Division, Divisions One and Two and two Reserves Divisions...
Premier Division. There is also a thriving Sunday League football scene in the town, with teams from Nuneaton, Bedworth and North Warwickshire competing in the Nuneaton & District Sunday Football League (NDSFL).
There are three rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
clubs in the town: Nuneaton R.F.C.
Nuneaton R.F.C.
Nuneaton RFC is an English rugby union club. They were founded in 1879 and play at Liberty Way in Nuneaton. They currently play in National League 2 North.-History:...
(nicknamed "the Nuns"), who play in National Division 1, Nuneaton Old Edwardians of Midlands 3 West (South)
Midlands 3 West (South)
English Rugby Union Midland Division - Midlands 3 West is a level 8 English Rugby Union League.Midlands 3 West is made up of teams from around the West Midlands of England who play home and away matches throughout a winter season...
division and Manor Park of the Midlands 5 West (South)
Midlands 5 West (South)
English Rugby Union Midland Division - Midlands 5 West is a level 10 English Rugby Union League.Midlands 5 West is made up of teams from around the East Midlands of England who play home and away matches throughout a winter season...
league.
The town is also home to Nuneaton Bowling club, where flat green bowls is played.
There are three main leisure centre
Leisure centre
A leisure centre in the UK and Canada is a purpose built building or site, usually owned and operated by the city, borough council or municipal district council, where people go to keep fit or relax through using the facilities.- Typical Facilities :...
s in the town owned by Nuneaton and Bedworth Leisure Trust and maintained by Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council:
- The Pingles Leisure Centre - The Pingles is the main leisure centre in Nuneaton. It was rebuilt in 2004 to replace the old 1960s swimming baths. The new Pingles includes an indoor and outdoor swimmingSwimming poolA swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...
areas, a dance studio and gymGymThe word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, that mean a locality for both physical and intellectual education of young men...
. The Pingles also has an associated athletics stadium, the Pingles Stadium, which was built in 2004. The Pingles Stadium has a 250 seater stand, a running track and athletics facilities. The stadium also has a football pitch which is used by Nuneaton Griff for their home matches. - Jubilee Sports Centre - The Jubilee Sports Centre is a sports hall. The hall is used for various sports including badmintonBadmintonBadminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players or two opposing pairs , who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their...
, five-a-side footballFive-a-side footballthumb|240px|alt=Men playing football on artificial grass pitch.|Five-a-side game on astroturf pitch.Five-a-side football is a variation of association football in which each team fields five players , rather than the usual eleven on each team. Other differences from football include a smaller...
/indoor football and basketballBasketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
. The Jubilee also has a scoreboard, used for major basketball and indoor football matches. The hall can be hired out for uses such as karateKarateis a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
lessons. - Etone Sports Centre - Etone Sports Centre is another sports hall. Etone sports hall also has astroturfAstroTurfAstroTurf is a brand of artificial turf. Although the term is a registered trademark, it is sometimes used as a generic description of any kind of artificial turf. The original AstroTurf product was a short pile synthetic turf while the current products incorporate modern features such as...
football pitches which are used also for hockeyHockeyHockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:...
. The centre is in the grounds of the school which bears the same name, Etone School, but Nuneaton and Bedworth Leisure Trust maintains the building.
Nuneaton has a museum and art gallery in the grounds of Riversley Park adjacent to the town centre.
Culture
- Nuneaton annually enters the Britain in BloomBritain in BloomRHS Britain in Bloom, supported by Anglian Home Improvements, is the largest horticultural campaign in the United Kingdom. It was first held in 1963, initiated by the British Tourist Board based on the example set by Fleurissement de France. It has been organised by the Royal Horticultural Society ...
competition and in 2000, Nuneaton and Bedworth was a national finalist. - Nuneaton is home to the largest carnival in Warwickshire which takes place every June – see www.NuneatonCarnival.org
- Nuneaton was home to the smallest independent newspaper in Britain (the Heartland Evening News) until it was purchased in 2006 by life News & Media
Some of Nuneaton's schools
Primary:- Milverton House School
- Weddington Primary School
- Milby Primary School
- St Pauls C of E School
- Middlemarch Junior School
- Croft Junior School
Secondary:
- Higham Lane SchoolHigham Lane SchoolHigham Lane School is a secondary school in Weddington, Nuneaton, England. The current headteacher is Mr Phil Kelly who became headmaster in January 2006, replacing Dr R. Tetlow. The school teaches pupils aged eleven to sixteen in preparation for their GCSEs...
