Radford Semele
| Radford Semele | |
|---|---|
| Population | 2,012 (2011 census) |
| OS grid reference | SP344644 |
| Civil parish |
|
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Leamington Spa |
| Postcode district | CV31 |
| Police | Warwickshire |
| Fire | Warwickshire |
| Ambulance | West Midlands |
Radford Semele /ˈrædfərd ˈsɛm[invalid input: 'ɨ']li/ is a village and civil parish in Warwickshire, England, close to the town of Leamington Spa. According to the 2001 UK census, Radford Semele parish had a population of 2,034,[1] reducing to 2,012 at the 2011 Census.[2] It lies to the east of Leamington, on the A425 road between Leamington and Southam. It has a 16th-century pub with a priest hole. The local school is the Radford Semele Church of England School. This is a primary school and most senior pupils go to school in either Southam, Leamington Spa or Warwick which are close by. As well as the parish church of St Nicholas, which burnt down in March 2008, the village also has a second church built in 1874, the Radford Semele Baptist Church.[3]
History
A poorly preserved Roman Villa was excavated in 1974 at NGR SP 342624 near Pounce Hill Farm, approximately 1.5 km south of the village. See [1] and [2].
The village is named after a family from Saint-Pierre-de-Semilly in Normandy - they were lords of the manor in around 1120.
The old Weedon to Leamington railway line used to run through the village but in the late 1960s the line was closed to passengers. The site of where the old line used to be is now a new cycleway as part of The National Cycle Network.
Pubs
In the village there is a pub called The White Lion which is situated on Southam Road the main road running through the village. Unfortunately on Thursday 2 February 2006 the pub caught alight and the pub was ruined causing over 2 million pounds worth of damage. As of January 2011 the pub is open for business.
St Nicholas Church
St Nicholas Church, a Grade II listed building, caught fire on 16 March 2008 and all that remained was the tower and shell of the building.[4] The fire was initially not considered suspicious,[5] however since there is evidence that there was a break in on the night of the fire, it is believed to have been arson, following failed attempts at several other churches nearby.[6] The church has since been restored and was reopened on 15 May 2013.[7]
The village also has a Baptist church (Radford Semele Baptist Church) www.rsbc.info [3] which was built in 1874 and is still serving the village to this day.
References
- ^ "2001 Census: Key Statistics: Parish Headcounts: Area: Radford Semele CP (Parish)". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 13 July 2008.
- ^ "Civil Parish population 2011". Retrieved 29 December 2015.
- ^ http://www.rsbc.info
- ^ "Medieval church damaged by fire". BBC News Online. BBC. 16 March 2008. Retrieved 18 March 2008.
- ^ "Warwickshire blaze church will cost millions". icCoventry.co.uk. Coventry Telegraph. 18 March 2008. Retrieved 19 March 2008.
- ^ "Fire church now cleared of debris". BBC News Online. BBC. 25 May 2008. Retrieved 11 November 2008.
- ^ "Arson-hit St Nicholas' Church to reopen after restoration". BBC News Online. BBC. 12 May 2013. Retrieved 14 May 2013.
External links
- Historic England. "Details from listed building database ({{{num}}})". National Heritage List for England. - St. Nicholas Church
