NUNEATON

'Nuneaton' is the largest town in the English county of Warwickshire, and the borough of Nuneaton and Bedworth. 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).

Contents

Geography

History

Economy

Politics

Media

Transport

Recreation

Local Music Scene

Trivia

Twin towns

Notable inhabitants (Current & Former)

Districts and suburbs of Nuneaton

External links

Geography

The town is located 14.5 km (9 miles) north of Coventry, 32 km (20 miles) east of Birmingham and 166 km (103 miles) northwest of London. The River Anker runs through the town and is subject to flooding during lengthy spells of heavy rain.
Nuneaton had a population of 70,721 (2001 census).
Towns close to Nuneaton include Bedworth, Atherstone and Hinckley with the towns Tamworth, Lutterworth and city of Leicester further afield.

History

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', which translates literally as 'water-town'. Nuneaton was listed in the Domesday Book as a small hamlet [1]. A market was established in 1233 (and is still held today). The first recorded use of the modern name was in 1247 when a document recorded it as 'Nonne Eton'. The Nunnery fell into disrepair after 1539 (with Henry VIII's dissolution of the monasteries). Nuneaton's only Grammar School (which would later become a sixth form college), King Edward VI Grammar School, was established by a royal charter in 1552
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 17 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 25 June 1942. As a result of the bombing, much of the town centre was re-built in the post war years.
On 6 June 1975, six people died and 38 were injured when a train crashed just south of Nuneaton railway station.

Economy

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 1 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, Leicester 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.

Politics

Nuneaton is part of the constituency of the same name in the House of Commons, which is currently represented by the Labour Member of Parliament (MP), Bill Olner. The local council, Nuneaton and Bedworth, is also currently controlled by the Labour Party.
On 1 April 1974, Nuneaton's council was merged with that of nearby Bedworth to form the borough of Nuneaton and Bedworth.

Media

The local radio stations are Mercia FM, part of the independent radio network, BBC Coventry & Warwickshire, which are both based in the nearby city of Coventry and also Fosseway Radio which is broadcasted from the nearby town of Hinckley. Within Nuneaton itself there is Anker Radio which serves the George Eliot Hospital, but also broadcasts on 1386am and can be received throughout the area broadcasting 24 hours a day.
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.

Transport

The town is near the M6, the M42 and M69 motorways and the main A5 trunk road (Watling Street), which also acts as a border with Leicestershire.
Nuneaton railway station near the town centre is an important railway junction, served by the West Coast Main Line, the Birmingham to Leicester railway line, and by a line to Coventry via Bedworth. It offers direct rail services to those destinations. The Coventry Canal passes through the town.
Buses: The main operator for Buses in Nuneaton is Stagecoach in Warwickshire with their Travel Shop in the Bus Station and their Depot at the bottom of Newtown Road (between the Fire Station and Pets@Home)
Other Operators (and where they are based) in Nuneaton are:

★ A-Line Coaches (Binley, Coventry) who run: 766

★ A&M Group
★ Flexibus
★ (Harbury, South Warwickshire) who run: 206/206/208/208/209/232/242

★ Arriva Fox County (Thurmaston, Leicester) who run: 158

★ Arriva Midlands North (Tamworth, Staffordshire) wo run: 776

★ Centrebus of Groby (Groby, Leicester) who run: 86

★ Cresswells Coaches (Swandlicote, Derbyshire) wo run: 7

★ Travel de Courcey (Next to Coventry Airport, Coventry) who run: 74/75/778 and various School Services
Also you may see Travel Coventry on Rail Replacement Duties at times.
You may see County Links around Nuneaton so here are details on that:

★ 55/55A towards Nuneaton, NWCTA or Keresley (Stagecoach in Warwickshire)

★ 206/206/208/208/209/232/242 to various places in Nuneaton, Bedworth and Rugby (A&M Group Flexibus)

Recreation

Nuneaton has two non-league football teams of note: Nuneaton Borough of the Conference North and Nuneaton Griff who play in the Midland Combination League.
There is also a thriving Sunday League football scene in the town, with teams from Nuneaton, Bedworth, and North Warwickshire competing in the Nuneaton & District Sunday Football League (NDSFL).
There are three Rugby Union teams in the town: Nuneaton R.F.C. (nicknamed the Nuns), who play in National Division 2, Nuneaton Old Edwardiansof Midlands 3 West (South) division and Manor Park of the Warwickshire 1 league.
There are three main leisure centres in the town owned by Nuneaton and Bedworth Leisure Trust and maintained by Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council:

★ The Pingles Leisure Centre - The Pingles is the main Leisure Centre in Nuneaton. It was rebuilt in 2004 to replace the old 1960s swimming baths. The new Pingles include a indoor and outdoor swimming areas, saunas, a dance studio and gym. The Pingles also has an associated athletics stadium, the Pingles Stadium, which was built in 2004. The Pingles Stadium has a 500 seater stand, a running track, and athletics facilities. The stadium also has a football pitch which is used by Nuneaton Griff for their home matches.