, Business and Enterprise college established 1939. - Etone Community School and Technology CollegeEtone Community School and Technology CollegeEtone Technology, Language, Vocational College is a comprehensive secondary school in Nuneaton, Warwickshire. It is a mixed school of non-denominational religion and belongs to the Warwickshire Local Education Authority.-History:...
- The George Eliot School
- St. Thomas More Catholic School and Technology College
- Hartshill School
- The Nuneaton Acadamy
Colleges:
- King Edward VI CollegeKing Edward VI College, NuneatonKing Edward VI College is a sixth form college located in Nuneaton, England, in Warwickshire. Currently, it teaches subjects in preparation for AS and A-level Examinations, for students generally aged sixteen to eighteen.-Grammar school:...
, established 1552. - North Warwickshire and Hinckley CollegeNorth Warwickshire and Hinckley CollegeNorth Warwickshire and Hinckley College is a Further Education College with campuses in Leicestershire, Nuneaton & Bedworth and North Warwickshire...
George Eliot's inspirations
Many locations in George Eliot's works were based on places in or near her native Nuneaton, including:- Milby (town and parish church, based on Nuneaton and St Nicolas parish church);
- Shepperton (based on Chilvers Coton);
- Paddiford Common (based on Stockingford, which at the time had a large area of common land);
- Knebley (based on Astley; Knebley Church is Astley Church, while Knebley Abbey is Astley Castle);
- Red Deeps (based on Griff Hollows);
- Cheverel Manor (based on Arbury Hall);
- Dorlcote Mill (based on Griff House);
- The Red Lion (based on the Bull Hotel, now the George Eliot Hotel in Bridge Street, Nuneaton);
- Middlemarch (based on Coventry);
- Treby Magna (also thought to be based on Coventry);
- Little Treby (thought to be based on Stoneleigh);
- Transome Court (thought to be based on Stoneleigh Abbey).
Twin towns
The borough of Nuneaton and Bedworth is twinned with the following towns: RoanneRoanne
Roanne is a commune in the Loire department in central France.It is located northwest of Lyon on the Loire River.-Economy:...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Guadalajara, Spain
Guadalajara, Spain
Guadalajara is a city and municipality in the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha, Spain, and in the natural region of La Alcarria. It is the capital of the province of Guadalajara. It is located roughly 60 km northeast of Madrid on the Henares River, and has a population of 83,789...
Cottbus
Cottbus
Cottbus is a city in Brandenburg, Germany, situated around southeast of Berlin, on the River Spree. As of , its population was .- History :...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Notable inhabitants
- George EliotGeorge EliotMary Anne Evans , better known by her pen name George Eliot, was an English novelist, journalist and translator, and one of the leading writers of the Victorian era...
, Victorian novelist - Ken LoachKen LoachKenneth "Ken" Loach is a Palme D'Or winning English film and television director.He is known for his naturalistic, social realist directing style and for his socialist beliefs, which are evident in his film treatment of social issues such as homelessness , labour rights and child abuse at the...
, film and television director - Larry GraysonLarry GraysonLarry Grayson , born William Sulley White, was an English stand-up comedian and television presenter of the 1970s and early 80s...
, comedian, entertainer and television presenter - Jemma PalmerJemma PalmerJemma Palmer is an English model and professional wrestler. She was briefly signed to World Wrestling Entertainment. She is also known by the name Inferno, which she used in the 2008 British television series Gladiators...
, Female WWE wrestler - Stuart AttwellStuart AttwellStuart Steven Attwell is an English professional football referee from Nuneaton, Warwickshire. He made a prominent debut in 2008 as the youngest person ever to referee in the Premier League.-Career:...
, youngest ever Premier League referee at 25 - Mary WhitehouseMary WhitehouseMary Whitehouse, CBE was a British campaigner against the permissive society particularly as the media portrayed and reflected it...
