Directions Easy access is gained from the M6, M40, and M1. The town is located at the junction of the A423 between Coventry and and the A425 Leamington to Daventry. is ideally situated for discovering Shakespeare’s Stratford, castles at and Kenilworth and Coventry with its impressive cathedral. It is also convenient for the spa town of Royal Leamington Spa with its extensive shopping facilities. Information For details of facilities, events, accommodation, the Holy Well Walk and other local walks, please visit the library in High Street (0300 555 8171) or see the town’s community website www. southam.co.uk Other local information can be obtained from Other Attractions the Southam Town Council office at The Grange The British Motor Museum at , battle Hall, Coventry Road, Southam CV47 1QA which is site at Edgehill and Museum open from 9am to 1pm, Monday to Friday (01926 at Radway, National Trust Properties of Upton 814004) www.southamcouncil-warks.gov.uk House, Park and Farnborough Hall, the Marton Museum of Country Bygones, Leaflet updated by Stratford-on-Avon District Council’s Print & Design Service. Chesterton Windmill (Old Lady of ), SDC/1450/JAN17 This leaflet was updated by volunteers of Southam Civic Ideas Forum, with Burton Dassett Hills Country Park and castles at financial support from many Southam businesses, Southam Lions and Southam Warwick and Kenilworth. Town Council.

Compton Verney house is a centre of arts and cultural events. The Dallas Burston Polo Club, Map not to scale.©Crown Copyright. All rights reserved Stratford-on-Avon District Council. License No.10002487 and the National Agricultural A423 and Exhibition Centre are close by. TO BIRMINGHAM A46 TO TO

There is a series of country walks known as the LEAMINGTON A426 Blue Lias Rings and several interesting canal SPA TO walks at Bascote, and Napton WARWICK A425 complete with waterside pubs. 15 14 SOUTHAM B4452 A425 13 Eat, Drink & Stay TO B4455 Southam has a large selection of food outlets, Fosse Way M40 A46 several pubs, coffee shops and tea rooms, B4451 TO STRATFORD UPON 12 offering a variety of meals and snacks. Several A423 B&Bs and caravan and campsites are nearby. TO

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Southam Town Council

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17 The Olde Mint Merestone Park 21 Local trading tokens TOLLdATE were once minted here, 20 19 a few still survive in T HE TRY Fr R R O t k

private collections. k

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A wide range of activities is held in CO

Southam throughout the year to suit all k t START interests. ELSH ROAD t r ST t LSTA D RY R The town is full of history and this Trail EkT TRY 18 As takes you to visit some of the most k 23 D

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s 21 interesting places, but look out for what The Manor House 17 Merestone Park In 1642, during the 1st year of the ï c else there is to see in between. CO The original Merestone was D ST 22 English Civil Wars, King Charles I t OO 2 one of the boundary markers

stayed here. 1 of the Manor of Southam. Duration - H TRY

The trail around Southam takes at d k HI E least one and a quarter hours. ST JAMES i s DA3

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Free parking can be found at Wood Street T 16 E 5 CRAs Ek K accessed from Daventry Road. 15 DICKE

k S AR 6 Chickabi k M ddy OS Map - PE Discover Southam on the Rugby OS map 10

ATTO (Explorer Map 222). t O 5 Chickabiddy ICK u 7 16 St James’ t FORD Lane Refreshments - RI AR Church t s 9 A poultry market was held Food & drink can be found at cafes, ER STO The church has a spire rising 13 12 here until early in the D A restaurants and pubs around the town. R B to 126 feet and bells dating 12 B t 14 CK E I Y back to 1552. Look out t

