A brief introduction of Lillington’s history
There has been a settlement in Lillington for over a thousand years. King William’s survey of England, the Domesday Book of 1086, indicates a population of about 50 people. The land was given to the knight, the Count of Meulan, as a reward for his help to William at the battle of Hastings.
The manor of Lillington passed through several hands until it was given to Kenilworth Abbey in 1121. The village belonged to the Abbey until the monasteries were dissolved by Henry VIII in 1538. Elizabeth I granted the manor to Sir John Puckering of Warwick in 1596. His descendants held the land until 1709, when it was sold to Henry Wise.
Henry Wise ordered “an exact map” of Lillington in 1711. (1711 Fish map, right). The map shows the exact location of the various roads and properties in the village. It shows that the land was divided into three “great fields”, each divided into narrow strips so that everyone had an equal share of good or poorer land.
The fields were reorganised in 1730, and allocated to the three main farms: Manor Farm (in Lime Avenue), Village Farm (where Tesco’s is now) and Grange Farm on Cubbington Road near to Pound Lane.
The popularity of Leamington’s spa water in the 19th century had a direct impact on Lillington. Big houses were built along Lillington Avenue, for example, and gave employment to local people as gardeners and servants.
By the end of the century the demand for housing led to the building of terraced houses in Lime Avenue, Manor and Farm Roads, and along Cubbington Road. (Left – photograph of the junction of Lime Avenue and Cubbington Road)
Many local people also found work in Lillington’s industries: the brickworks north of Leicester Street, (in the area of Kiln Close) the brewery in Lillington Avenue (now The Maltings) or in one of the several sand and gravel extraction pits near the centre of Lillington.
A growing population meant more children and the village school (pictured right, now School Mews, next to Tesco) expanded to three classrooms.
Building continued after the First World War. The Holt development was built to rehouse families relocated from Leamington’s worst slums. The most extensive building programme followed the Second World War. The then land owners, the McGregor brothers, sold their land for extensive building north and south of Cubbington Road. The street names reflect their passions: Scottish from Lime to Telford Avenues, and race courses to honour the memories of the area as a Stud Farm for race horses.
Crown Way (pictured below) opened in the early 1950s. The last of the original cottages in Cubbington Road (photographed left) was demolished in the 1970s.
Lillington continues to change: the police station became a dentist, the Walnut Tree public house became Tesco, and the original Library a Nursery School. Many of the larger houses were demolished and replaced by flats or houses.
Images Warwickshire County Record Office
Latest Newsletter
Forthcoming Talks
In person talks for 2024 and 2025 are as follows and will take place at St. Mary Magdalene Parish Church, Vicarage Road, Lillington (by kind permission).
Non Members – £1.50 per meeting.
Annual Membership – £12.00 includes FREE access to all talks. 4.00pm for a 4.30pm start.
2024 – 2025
6 September – AGM
Followed by an update on research into the James Hirons archive.
Peter Coulls & Margaret Rushton
4 October
“I remember one of those!” – Memories Sparked by Artefacts
Peter Coulls & Margaret Rushton
1 November
Local Air Raid Precaution Incident Reports – Deception and Camouflage
Peter Coulls & John Willock
6 December
A Celebration of Christmases Past, Presents and Carols – Our Memories of Childhood Christmases.
3 January Leamington-born Nora Nicholson – a Broadway Star
Les Markham
7 February
Their Finest Hour
David Morse
7 March
History of The Regent Hotel
Allan Jennings
4 April
Lillington’s Water Supply
Les Markham
2 May
Artefacts from The Marton Museum of Country Bygones
David Fry
6 June
Charlecote Park: the House and Family
Jackie Chaytor
4 July
Glovers of Warwick – Wheelwrights, Iron Founders and a Great Deal More
Martin Green
Lillington’s Saxon Church
Watch this video with commentary based on a talk given by Richard Taulbut to the Society in January 2020 and for Leamington History Day in September 2020 to mark the one thousandth anniversary of the Saxon doorway in Lillington church. This video is also available on YouTube
Enquire Within
Covering the period from 1881 to 1911, Larry Connor has compiled a selection of fascinating items from the Lillington School inspection reports which the Society holds. Find the report on the Enquire Within page.
Easter Challenge
Following the success of the Christmas Challenge and the Lillington in Lockdown publications, for our Easter Challenge we asked you to look at this poster of three more views of Lillington: a view from the Campion Hills in 1906, the old Lillington school clock, and Crown Way Shops in the 1950s.
Members contributed personal memories, poems and stories suggested by the images. All the items sent in can be seen in this Lillington Easter Challenge Booklet.
And we would always love to hear about any of your Memories of Lillington that we can upload to the website. You can send items long or short, and anonymous if you wish, to LLHS, c/o Margaret Rushton.