, TV campaigner (born in Nuneaton) - Geoffrey de HavillandGeoffrey de HavillandCaptain Sir Geoffrey de Havilland, OM, CBE, AFC, RDI, FRAeS, was a British aviation pioneer and aircraft engineer...
, aviation pioneer (educated at King Edward VI School) - Ben DanielsBen DanielsBen Daniels is an English actor. A graduate of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art , he has taken on roles in numerous productions...
, actor (born in Nuneaton) - Cecil Leonard KnoxCecil Leonard KnoxCecil Leonard Knox VC was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.-Details:...
, soldier, recipient of the Victoria CrossVictoria CrossThe Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
(born in Nuneaton) - Nigel WinterburnNigel WinterburnNigel Winterburn is a retired English footballer who played at left-back for Arsenal. He is best known for his role alongside Tony Adams, Martin Keown and Lee Dixon, forming a celebrated defensive line in the Premier League and European football during the 1990s.-Early career:Winterburn was born...
, retired footballer - Matty FryattMatty FryattMatthew Charles Fryatt is an English footballer currently playing as a striker for Hull City. A product of Walsall's youth system, Fryatt is a lifelong supporter of Manchester United....
, footballer - Ian Roper, footballer, currently at KetteringKetteringKettering is a market town in the Borough of Kettering, Northamptonshire, England. It is situated about from London. Kettering is mainly situated on the west side of the River Ise, a tributary of the River Nene which meets at Wellingborough...
- Adam WhiteheadAdam WhiteheadAdam Whitehead is a former breaststroke swimmer from Great Britain, who competed at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. There he was eliminated in the qualifying heats of the men's 100 m and 200m breaststroke....
, Olympic swimmer - Andy GoodeAndy GoodeAndrew James Goode is a rugby union footballer who plays fly-half for Worcester and England.-Career:...
, Leicester Tigers & England International Rugby Union Player - Paul BradleyPaul Bradley (actor)Paul Bradley is an English actor. He is best known for playing Nigel Bates in the BBC1 soap opera EastEnders from 1992 to 1998 and Elliot Hope in the BBC medical drama series Holby City since 2005....
, actor (born in Nuneaton) - Peter Whittingham, footballer (born in Whitestone, Nuneaton)
- Wally Holmes, former England Rugby Union international (16 caps).
- John Curtis, footballer
- Justin WelchJustin WelchJustin Steven Welch is an English musician, best known as the drummer in the Britpop band, Elastica....
, drummer with Britpop band ElasticaElasticaElastica were an English alternative rock band that played punk rock-influenced music. They were best known for their 1995 album Elastica, which produced singles that charted in the US and the UK.-History:...
(1991–2001) and a drummer for SuedeSuede (band)Suede are an English alternative rock band from London, formed in 1989. The group's most prominent early line-up featured singer Brett Anderson, guitarist Bernard Butler, bass player Mat Osman and drummer Simon Gilbert. By 1992, Suede were hailed as "The Best New Band in Britain", and attracted...
in their formative years - John BarberJohn Barber (engineer)John Barber was an English coalmaster and inventor. He was born in Nottinghamshire, but moved to Warwickshire in the 1760s to manage collieries in the Nuneaton area. For a time he lived in Camp Hill House, between Hartshill and Nuneaton, and later lived in Attleborough...
, inventor of the gas turbine in 1791 - Kevin KyleKevin KyleKevin Alistair Kyle is a Scottish footballer who plays as a centre forward for SPL club Hearts.- Early life :...
, Coventry City footballer - Lisa LashesLisa LashesLisa Lashes , is a British electronic dance music DJ and music producer best known for her career as a leading female dj, mixing numerous Euphoria albums, her popular Lashed dance music events and being the first and only female to be considered among the top ten DJs in the world by DJ MagazineShe...
, DJ/producer (born in Nuneaton) - Mick PriceMick Price (snooker player)Michael "Mick" Price is a retired English professional snooker player. He turned professional in 1988 and is best known for being Ronnie O'Sullivan's opponent when O'Sullivan scored the fastest 147 break in the game's history, at the 1997 World Championship. O'Sullivan eventually won the match by...
