Leamington Spa facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Royal Leamington Spa
Town
Clockwise, from top: the Parade; the Royal Pump Rooms; Leamington Spa Town Hall; Jephson Gardens; the River Leam with All Saints Church.
Royal Leamington Spa
Population	50,923 (2021 census)
OS grid reference	SP316660
Civil parish	Royal Leamington Spa
District	Warwick
Shire county	Warwickshire
Region	West Midlands
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	LEAMINGTON SPA
Postcode district	CV31, CV32, CV33
Dialling code	01926
Police	Warwickshire
Fire	Warwickshire
Ambulance	West Midlands
EU Parliament	West Midlands
UK Parliament	Warwick and Leamington
List of places UK England Warwickshire 52°17′31″N 01°32′09″W / 52.29194°N 1.53583°W / 52.29194; -1.53583

Royal Leamington Spa, often called Leamington Spa or just Leamington, is a special spa town in Warwickshire, England. It started as a small village named Leamington Priors.

The town became famous in the 1700s. People believed its natural spring water could help them feel better. In the 1800s, Leamington grew very quickly. It gets its name from the River Leam, which flows through it.

Leamington is known for its beautiful old buildings, especially in areas like the Parade. It also has lovely public parks, such as Jephson Gardens and Victoria Park.

Even though it began as a spa town, Leamington is now a busy place for shops and digital businesses. It's even called "Silicon Spa" because of all the video game companies there. In 2023, a newspaper called it the best place to live in the Midlands.

In 2021, about 50,923 people lived in Leamington. It's connected to nearby towns like Warwick and Whitnash. Leamington is about 9 miles (14 km) south of Coventry and 81 miles (130 km) north-west of London.

Exploring Leamington Spa's Past

Lansdown Crescent, a street with beautiful old buildings.

Leamington was once a small village called Leamington Priors. Its name means "farm on the River Leam" in an old language. It was first mentioned in a very old book called the Domesday Book in 1086. For 400 years, a nearby church controlled the village.

Leamington started to grow into a town in the early 1800s. This happened because people rediscovered its special spa waters. These waters were known even in Roman times. In 1784, two men, William Abbotts and Benjamin Satchwell, found them again. Soon, people started visiting in 1786, hoping the waters would help them.

The old village was on the south side of the River Leam. But in the 1800s, new buildings were built on the north side. This created a new town centre with the river flowing between the old and new parts.

The Royal Pump Rooms where people took the spa waters.

By 1810, more people were visiting than the bath houses could handle. So, a group of people built a new bath house north of the river. In 1814, the Royal Pump Rooms and Baths opened. You can still try the spa water outside this building today!

Leamington became a popular place for rich and famous visitors. Many grand houses were built for them. The main street, the Parade, started being built in 1808. The Regent Hotel opened in 1818, and Jephson Gardens in 1834.

In 1838, Queen Victoria gave the town the special name 'Royal'. So, 'Leamington Priors' became 'Royal Leamington Spa'. Queen Victoria had visited the town as a princess in 1830 and as a queen in 1858. In 1840, the Victoria Bridge opened, connecting the old and new parts of town.

Leamington grew very fast. In 1801, only 315 people lived there. By 1851, the population was over 15,000, and by 1901, it was almost 27,000.

Trains arrived in Leamington in 1844, connecting it to other cities. As spa towns became less popular, Leamington changed. It became a nice place for retired people and the middle class to live. This also made it a great place for shopping.

Leamington is famous for being where lawn tennis started! In 1872, the first tennis club in the world was formed here. The modern rules of lawn tennis were even written in Leamington in 1874.

During Second World War, Leamington was bombed a few times. It caused damage but not many people were hurt. The town was also home to the Free Czechoslovak Army. A memorial in Jephson Gardens remembers their bravery.

Leamington Spa's Location and Surroundings

Map showing Leamington, Warwick, and Whitnash close together.

The River Leam flows through Leamington from east to west. Sometimes, when there's a lot of rain, the river can flood. Big floods happened in 1998 and 2007.

The River Leam flows into the River Avon just west of Leamington. The old town of Warwick is right next to Leamington, across the River Avon. The smaller town of Whitnash is also right next to Leamington, to the south. The village of Cubbington is to the north-east.

Leamington has several areas that used to be separate villages but are now part of the town. These include Lillington to the north and Milverton to the northwest.

The main street in the town centre is the Parade. This street has many shops, from big chains to smaller local stores. It also has an indoor shopping centre called The Royal Priors.

Places Near Leamington Spa

	Birmingham	Coventry Kenilworth	Cubbington, Rugby
	Warwick		Southam
		Leamington Spa
	Stratford-upon-Avon	Whitnash	Banbury

How Leamington Spa is Governed

Leamington is part of an area called Warwick and Leamington for the UK Parliament. This area chooses a person to be their MP. The MP represents the people of Leamington in the government.

