Nuneaton
 |
Nuneaton Town Centre. |
Nuneaton is the largest
town in the
English county of
Warwickshire, and the borough of
Nuneaton and Bedworth. The town is located 13 km (8 miles) north of
Coventry, 32 km (20 miles) east of
Birmingham and 166 km (103 miles) northwest of
London. Nuneaton had a population of 70,721 (2001 census).
The town is near the
M6 and
M69 motorways, and the
A5 road. It is also
an important railway junction, served by the
West Coast Main Line and also by the
Birmingham to
Leicester railway line, and by a line to
Coventry via
Bedworth. The
Coventry Canal and the
River Anker run through the town. Places near to Nuneaton include
Atherstone,
Bedworth,
Hinckley and
Tamworth.
Nuneaton is most famous for its associations with the
19th century author
George Eliot, who was born on a farm on the
Arbury Estate just outside Nuneaton in
1819 and lived in the town for much of her early life. In fiction, Nuneaton is referred to as "Milby" in the George Eliot novel
Scenes of Clerical Life (1858).
Nuneaton's name came from a
12th century Benedictine nunnery (parts of which still survive) from which much of the town grew around. Prior to this it was a settlement known as 'Etone', thought to mean 'small settlement by a river'. Nuneaton was listed in the
Domesday Book as a small
Hamlet [
1]. The first recorded use of the modern name was in
1247 when a document recorded it as 'Nonne Eton'.
Nuneaton grew gradually from the 17th century onwards, due to its position at the centre of the Warwickshire coalfields. At the time of the first national census in
1801 Nuneaton was already one of the largest towns in Warwickshire, with a population of 5,000. During the
Industrial revolution in the
19th century, Nuneaton developed a large
textile industry. Other industries which developed in the town included
brick and
tile making and
brewing. By
1901 the population of Nuneaton had grown to 25,000.
Due largely to munitions factories located in Nuneaton, the town suffered heavy bombing damage during
World War II. The heaviest bombing raid on Nuneaton took place on the
17th May 1941, when 100 people were killed, 380 houses were destroyed, and over 10,000 damaged, a few smaller raids took place on the town, most notably on the
25th June 1942. As a result of the bombing, much of the town centre was re-built in the post war years.
On
April 1 1974 Nuneaton's council was merged with that of nearby
Bedworth to form the borough of
Nuneaton and Bedworth.
On the
6 June 1975 6 people died and 38 were injured when
a train crashed just south of
Nuneaton railway station.
Nuneaton's traditional industries like textiles and manufacturing have declined drastically in the postwar years. Due to its good transport links, Nuneaton is now largely a commuter town for nearby Coventry and Birmingham. However electronics and distribution remain major economic activities in the town. One of the biggest developments in the town's history, the multi-million pound Ropewalk Shopping Centre, opened on
1st September 2005 in the hope that it will give the town extra income from the shopping, attract more visitors and retailers, and steer shoppers away from larger retail centres such as Birmingham, Coventry and Solihull. The town centre itself has undergone a successful transition from being an uninteresting 'dormitory town' service centre in the 1980s to a relatively thriving and well-planned retail and business district by the 2000s.
The local radio stations are
Mercia FM, part of the independent radio network, and
BBC Coventry & Warwickshire, both based in the nearby city of Coventry. The local newspapers are the Nuneaton Evening Telegraph, a localised version of the Coventry Evening Telegraph, the Heartland Evening News and the Weekly Tribune, which is a free paper delivered to most homes in the area weekly.
The major football team in the town is
Nuneaton Borough, who play in the Conference North division. The club achieved a notable success on 7 January 2006 when they drew with Premiership club Middlesbrough at Manor Park in the FA Cup. If they had won, they would have met Coventry City in the next round. In July 2006, Nuneaton astonishingly beat Coventry 3-2 in a pre-season friendly game, coming back from 2-0 down after 30 minutes.
There are 3 Rugby Union Teams in the town:Nuneaton RFC, play in National 2 after gaining promotion via the play-off in the 2005-2006 season.
Nuneaton Old Edwardians, "The Eds" represent the best level for the non-professional local player. Playing in Midlands 3 West (South) and based in Weddington, the club is well known for its annual Tens Tournament which features both Men's and Ladies' Competitions. The Club is already planning its Centenary Year in 2010.Manor Park is the third Nuneaton side - playing in the Warwickshire 1 league.
There are many
leisure centres in the town and the Pingles Leisure Centre was rebuilt in 2004 and includes indoor and outdoor swimming areas, saunas, a dance studio and gym. There is also an associated athletics stadium - the Pingles Stadium - which has a seated stand and is used for a variety of athletics events and a football ground.
Nuneaton enters annually the
Britain in Bloom competition and in
2000, Nuneaton and Bedworth was a national finalist.
Nuneaton has one seat in the
House of Commons, currently occupied by
Labour MP Bill Olner. The local council (
Nuneaton and Bedworth) is currently controlled by the Labour Party.
*
George Eliot, author
*
Larry Grayson, comedian
*
Ken Loach, director
*
Adam Whitehead, swimmer
*
Mary Whitehouse, campaigner
*
Nigel Winterburn, footballer
*
Stockingford*
Attleborough*
Weddington*
Whitestone *
Coton*
Bermuda Village*
Galley Common*
Hartshill* Griff Hollow
* Hill Top
* Camp Hill
* Robinson's End
* St Nicholas Park
* Horseton Grange
*
Nuneaton and Bedworth borough council*The Nuneaton Society's
local history chronicle.