, snooker player - A. J. QuinnellA. J. QuinnellA. J. Quinnell was the pen name of the English thriller novelist Philip Nicholson. He is best known for his novel Man on Fire, which has been adapted to film twice, most recently in 2004 featuring Denzel Washington.-Life and work:...
, writer (author of Man on Fire) - George ReaderGeorge ReaderGeorge Reader was the fourth man to referee a FIFA World Cup Final, the first Englishman to do so, and the oldest match official at any World Cup in history...
, football referee; officiated in the final game of the 1950 FIFA World Cup1950 FIFA World CupThe 1950 FIFA World Cup, held in Brazil from 24 June to 16 July, was the fourth FIFA World Cup. It was the first World Cup since 1938, the planned 1942 and 1946 competitions having been canceled owing to World War II... - Jon HolmesJon HolmesJon Holmes is a seven time Sony award-winning and double Bafta winning British writer, comedian and broadcaster.-Early life:...
, writer, comedian and broadcaster (grew up in Nuneaton) - Richard Freeman, cryptozoologist (born in Nuneaton).
- Dean Richards, former England Rugby Union player and Rugby Union Coach (born in Nuneaton)
- Nicki ShawNicki ShawNicki Shaw is an English cricketer and former member of the England women's cricket team. She was born in Nuneaton, Warwickshire and plays county cricket for Surrey, who she currently captains. She is a right arm fast medium bowler and right-handed batsman. She has played 4 tests and over 60 one...
, current member of the England Women's Cricket team (born in Nuneaton) - Julian AlsopJulian AlsopJulian Mark Alsop is an English retired footballer born in Nuneaton. A tall, strong striker, Alsop first came to prominence with Bristol Rovers before joining Swansea City in 1998 for £30,000 immediately following a loan deal....
, footballer - Jamie Oliver, drummer with the UK SubsUK SubsThe U.K. Subs are an English punk rock band, among the earliest in the first wave of British punk. Formed in 1976, the mainstay of the band has been vocalist Charlie Harper, originally a singer in Britain's R&B scene. They were also one of the first street punk bands.-Career:The U.K...
grew up in Nuneaton and went to Etone School - Angela White, widow of Olympic Silver participant Duncan WhiteDuncan WhiteDuncan White, MBE was the first Sri Lankan athlete to win a medal for his country in an Olympic event. He won a silver in the 400-metre hurdles at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, England...
- Alan and Graham "Kidder" Hammonds, musicians, Incredible Kidda BandIncredible Kidda BandThe Incredible Kidda Band were a British power pop band formed in Nuneaton on 10 February 1976, and composed of Alan Hammonds vocals), Graham “Kidder” Hammonds , John Rollason , Les Rollason , Graham “Dick” Millington...
(grew up in Nuneaton) - Martyn Bates, musician, Eyeless in GazaEyeless in Gaza (band)Eyeless In Gaza are a Post-punk musical duo of Martyn Bates and Peter Becker, based in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, England. They have described their music as "veer[ing] crazily from filmic ambiance to rock and pop, industrial funk to avant-folk styles." Formed in 1980, the group went into hiatus in...
- Peter Becker, musician, Eyeless in GazaEyeless in Gaza (band)Eyeless In Gaza are a Post-punk musical duo of Martyn Bates and Peter Becker, based in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, England. They have described their music as "veer[ing] crazily from filmic ambiance to rock and pop, industrial funk to avant-folk styles." Formed in 1980, the group went into hiatus in...
- Trevor PeakeTrevor PeakeTrevor Peake is a retired English footballer. He was a member of Coventry City's FA Cup winning team in 1987 and is current assistant academy director of Leicester City.-Coaching career:...
, footballer, 1987 FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
winner with Coventry CityCoventry City F.C.Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
(born in Nuneaton) - Gareth EdwardsGareth Edwards (director)Gareth Edwards is a British film director. He is best known for directing the 2010 independent film Monsters, his first feature film. He also wrote, filmed, and did the visual effects for the film. He is currently attached to direct the upcoming Godzilla reboot from Legendary Pictures.- Biography...