Lillington in Lockdown
We are all very aware that we are living through a major historic event – the Covid-19 pandemic. In years to come, historians will have all the official documents they need to write the formal history of the times. It is equally important to record how ordinary people coped, how their lives changed, what they endured or came to appreciate even more than before.
Using the ‘snapshots’ written by members and friends, our newsletter editor, Chris Rhodes, has put together a written record of the impact on us in Lillington before we forget. The printed booklet is being distributed to members, or you can download Lillington in Lockdown, and some extra items in Lockdown Extra.
Remember queuing in the rain outside Quigleys’ butchers, how neighbours came together, the empty shops in town, working from home with a schoolroom on the kitchen table, grandchildren missing their friends, the successful mastery of Zoom and much more, the positives and the negatives, it wasn’t all doom and gloom, and including many contributions from younger members of our community.
From the Air
Take a look at our Gallery pages to see images of Lillington and district from the 1840’s to the present day. This aerial view of Mason Avenue from the early 1960’s was sent in by Peter Coulls. Click on the photo to see the full size image.
Here are more aerial views of Lillington and Leamington. Hover the mouse over each image to read the caption, or touch and hold on a tablet or phone.
If you have any any reminiscences, or any other interesting images we could add to these pages, please get in touch.
Leamington’s Victorian Legacy
Follow the history of Leamington’s development during the Victorian Age, when many of its most famous landmarks came into being, in this the second new video produced by Leamington History Group.
Signs Appeal Success
Working with Royal Leamington Spa Town Council, Lillington Local History Society’s campaign has been successful and ‘Welcome to Lillington’ and ‘Lillington’
Lillington is signposted from every direction, but how could visitors know when they had arrived? Entry signage will help visitors and give a valued sense of recognition and identity for residents of our community.
Official permission from Warwickshire County Council was obtained, and the Town Council budgetted £1500 towards the total cost of the project, leaving the last £850 to be raised by the Society.
Members have been very generous, raising over £530 including Gift Aid, and we are very grateful for your support.
Our Lillington community has been recognised in a visible way for the first time. Thank you for your support.
Members Remember
We have been asking for your memories over the last few months, and every one submitted can be found on the website.
In June we asked for stories of your First Holiday.
As many of the the planned celebrations to mark the 75th anniversary of VE day on May 8th could not take place, we thought you might like to have a celebration of your own, by sending us your/your family’s Memories of VE Day.
In April we asked what you remembered of your first day at work. You can see all the items sent in on here My First Day at Work.
And we would always love to hear about your Memories of Lillington that we can upload to the website.
You can send items to LLHS, c/o Margaret Rushton – a couple of sentences or a couple of pages, and if you have photos or drawings or press cuttings, so much the better!
Birth of a Spa Town
Leamington’s transformation from a small village to a thriving spa town in the late 18th and early 19th centuries is retold in this new video produced by Leamington History Group.
Old Photos of Leamington from the Coventry Evening Telegraph
Some great photos of Leamington from the 1960s – 1990s published in the Coventry Evening Telegraph Coventry Live nostalgia gallery.
New Members Welcome
The Society has a growing membership and new members are warmly welcomed to our meetings. Membership subscription is £12.00 per annum or £1.50 paid at each meeting.
Members do not have to have any special expertise in Lillington and its history, but an interest in finding out about the area and taking steps to preserve it for future generations.
Newsletter
We publish a newsletter three times a year, with articles, images and information about all aspects of Lillington history – buildings, people, places, reminiscences in A4 colour format. Editions from 2011 onwards are available to download here.
If you would be able to contribute an item, the editor will be pleased to hear from you.
Herbert Edward Cox was born in Coventry in 1870, and trained at the Coventry Municipal School of Art as a designer and draughtsman. After marrying fellow Coventrian, Margaret Shilton, they moved to 7, Manor Road, Lillington.
Cox taught painting at the Coventry Technical Institute (now the City College), and was soon recognised locally as an accomplished artist, recording street scenes of pre-war Coventry and many surrounding villages and towns.
In September 2011 his contribution to art was recognized when a blue plaque was unveiled at the Lillington house where he lived for over a quarter of a century.
Herbert Edward Cox – A Coventry Artist – This 44 page booklet by Les Neil has been privately produced with a limited print run, costing £4.90 plus postage. Available from Peter Coulls.
“New Light on Lillington Church” is an illustrated history and guide to the parish church of St Mary Magdalene, twenty four pages in colour and soft covers, price £3.75 including UK postage and packing.
Available from the author, Richard Taulbut, 9 The Greenways, Lillington, Leamington Spa. CV32 7AF. Cheques payable to ‘Lillington PCC’.
