The town and civil parish of Atherstone is located in the far north of the English county of Warwickshire. It comprised the border with Leicestershire beside the A5 national route and is approximately 4 miles from Staffordshire. It is in the middle of the larger towns of Nuneaton and Tamworth. The administrative offices of the North Warwickshire Borough Council are located in this town.
The town’s history goes back to the Roman era. Near the present day, there existed in Mancetter a well-guarded settlement called Manduessedum. Watling Street, the Roman road which is now the A5 traversed the town. Historians believe that Boudica, the rebel Queen of the Britons, was defeated by the Romans at the Battle of Watling Street, her final battle, near Manduessedum. In the records of the 1086 Domesday Book, Atherstone was in the hands of Countess Godiva.
Atherstone Economy and Industry
The town’s location along Watling Street as a “ribbon development” assured its success as a market town. During the Middle Ages, it remained as an agricultural settlement although there already was an attempt to encourage commerce and trade by creating burgage plots. The town became a prosperous commercial centre for cloth making and weaving in the Tudor times. Later in the Tudor period, leather working, brewing and metal working were added to the town’s industry. In the 17th Century, this town became a vital hatting town famous for its felt hat.
However, due to the town’s advantageous location, its economy grew rapidly starting the 1990s. Large companies such as ALDI, TNT, and 3M set up their national distribution/operation centre in town.
Things to See and Do in Atherstone
There are a number of things visitors of Atherstone will enjoy doing. The Twycross Zoo has the largest collection of apes and monkeys in the Western World which both the young and old will enjoy interacting with. On the other hand, Garlands Leisure is a leisure farm that offers adrenaline-pumping activities such as off-road karting, raft building and clay pigeon shooting. The town also has several bars and clubs such as the Anchor Inn, Hat & Beaver, Market Tavern, New Swan and The Legion.