The current MP for Warwick and Leamington is Matt Western from the Labour Party. He was first elected in 2017.

Important Buildings in Leamington Spa

All Saints Church, a large and historic church.

Leamington has many interesting buildings. You can see different styles, like Georgian and early Victorian architecture. Many are listed buildings, which means they are protected because they are important. For example, Lansdowne Crescent has a beautiful neo-classical style.

There are several churches in Leamington. Some of the Anglican (Church of England) churches include All Saints' Church and St John the Baptist's Church. St Mark's Church was designed in 1879.

There is also a Roman Catholic church, St Peter's Church. Other faiths have places of worship too, like United Reformed churches, a small mosque, and a Hindu temple. The Sikh community built the Gurdwara Sahib Leamington and Warwick nearby in Warwick.

Eden Court is a tall apartment building in Lillington. It's one of the town's landmarks. The Warwickshire Justice Centre opened in 2010. It has a police station, courts, and other services. Queen Elizabeth II officially opened it in 2011.

Near the town centre, there's an oak tree with a plaque. It marks the spot where the "Midland Oak" used to grow. This tree was thought to be at the very centre of England.

St John the Baptist's Church.

People of Leamington Spa

In 2011, there were about 49,491 people living in Leamington. The average age was 34. Most residents were White British. There were also many people from Asian, Black, and other backgrounds.

About half of the people in Leamington identified as Christian. Many said they had no religion. There are also communities of Sikhs, Hindus, Muslims, and other religions.

Leamington Spa's Economy and Jobs

Christmas Lights in Livery Street.

Visitors and Tourism

In the 1800s, many people visited Leamington because of its spa waters. This made tourism the town's main business. In the 1950s, a lights festival in Jephson Gardens brought big crowds.

Shopping

Leamington town centre has many shops. You can find big chain stores and smaller local shops. There's also an indoor shopping centre called The Royal Priors. There's also a retail park outside of town called Leamington Shopping Park.

Making Things (Manufacturing)

When the Warwick and Napton Canal opened in 1799, it helped other businesses grow. The canal brought coal for gasworks, which lit the town. It also brought materials for foundries that made cast iron stoves. Today, the Eagle Foundry still makes Rangemaster Aga stoves.

A big car parts company, Automotive Products, grew from a small garage. It had a large factory that made car parts for many years. Another company, Karobes Limited, made car accessories.

Today, there are also business parks for service companies and light industry. In 2014, Detroit Electric announced they would build their electric sports car in Leamington Spa.

Video Games and Digital Media

Leamington Spa is a very important place for the video game industry. It's even called "Silicon Spa"! Many companies that make video games, digital designs, and publish games are based here. Over a thousand people work in game development in the area.

Some of the companies in Leamington include Third Kind Games, Sumo Leamington, Ubisoft Leamington, Full Fat, Kwalee, and Playground Games. Many people who work at these companies first worked at Codemasters, a big game company nearby. In 2013, Sega opened a mobile game studio here too.

Healthcare

Leamington has hospitals like the Leamington Spa Hospital. In 2021, a huge coronavirus testing lab opened in the town. It's called the Rosalind Franklin laboratory and can process many samples each day. It also created up to 1,500 jobs.

Learning in Leamington Spa

Leamington has several schools. The main state secondary schools are North Leamington School, Campion School, and Trinity Catholic School. There are also private schools like Arnold Lodge School and The Kingsley School for girls. Myton School in Warwick also takes students from parts of Leamington.

Students can also go to selective grammar schools or other independent schools nearby.

Leamington is home to one of Warwickshire College's sites. The closest universities are the University of Warwick and Coventry University.

Two national charities, The Smallpeice Trust and The Arkwright Scholarships Trust, are also in Leamington. They help young people learn about careers in science and engineering.

Culture and Fun in Leamington Spa

Art and History

The Leamington Spa Art Gallery & Museum is located in the Royal Pump Rooms. It has over 12,000 items, including art and things about local history. They have exhibitions, workshops, and talks.

Community Places

There are several places in town where people can meet and do activities together.

Peace Festival

Since 1978, the Peace Festival has been held every year in the Pump Room Gardens. It's a free festival that celebrates different cultures. The event was cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and has not been held since 2019.

Music Scene

Local bands play live music in many places around town. In 2005, a band from Leamington called Nizlopi had a number one song called "JCB". The Woodbine Street Recording Studios has been used by famous musicians like Paul Weller and The Specials.