★ Jubilee Sports Centre - The Jubilee Sports Centre is a sports hall. The hall is used for various sports including badminton, five-a-side football/indoor football and basketball. The Jubilee also has a scoreboard, used for major basketball and indoor football matches. The hall can be hired out for uses such as karate lessons.

★ Etone Sports Centre - Etone Sports Centre is another sports hall. Etone sports hall also has astroturf football pitches which are used also for hockey. The centre is in the grounds of the school which bears the same name, Etone School, but Nuneaton and Bedworth Leisure Trust maintains the building.
Nuneaton has a museum and art gallery in the grounds of Riversley Park adjacent to the town centre.

Local Music Scene

Nuneaton is a popular location for the Clubbing population, the biggest Clubs in the town are Liquid and Envy who play a wide variation of music such as R&B, Chart & Cheese Anthems, other Clubs and Bars such as Chicago Rock and Reflex are a more popular choice of warm up before the vast majority head for Liquid & Envy.
Nuneaton also boasts a decent sized Rock & Metal Circuit with 2 of the biggest venues being "The Nags and The Queens Hall/Crew" supporting live music on a weekly basis.
Of course the Dance Scene is growing ever more popular, having been the hometown of legendary Hard Dance Producer / DJ Lisa Lashes, at present Nuneaton has only one specialist Dance Music event being Futureglow which is Held at The Queens Hall every other month and being very much based on Happy Hardcore is ran by local rising star Dj G Taylor.
Drum and Bass is often appearing and disappearing at another popular venue known as Silks with local legend Dj Andy Massive appearing on a regular basis, the club which also opens its doors every weekend and plays host to a wide range of up and coming Funky House and Trance Dj's.

Trivia

★ Nuneaton enters annually the Britain in Bloom competition and in 2000, Nuneaton and Bedworth was a national finalist.
Nuneaton is home to the largest Carnival in Warwickshire which takes place every June - see www.NuneatonCarnival.org
Nuneaton was home to the smallest independent newspaper in Britain ( The Heartland Evening News ) until it was purchased in 2006 by Illiffe News & Media

Twin towns

★ Roanne,

★ Guadalajara,

★ Cottbus,

Notable inhabitants (Current & Former)

★ Ben Daniels, actor (born in Nuneaton)

★ Ken Loach, film & TV director

★ George Eliot, author

★ Alan Carr, comedian and co-presenter of Channel 4's ''The Friday Night Project''

★ Larry Grayson, comedian, entertainer and television presenter

★ Mary Whitehouse, campaigner (born in Nuneaton)

★ Nigel Winterburn, retired footballer

★ Carol Decker, Singer, T'Pau

★ Matty Fryatt, footballer

★ Ian Roper, footballer

★ Adam Whitehead, Olympic swimmer

★ Paul Bradley, actor (born in Nuneaton)

★ Peter Whittingham, footballer (born in Whitestone, Nuneaton)

★ Marc Bridge Wilkinson, footballer

★ John Curtis, footballer

★ Justin Welch, drummer with Britpop band Elastica (1991-2001) and a drummer for Suede in their formative years.

★ John Barber, inventor of the gas turbine in 1791.

★ Julian Little, DJ/Producer (Portamento & RAW)

★ Kevin Kyle, Coventry City footballer

★ Nigel Banks, of TAGB, Tae Kwon Do - World Champion 1989? (date unsure)

★ Lisa Lashes, DJ/Producer (born in Nuneaton)

★ Matthew Ford, Singer

Districts and suburbs of Nuneaton

★ Stockingford

★ Attleborough

★ Weddington

★ Whitestone

★ Chilvers Coton

★ Bermuda Village

★ Galley Common

★ Hartshill

★ Griff Hollow

★ Plough Hill Road

★ Hill Top

★ Camp Hill

★ Bucks Hill

★ Freesland Rise

★ Grove Farm

★ Robinson's End

★ St. Nicolas Park

★ Horeston Grange

★ Abbey Green

External links

★ The Nuneaton Society's local history chronicle.

★ An historical website chronicling the Castle which formerly stood in Weddington until its demolition in 1928.

★ Nuneaton and Bedworth borough council

★ The Ropewalk Shopping Centre - Nuneaton's premier shopping centre

★ - Nuneaton's Carnival