The Historic Walk for Tourism Week

On Saturday March 30th, Tour Guide Paula Fletcher – who is also a member of the Unlocking Warwick volunteers group – provided a free 90-minute Historic Warwick Walk to mark the beginning of Tourism Week in the town.  

Some of the guests came from far and wide, including Cheltenham, Birmingham, Norwich and even France, while others were Warwick and Leamington residents who wanted to learn more about the history of the county town. They were blessed with a gorgeous spring day with clear blue skies and warm sunshine.

The walk began at the Grade-1 listed Court House/Town Hall standing at the central crossroads and built by local architect Francis Smith in the early 1700s during the reconstruction of the town after the Great Fire of 1694. 

The leisurely walk proceeded via the War Memorial to the Collegiate Church of St. Mary with its famous Beauchamp Chapel containing the elaborate tombs of the Earls of Warwick. Then Paula took the group through the Market Place, which was bustling with activity on market day, and past the County Museum – originally the cloth market – with Paula pointing out the nearby statue of Randolf Turpin, the local boxer who won the World Middleweight Championship.

Then the group saw the 14th century Lord Leycester Hospital created by Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, as a retirement home for soldiers, and to the site of execution at the back of the Shire Hall and former Assizes where the prisoners were held in subterranean cells. The free walk round the centre of Warwick was clearly appreciated by those who took part. “Many thanks, Paula!  An illuminating tour of the historic town”. And the local people all said they’d learned something new.

Next Saturday, April 6th, will see the first of Unlocking Warwick’s free Court House Tours. These 45-minute tours confine themselves to the the Court House and its surrounds, with the guides introducing visitors to the 1100-year history of Warwick. The tours start at 11am. You can find the dates on our What’s On in Warwick on this website.

If you would like to arrange a group Historic Warwick Walk this summer, contact Paula Fletcher for options and prices: Email warwickwalk@aol.com   http://www.historicwarwickwalks.com