The Assembly is a large music venue that hosts national and international artists. It won an award for 'Live Music Venue of the Year' in 2010. There is also an annual festival for music, dance, and drama.

Theatre and Movies

Leamington has two theatres: the Spa Centre and the amateur The Loft. In summer, you can even watch plays outdoors in Jephson Gardens. There are also two cinemas in town.

Sports and Activities

Leamington Spa has many sports clubs and places to play. It has the oldest purpose-built Real Tennis court in the world. There's a football club (Leamington F.C.), a disc golf course, and a leisure centre with a swimming pool.

You can also find rugby clubs, a cricket club, a hockey club, and cycling and athletics clubs. The Royal Leamington Spa Bowling Club hosts national championships every year.

Parks and Green Spaces

The town has many beautiful parks and gardens. Jephson Gardens is next to the Royal Pump Rooms and the River Leam. It was damaged by floods in 1998 but has been restored. On the other side of the river, there's an old slipway called "Elephant Walk". It was built so circus elephants could drink from the river!

Other parks include Mill Gardens, Victoria Park, and Newbold Comyn, which has nature reserves.

Local News

The Leamington Observer is the local newspaper for the town.

Getting Around Leamington Spa

Road Travel

Leamington is about 3 miles (5 km) from the M40 motorway. This road connects it to big cities like Birmingham and London. The A46 road also links Leamington to Coventry and Stratford-upon-Avon.

Train Services

Leamington Spa railway station

Leamington Spa railway station has trains run by three companies:

• Chiltern Railways has frequent trains to London Marylebone and Birmingham Snow Hill. Local trains go to Stratford-upon-Avon.
• West Midlands Trains runs local trains to Birmingham and Worcester Shrub Hill. There are also hourly trains to Nuneaton via Kenilworth.
• CrossCountry provides services to places like Banbury, Oxford, and Reading to the south. To the north, you can reach Coventry, Birmingham New Street, and Manchester.

Bus Services

Local buses are mainly run by Stagecoach Midlands. They go to places like Warwick, Banbury, and Stratford-upon-Avon. National Express Coventry has frequent buses to Kenilworth and the University of Warwick.

Air Travel

The closest international airport for passengers is Birmingham Airport. Coventry Airport is nearby but does not have regular passenger flights.

Waterways

The Grand Union Canal is used for fun activities like boating. It passes near the town. The rivers are not used for transport, but there are ideas to make them suitable for boats in the future.

Cycling Paths

There are special paths for bikes in and around Leamington. One path goes to Rugby and follows an old railway line.

Old Trams

Between 1881 and 1930, trams used to run between Leamington and Warwick.

Religions in Leamington Spa

Leamington Spa has many different religions, showing its long history. Christianity is the most common religion, with many churches.

Christianity

• Anglican Church: The Church of England has several churches, like All Saints' Church and St John the Baptist's Church.
• Catholic Church: The Roman Catholic Church has churches like St Peter's Church.
• Other Christian Groups: Leamington also has churches for Baptists, Methodists, and other Christian groups.

Other Religions

• Islam: There is a small Muslim community and a mosque.
• Hinduism: There is a Hindu temple for the local Hindu people.
• Sikhism: The Gurdwara Sahib Leamington & Warwick, located in Warwick, serves the Sikh community, including those in Leamington Spa.

Famous People from Leamington Spa

Aleister Crowley, born in Leamington.

Many famous people were born in Leamington. These include:

• Randolph Turpin (1928–1966), a world champion boxer.
• Aleister Crowley (1875–1947), a poet and magician.
• Sir Bernard Spilsbury (1877–1947), a famous pathologist.
• Sir Terry Frost (1915–2003), an artist.
• Norman Painting (1924–2009), an actor and writer.
• Leon Vitali, an actor and casting director.
• Ben Foster, a professional footballer and YouTuber.

Famous people who have lived in Leamington include:

• Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte, who later became Emperor of France. He lived here in the 1830s.
• Frank Whittle (1907–1996), who invented the jet engine. He lived here as a child.
• Anne Diamond, a TV presenter.
• Russell Howard, a comedian.
• Stormzy, a grime music artist, lived here while doing an apprenticeship.

Leamington Spa's Twin Towns

Royal Leamington Spa has special links with other towns around the world:

• Sceaux, France (since 1969)
• Brühl, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany (since 1973)
• Heemstede, Netherlands (since 1987)

Friendship Agreements

Leamington Spa also has friendship agreements with:

• Leamington, Canada – this town was named after Royal Leamington Spa!
• Bo, Sierra Leone

Weather in Leamington Spa

Leamington Spa has a typical oceanic climate, which means it has mild temperatures and rain throughout the year, like most of the United Kingdom.

See also

In Spanish: Royal Leamington Spa para niños