History in the Sunshine

Guests who attended Unlocking Warwick’s Court House Tour on Saturday 21st July enjoyed warm sunshine as Tricia Scott explained the history of the Grade 1 listed building, built thirty years after ‘The Great Fire’ had devastated the centre of the town in 1694.

She also introduced the visitors to Warwick’s rich history from its Saxon origins, through the Norman Conquest, to the Tudor period when it gained the right to be a Corporation. 

Some of the visitors had come from Dorset and Bristol; others lived more locally. One family who had booked a wedding in Pageant House and the Court House were particularly interested in the history of the building, constructed by the noted architect Francis Smith in 1725, and completely refurbished four years ago.

For over 400 years there have been magistrates’ sessions on this central site, but there are no longer any courts in the Jury Street Court House/Town Hall. It contains the Council Chamber and offices, the Visitor Centre and the Warwickshire Yeomanry Museum. The elegant Regency ballroom on the first floor is now a popular venue for social and corporate events.

The next Court House Tour conducted by Unlocking Warwick volunteers will be on Saturday 4th August, starting at 11am from The Pageant Gardens behind the Visitor Centre, and lasting about 45 minutes. It’s free to attend; there’s no need to book, though numbers have to be limited for practical reasons; so first come, first on the tour.