Warwick, England. Our Sister City
WARWICK, a municipal and parliamentary borough, and
the county town of Warwickshire, England
Warwick offers to visitors today the opportunity of exploring not
only the architectural gems of medieval history but also those of
its more recent past and the modern vibrant life of the county town
of Warwickshire.
Warwick (Warwic, Warrewici, Warrewyk) is said to have been a Roman
station, and was later fortified by Æthelflaed,
the Lady of Mercia, against the Danes around 914 AD. By the
time of the Domesday Survey,
Warwick was a royal borough, containing 261 houses, of which 133
were in the kings hands, while 19 belonged to burgesses who enjoyed
all the privileges they had had in the time of Edward the Confessor.
William the Conqueror granted the borough to Henry of Newburgh,
who was dubbed Earl of Warwick, and in all probability built the
castle on the site of Æthelflaed's
fortification. This impressive
fortification is built on a small hill which controlled not
only the river valley but also the river crossing on the road to
London and the roads to Stratford, Coventry and the salt way to
Droitwich. In fact, Warwick Castle is one of the most dramatic and
complete medieval castles in England. It has been inhabited continuously
since the Middle Ages, and was the home of the Earls
of Warwick until recently.
The medieval core of the town was prevented from expansion by the
open spaces that surround it: the Common and Racecourse, the grounds
of the Priory, St Nicholas Meadow, the River Avon, and later, Warwick
Castle. Within a relatively small area there are many buildings
of historic interest, of which the Castle is the most important.
Many of the central streets of the town were destroyed by the Great
Fire of 1694. The buildings which were burnt, and many which were
not, were re-built in the handsome style of the late 17th and early
18th centuries. St Mary's Church, which dominates the surrounding
countryside, had a new nave and tower at the same time.
Several important medieval buildings survived the fire and can be seen to this day, notably the town's medieval Guildhall, now the Lord Leycester Hospital, as well as a group of timber - framed buildings around Oken's House.
Related Links
Warwick, England
- Take a tour and learn more about our sister City across
the pond!
Earls
of Warwick - A comprehensive list of all who have held
the title of Earl of Warwick since 1088.
Warwick
Castle - One of the finest examples of medieval fortification
in England.
Sir Robert Rich, 2nd Earl of Warwick (1587-1685)
- Learn more about the "Governor in Chiefe and Lord
High Admiral of the English Plantations in America" who Samuel
Gorton presented his case for the establishment of a town charter
for Shawomet.