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Public Toilets ï c Map not to scale Library & Information i © Crown Copyright. All rights reserved Footpaths Stratford-on-Avon District Council. Place of interest 8 Licence No. 10002487. King Charles I & Southam Cider (1-4) Go down the jitty between Vernon House and the Old In the 19th century meetings were held near the From Wood Street car park turn left noticing the Bakery into Warwick Street. Turn left and over the Bowling Green Inn bs by Joseph Arch the founder of Congregational Church 1 (built 1839) opposite and then bridge, then walk along Abbey Lane where there are the Agricultural Workers’ Trades Union. Beyond, on right along Daventry Street with the Market Tavern 2 more old cottages. Number One Abbey Lane (restored in your left, Welsh Road West is part of the old drovers’ on your right. Walk on to the former Bull Inn 3 where 2010) dates from c.1600, and Nos 47 and 49 bl are 16th road where thousands of sheep, cattle, geese etc. the old pig market was held and a cider press set up in Century. passed this way en route from Wales to London. the yard every autumn. Continue on bearing right to the Further up Coventry Road is The Grange bt where junction, with the timber-framed Manor House 4 on The First Provident Dispensary (12-16) wounded soldiers were nursed during the your left. This was where King Charles I stayed in 1642 Return to Warwick Road, bear left and walk up the First World War. Behind it The Grange Hall ck during the first year of the English Civil Wars. hill. Along here are several old and imposing houses contains embroidery pictures showing Southam’s bm. Warwick House Exclusive Use Venue with the Lilley history, created by local women and completed in Chickabiddy & Craven Arms Hotel (5) Smith memorial urn bn within its railed enclosure, is 2003 (ring 01926 813933 to view these). Turn left down Market Hill. Next to the Florists look where Henry Lilley Smith established the first Provident down the narrow alley Chickabiddy Lane 5 where Dispensary in the country in 1823 and built a hospital Millions of years ago (21) there used to be a poultry market. Also on your left is for the treatment of eye and ear diseases. The white Cross the road and turning towards the town, take what was the Craven Arms Hotel. In the 18th and 19th cottages nos. 24 and 26 bo are the oldest cottages in the footpath between nos. 10 and 11 Coventry Road. centuries it was the main coaching inn having stabling Southam with roof timbers dating back to 1418. Follow this path, crossing the junction of Tollgate for 80 horses. Road and The Furrows at the bollards. When you Go down the footpath next to the Lilley Smith Memorial get to the end, just before the bypass gate turn left Court House & Saucy Six (6-8) and over the narrow river bridge. To your left here is into Merestone Park. Walk right up to the Merestone Up the yard before you reach the modern retail outlet the start of the Holy Well Walk bp (see separate leaflet cl for a wonderful view. The original Merestone the building glimpsed at the back is the old Court House - it takes about ten minutes to walk to the Well). Enter was one of the boundary markers of Southam - this 6 - once a magistrates’ court, a cinema and a venue for the Recreation Ground, walk diagonally across it to replacement stone is 360 million years old. concerts. Cross the large car park. The row of brick built the metal kissing gate and go up the path to St James’ cottages facing you is known as the Saucy Six 7 and Church bq. The sabre decorated cross on the right hand Old Schools & The Convent (22-23) was built to house the postillions from the Craven Arms. side near the top of the stepped path marks the grave of Leave the Park where you came in and take the Take a short detour down Banbury Road to see the 17th Seth Bond, a survivor of the Charge of the Light Brigade footpath straight ahead of you, walk down The century Brown’s Bridge 8. who later moved to Southam. If it is open, visit the Furrows and St Wulstan Way and at the bottom Church then leave via the lych gate into Park Lane. turn right. Down School Street you can see very fine The ‘Pudding Bell’ (9-11) brickwork on the old schools cm and on your right is Turn back and walk past the early 19th century houses Money, Meetings & Markets (17-20) the former Convent cn where in 1876 nuns moved on Street 9. Look for the timber framed Old Back at the main street turn left; pass Tithe Place and into a building now The Olde House Retreat. They Bakery bk. Here townsfolk used to bring their Sunday find the Olde Mint public house br, reputedly built in erected extensive Convent buildings some of which dinners to be roasted. A bell rung at the end of the the 15th century. Local trading tokens were once minted have been replaced by flats and they maintained Church service was known as the ‘pudding bell’, here and a few still survive. an orphanage and a school partly by selling their people then collected their dinners from this and other exquisite embroidery. Keep to your right and you bakehouses in the town. are back at Wood Street car park.