Newbold Comyn
Encyclopedia
Newbold Comyn is a park that is found on the eastern edge of Leamington Spa
, Warwickshire
, England
. It is described by some people as a country park in all but name.
when it was mentioned that one of the two mills of Leamington were situated there. In 1539 two men, Richard Willes and William Morcote jointly purchased the land that was now a farm
. When Richard Willes died in 1564 his son inherited the whole estate as Richard had married Morcote's daughter. At the end of the 18th century the Revd. Edward Willes built a new house on the estate in addition to the existing farm house. In all the Willes family held their land for over 400 years, but they finally sold it to the Leamington Corporation in the 1960's. The main house was demolished in 1965, leaving only the farm and outbuildings. During the Second World War the Luftwaffe
dumped two bombs on the park whilst returning to base from Coventry
. The craters can still be seen. The Corporation laid out the leisure park in the 1970s and the land usage has remained the same ever since although it is now run by Warwick District
Council. There used to be an old steam engine on which young people could climb and play, but this had to be removed due to health and safety regulations.
Today the park is over 120 hectares (300 acres) in area. For sports players there is an 18 hole golf course
which takes up most of the park, a 9 hole pitch and putt
and various other sports pitches for hire such as rugby
, football
and cricket
. There are two children's play areas, a skateboard and BMX
track. On the town side of the park is the Leisure Centre which boasts two swimming pools (a 25 metre one and a children's one), an aerobics
studio and a gym
. Fishing is allowed on the River Leam
which passes through the park. The park is mainly flat but there is a hill with a beacon
at the top of it from which there are fine views of south Warwickshire. At the bottom of the hill is the Newbold Comym Arms, converted from the farm house to a pub
. The pub serves food, as does the cafe at the leisure centre. The park is the only public open space in Warwick District where barbecue
s are allowed.
In late 2009 the park briefy made news in the local paper when there were rumoured sitings of a lynx
on the golf course. The big cat was dubbed the "Beast of Newbold Comyn" by the media.
The park is a fifteen minute walk from the town centre. For those with cars there are free car parks at the leisure centre, Newbold Comyn Arms and at the foot of the hill. Between Monday and Saturday there is a limited bus service from the town on the number 75.
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...
, 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...
. It is described by some people as a country park in all but name.
History
The first mention of Newbold Comyn in history was in the Domesday BookDomesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
when it was mentioned that one of the two mills of Leamington were situated there. In 1539 two men, Richard Willes and William Morcote jointly purchased the land that was now a farm
Farm
A farm is an area of land, or, for aquaculture, lake, river or sea, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food , fibres and, increasingly, fuel. It is the basic production facility in food production. Farms may be owned and operated by a single...
. When Richard Willes died in 1564 his son inherited the whole estate as Richard had married Morcote's daughter. At the end of the 18th century the Revd. Edward Willes built a new house on the estate in addition to the existing farm house. In all the Willes family held their land for over 400 years, but they finally sold it to the Leamington Corporation in the 1960's. The main house was demolished in 1965, leaving only the farm and outbuildings. During the Second World War the Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
dumped two bombs on the park whilst returning to base from Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
. The craters can still be seen. The Corporation laid out the leisure park in the 1970s and the land usage has remained the same ever since although it is now run by Warwick District
Warwick (district)
Warwick is a local government district of central Warwickshire in England. The current leader of the district council is Conservative Party member Michael Doody. The council is currently controlled by the Conservative group, who hold 23 of the 46 council seats...
Council. There used to be an old steam engine on which young people could climb and play, but this had to be removed due to health and safety regulations.
Modern day park and facilities
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
which takes up most of the park, a 9 hole pitch and putt
Pitch and putt
Pitch and putt is an amateur sport, similar to golf. The maximum hole length for international competitions is with a maximum total course length of . Players may only use three clubs; one of which must be a putter...
and various other sports pitches for hire such as rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
, football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
and cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
. There are two children's play areas, a skateboard and BMX
BMX
Bicycle motocross or BMX refers to the sport in which the main goal is extreme racing on bicycles in motocross style on tracks with inline start and expressive obstacles, and it is also the term that refers to the bicycle itself that is designed for dirt and motocross cycling.- History :BMX started...
track. On the town side of the park is the Leisure Centre which boasts two swimming pools (a 25 metre one and a children's one), an aerobics
Aerobics
Aerobics is a form of physical exercise that combines rhythmic aerobic exercise with stretching and strength training routines with the goal of improving all elements of fitness...
studio and a gym
Gym
The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, that mean a locality for both physical and intellectual education of young men...
. Fishing is allowed on 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....
which passes through the park. The park is mainly flat but there is a hill with a beacon
Beacon
A beacon is an intentionally conspicuous device designed to attract attention to a specific location.Beacons can also be combined with semaphoric or other indicators to provide important information, such as the status of an airport, by the colour and rotational pattern of its airport beacon, or of...
at the top of it from which there are fine views of south Warwickshire. At the bottom of the hill is the Newbold Comym Arms, converted from the farm house to a pub
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
. The pub serves food, as does the cafe at the leisure centre. The park is the only public open space in Warwick District where barbecue
Barbecue
Barbecue or barbeque , used chiefly in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia is a method and apparatus for cooking meat, poultry and occasionally fish with the heat and hot smoke of a fire, smoking wood, or hot coals of...
s are allowed.
In late 2009 the park briefy made news in the local paper when there were rumoured sitings of a lynx
Lynx
A lynx is any of the four Lynx genus species of medium-sized wildcats. The name "lynx" originated in Middle English via Latin from Greek word "λύγξ", derived from the Indo-European root "*leuk-", meaning "light, brightness", in reference to the luminescence of its reflective eyes...
on the golf course. The big cat was dubbed the "Beast of Newbold Comyn" by the media.
The park is a fifteen minute walk from the town centre. For those with cars there are free car parks at the leisure centre, Newbold Comyn Arms and at the foot of the hill. Between Monday and Saturday there is a limited bus service from the town on the number 75.