Southam
This is about the English town of Southam. For the Canadian newspaper chain see Southam Newspapers. There is also a village in Gloucestershire called Southam, see Southam, GloucestershireSoutham is a small
market town in the
Stratford-on-Avon district of
Warwickshire,
England. The 2001 census recorded a population of 6,509 in the town; around 8,000 people live in the local villages that surround it.
The nearest large town to Southam is
Leamington Spa, located roughly 7 miles (11 km) to the west. The towns of
Rugby and
Daventry are also within 10 miles (16km) of Southam.
[[Image:Market Hill 2, Southam.jpg|thumb|right|350px|Market Hill, Southam ({{:Image:Market Hill, Southam.jpg|follow this link for an alternative view}})]]Southam is located on the
River Stowe, which flows from
Napton-on-the-Hill and joins the Warwickshire
River Itchen which in turn flows into the
River Leam.
Southam is located between
Leamington Spa and
Daventry (on the
A425) and between
Coventry and
Banbury (on the
A423). The
A426 connects it to
Rugby. Southam is roughly fifteen miles from
Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of
Shakespeare. About four miles from Southam is the
M40 motorway.
Southam was never directly served by a
railway and had no station itself. However, the ex-
LNWR (later
British Railways) line from
Weedon to Leamington Spa ran a couple of miles to the north of Southam, the nearest station being
Southam & Long Itchington. The
GWR (later British Railways) London to Birmingham main line (the
Chiltern Line as it is now called) passed three miles south-west of Southam and the nearest station was at
Harbury (
Southam Road & Harbury). Today, the closest railway station is at
href="/e/l/le/leamington_spa.htm">Leamington Spa.
Southam has three primary schools, and a secondary school (Southam College) that has around 1000 students from Southam and the local villages. There is a leisure centre with a swimming pool next to the school. The shopping area of the town straddles the Coventry-Banbury road, now bypassed; at the southern end is Market Hill which hosts a
Farmers' Market on the 2nd Saturday of each month. Every Tuesday there is a market in the Wood Street Car Park. There is a fair range of shops, including a couple of small supermarkets and several banks. The town's pubs include The Old Mint, one of the oldest inns in the county.
Due to its good road links, Southam has become a commuter town in recent years due in part to its location. Taxi firms and minicab companies operate within the area and frequent bus services serve Southam and the local villages.
To the south of the town there is a small
industrial estate which is a significant source of employment in Southam.
The dominant rock type for the area is blue lias clay. Hence until quite recently there was a medium sized
cement factory with associated
quarrying a mile north of the town. This works was served by both rail and canal transport - the latter being a short arm from the
Grand Union Canal. Cement production was halted and moved to nearby
Rugby, in the late-1990s. However, quarrying at the site continues.
Despite Southam's small size it is home to two winners of the
World Professional Darts Championship.
Steve Beaton (in
1996) and
Trina Gulliver (in six consecutive years between
2001 and
2006 for the women's championship). This success may be attributed to the fact that Southam has several
pubs.
The
EastEnders actor
Adam Woodyatt also lives in Southam.
*
Nearby towns and cities:
Coventry,
Daventry,
Leamington Spa,
Rugby,
Warwick.
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Nearby villages:
Bishop's Itchington,
Broadwell,
Harbury,
Ladbroke,
Long Itchington,
Napton-on-the-Hill,
Stockton,
Ufton.
Southam can trace its history back to
Anglo-Saxon times and it is mentioned in the
Domesday Book.
Southam has connections to the
English Civil War - King
Charles I passed through the town just prior to the outbreak of war, and apparently was not made welcome by the townsfolk who refused to ring the church bells.
Later in
1642 he stayed in Southam before the
Battle of Edgehill. And in
1645,
Oliver Cromwell stayed in the town along with 7,000
Roundhead troops.
In the days of the
stagecoach Southam became an important stop on the coaching road from
Coventry to
Oxford, and many old
coaching inns remain in the town.
An unusual historical curiosity about Southam, is that in
medieval times, Southam minted its own
local currency. This was done because local people found ordinary coins too high in value for everyday use. The old mint house is now a pub called "the Old Mint".
Southam is also mentioned in
Henry VI, part 3 by
William Shakespeare in Act V, Scene I (Lines 10 - 16).
Historic population
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Wikisource – The Third Part of King Henry the Sixth – Act V, Scene I - contains mentions of Southam.
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Southam Online – Town Website
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2001 Census – Summary information regarding population and households
*
Google Maps UK – Map of Southam