, film director, MonstersMonsters (2010 film)Monsters is a 2010 British science fiction film, written, shot and directed by Gareth Edwards. Whitney Able and Scoot McNairy star in the lead roles.-Plot:... - Ben AcklandBen AcklandBenjamin James Ackland is an English born Irish cricketer. Ackland is a right-handed batsman who bowls right-arm off break. He was born in Nuneaton, Warwickshire and educated at Queen's College, Taunton....
, Irish cricketer (born in Nuneaton)
Districts and suburbs of Nuneaton
Within the borough boundaries:- Abbey Green
- Arbury
- AttleboroughAttleborough, WarwickshireAttleborough is an area of Nuneaton in Warwickshire in central England. It is about a mile south-east of the town centre. The centre of Attleborough has a village feel to it and contains a number of shops, restaurants, takeaways and pubs...
(including Maple Park) - Bermuda
- Caldwell
- Camp Hill
- Chapel End (including The Shires)
- Chilvers Coton
- Galley Common
- GriffGriff, WarwickshireGriff is a hamlet in the English county of Warwickshire.Griff is located on the A444 road between the towns of Nuneaton and Bedworth and is administered as part of Nuneaton and Bedworth district....
- Grove Farm
- Hill Top
- Horeston GrangeHoreston Grange, WarwickshireHoreston Grange is a suburban area of Nuneaton in Warwickshire in central England. It is a large housing estate, built mainly in the late 1980s and early 1990s...
- Robinson's End
- St Nicolas ParkSt Nicolas ParkSt Nicolas Park is a suburban area of Nuneaton in Warwickshire, central England. It is a large housing estate, built between the 1960s and the 1990s...
- Stockingford (including Glendale, Sunnyside, Black-a-Tree, Church Farm)
- WeddingtonWeddington, NuneatonWeddington is a small parish in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, England, bounded on the northeast by Watling Street, and on the west by the River Anker. It is surrounded on the west and south by the Anker, and comprises the church, Rectory, Church Farm, the Grove, and the grounds of the former Weddington...
- WhitestoneWhitestone, WarwickshireWhitestone is a suburban area of Nuneaton in Warwickshire in central England.It is located approximately two miles south-east of Nuneaton town centre. Historically part of Attleborough, the area has developed its own identity following extensive housing developments since the 1950s and 1960s...
(including Crowhill) - Whittleford (including Poplar Farm, Hawthorn Common)
Outside the borough boundaries but often considered to be part of the town:
- AnsleyAnsley, WarwickshireAnsley is a village and civil parish in the North Warwickshire district of Warwickshire, England. The parish includes Ansley Common, Ansley Hall, Birchley Heath, and formerly Ansley Hall Colliery. The village is just to the west of Nuneaton, and near Arley, Astley and Church End.Ansley Parish...
- Ansley CommonAnsley CommonAnsley Common is a village in Warwickshire, England....
- ArleyArley, WarwickshireArley is a civil parish in the North Warwickshire district of Warwickshire, England. The parish includes two settlements, New Arley and Old Arley. Old Arley is to the west of the Bourne Brook and the railway line, and New Arley is to the east....
- AstleyAstley, WarwickshireAstley is a village and parish within the North Warwickshire district of Warwickshire, England. In the 2001 census it had a population of 219.Astley is Knebly in George Eliot's Mr Gilfil's Love Story. Eliot's parents were married in the church....
- Bramcote
- CaldecoteCaldecote, WarwickshireCaldecote is a village in Warwickshire, England, 2 miles north of Nuneaton and south of the A5.-Further reading:Sheasby, Alan Skylark Fields: A Forties Childhood Exeter, Devon: Wheaton Publishers Ltd/Warwickshire Books, ISBN 1-871942-04-7...
- HartshillHartshillHartshill is a village in the borough of North Warwickshire, England.Hartshill is three miles from Nuneaton town centre but is still regarded as a suburb of the town despite being in the North Warwickshire borough....
- Oldbury
External links
- The Nuneaton Local History Group local history chronicle.
- A historical website chronicling the Castle which formerly stood in Weddington until its demolition in 1928.
- Nuneaton and Bedworth borough council
- The Ropewalk Shopping Centre – Nuneaton's premier shopping centre
- The Abbeygate Shopping Centre – shopping centre located in the heart of Nuneaton
- Nuneaton's Carnival
- Information on links to the area in George Eliot's works