Birdingbury
Encyclopedia
Birdingbury is a village
and civil parish
in the Rugby
district of Warwickshire
, England
, just south of the River Leam
, and not far from Draycote Water
. It is located roughly half way between Rugby
and Leamington Spa
, about eight miles from each. According to the 2001 census
it had a population of 327.
map of 1637. Birdingbury today consists mostly of 20th century developments, but Birdingbury Hall
dates back to the early 17th century, and was rebuilt in Jacobean
style in 1859 following a major fire.
St Leonard's Church in the village is partly Victorian
and partly Georgian
.
Birdingbury once had a station, about a mile north of the village centre, and opened in 1851, on the former Rugby to Leamington Spa railway line, which has been partly converted into a cycleway as part of the National Cycle Network
The Birdingbury Club, in the former school building, is open most nights of the week and runs a number of events and entertainment throughout the year.
In March 2009, Birdingbury Village Plan was officially opened to the public. The village plan cosists of anonymous views from the village people, answers to a village questionsaire and other sections about the village, for example the history of Birdingbury.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
and civil parish
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
in the Rugby
Rugby (borough)
Rugby is a local government district with borough status in eastern Warwickshire, England.The borough comprises the town of Rugby where the council has its headquarters, and the rural areas surrounding the town....
district of Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, just south of the River Leam
River Leam
The River Leam is a river which flows through eastern and southern Warwickshire. It is a small river about 25–30 miles long. The town of Leamington Spa lies on, and is named after, the River Leam....
, and not far from Draycote Water
Draycote Water
Draycote Water is a reservoir and country park near the village of Dunchurch, 6 km south of Rugby in Warwickshire, England, owned and operated by Severn Trent Water...
. It is located roughly half way between Rugby
Rugby, Warwickshire
Rugby is a market town in Warwickshire, England, located on the River Avon. The town has a population of 61,988 making it the second largest town in the county...
and Leamington Spa
Leamington Spa
Royal Leamington Spa, commonly known as Leamington Spa or Leamington or Leam to locals, is a spa town in central Warwickshire, England. Formerly known as Leamington Priors, its expansion began following the popularisation of the medicinal qualities of its water by Dr Kerr in 1784, and by Dr Lambe...
, about eight miles from each. According to the 2001 census
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
it had a population of 327.
History
The village appears as Birbury on the Christopher SaxtonChristopher Saxton
Christopher Saxton was an English cartographer, probably born in the parish of Dewsbury, in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England around 1540....
map of 1637. Birdingbury today consists mostly of 20th century developments, but Birdingbury Hall
Birdingbury Hall
Birdingbury Hall is a 17th century country house situated at Birdingbury, near Rugby, Warwickshire. It is a Grade II listed building and now serves as the head office of a commercial organisation....
dates back to the early 17th century, and was rebuilt in Jacobean
Jacobean architecture
The Jacobean style is the second phase of Renaissance architecture in England, following the Elizabethan style. It is named after King James I of England, with whose reign it is associated.-Characteristics:...
style in 1859 following a major fire.
St Leonard's Church in the village is partly Victorian
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
and partly Georgian
Georgian era
The Georgian era is a period of British history which takes its name from, and is normally defined as spanning the reigns of, the first four Hanoverian kings of Great Britain : George I, George II, George III and George IV...
.
Birdingbury once had a station, about a mile north of the village centre, and opened in 1851, on the former Rugby to Leamington Spa railway line, which has been partly converted into a cycleway as part of the National Cycle Network
National Cycle Network
The National Cycle Network is a network of cycle routes in the United Kingdom.The National Cycle Network was created by the charity Sustrans , and aided by a £42.5 million National Lottery grant. In 2005 it was used for over 230 million trips.Many routes hope to minimise contact with motor...
Events and amenities
The village holds the annual Birdingbury Country Festival each summer.The Birdingbury Club, in the former school building, is open most nights of the week and runs a number of events and entertainment throughout the year.
In March 2009, Birdingbury Village Plan was officially opened to the public. The village plan cosists of anonymous views from the village people, answers to a village questionsaire and other sections about the village, for example the history of Birdingbury.