The market town of Bedworth is within the Borough of Nuneaton & Bedworth in the English County of Warwickshire. It lies between Nuneaton, 3 miles to the north and Coventry, 5.5 miles to the south.
Economy and Industry of Bedworth
This town used to be just a small Saxon market town, but it grew to be an industrial town in the 18th and 19th Centuries owing mostly to coal mining. But the overspill of the textile industry and ribbon weaving from the neighbouring Coventry also helped in industrialising the town. The town further developed with the opening of the Coventry Canal in 1769 followed by the railway in 1850. Coal mining in this town which has been its primary industry finally came to an end when the last mine closed in 1994. It used to be called “Black Bedworth” because of the many public houses and thirsty miners in this town. At present, this town is rapidly growing to be a dormitory town. This is because of its proximity and accessibility to the main cities such as Leicester, Birmingham and Coventry.
Things to See and Do in Bedworth
The most prominent landmark of this town is the water tower which was constructed in the 1880s designed like an Italian campanile, a style favoured at that time. It could be seen from many miles around. A significant portion of the town centre evolved in the post-war period, and it is quite apparent in its development. It has several of the usual high street names, but it also has many other establishments such as banks, card shops and offices.
The Civic hall, a multipurpose venue along High Street for all kinds of activities from live music to performance art is the pride of the town. Places worth visiting are the MIners Welfare Park, a wonderful local park, and the Astley Book Farm, Midland’s biggest second-hand book shop.