Kenilworth, a Civil Parish and Town Along Finham Brook in the English County of Warwickshire
The civil parish and town of Kenilworth in the English County of Warwickshire is famous for the ruins of the Kenilworth Castle. It is along Finham Brook, a lower tributary of River Sowe, which merges with the River Avon approximately 2 miles north-east of the town centre. The town is around 5 miles south-west of the Coventry town centre, also 9 miles north of Warwick and 90 miles north-west of London.
The Evolution of the Town of Kenilworth
Many of the old buildings of this town that survived the test of time are on the High Street, New Row and Castle Green. High Street which was once called Alta Strata which means the elevated dry ground over the Abbey contains most of the older buildings with well-established shops. One would think that this area was the original settlement because of the age of the buildings, when in fact, it is only the oldest existing section of the town. The earliest settlement is along what is now the Warwick Road. It has undergone a series of evolutions since the 12th Century that at present it retains very little of its original buildings.
The present day this town is considered a dormitory town for commuters to Birmingham, Coventry and Leamington Spa. Although it is quite near to the University of Warwick which is located at Gibbet Hill in Coventry, there are not that many students living in this town except for a small population of postgraduate students. Many university staff, however, have chosen to live in this town.
Things to See and Do in Kenilworth
With the town’s rich history, this town has plenty of interesting places to visit and explore. One such historic site is the Kenilworth Castle and Elizabethan garden where visitors can clamber up the tower and be amazed by the monumental Norman keep. The Stoneleigh Abbey where Jane Austen and even Queen Victoria are said to have stayed as guests, and the Abbey Fields are open to the public with organized tours. An interesting place worth checking out is the Aunty Agatha’s Little Big Sensory Shop.