About
The History of Kenilworth
The first mention of the settlement of Kenilworth is in the 1086 Domesday book, as a small settlement, of approximately 100 villagers, in a clearing in the Forest of Arden.
50 years after the Norman conquest, King Henry I gave land from the Royal Estate of Stoneleigh to Geoffrey de Clinton (his Chamberlain) and the story of Kenilworth at the heart of English history really began. In the early 12th Century, Geoffrey founded a priory and started work on the castle. It wasn’t always called Kenilworth, and The Domesday Book refers to the settlement as “Chinewrde”, meaning “farm of a woman named Cynehild”. There have been various spellings for the town between then and now.
Throughout its life the castle had considerable additions before its destruction as a fortification at the end of the English Civil War (1649). Today, it stands as the finest ruined castle in England.
The town had extensive links with royalty throughout history and the town’s markets and fairs were granted charters by Henry III and Queen Elizabeth I, and a midsummer fair was allowed in the town. King Charles I stayed in Kenilworth and Sir Walter Scott wrote the novel ‘Kenilworth’ whilst staying in the Kings Arms and Castle Hotel on the corner of Station Road and Warwick Road.
Turner painted Kenilworth Castle (www.j-m-w-turner.co.uk) and the town has links to the major manufacturing dynasties of the Midlands.
There is a whole host of historical information available on the various sites: The A2A database contains catalogues describing archives held locally in England and Wales and dating from the eighth century to the present day (www.a2a.org.uk).
The Warwickshire County Council archive also has a host of historical information contained within it please follow the link below:
For a huge selection of old photos of Kenilworth please visit www.windowsonwarwickshire.org.uk , drop into The Picture Shop at Smalley Place, or visit
A number of histories of the various aspects of Kenilworth are produced by local publishers Odibourne Press (www.odibournepress.co.uk )
Online Domesday Book: www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/domesday
£3.50 for information, but searches are free.
Kenilworth Today
Today, Kenilworth stands as a small market town in the green heart of the Midlands, easily accessible from anywhere in the world.
Kenilworth has a wealth of shops, hotels, restuarants, cafes, bars and pubs as well as public services, excellent schools and wonderful green areas to explore.
