- Southam
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For other uses, see Southam (disambiguation).
Coordinates: 52°15′07″N 1°23′24″W / 52.252°N 1.39°W
Southam 
Market Hill, Southam (alternative view)
Southam
Southam shown within WarwickshirePopulation 6,509 (2001 Census) OS grid reference SP417615 Parish Southam District Stratford-on-Avon Shire county Warwickshire Region West Midlands Country England Sovereign state United Kingdom Post town SOUTHAM Postcode district CV47 Dialling code 01926 Police Warwickshire Fire Warwickshire Ambulance West Midlands EU Parliament West Midlands UK Parliament Kenilworth and Southam List of places: UK • England • Warwickshire Southam 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.[1]
The nearest sizeable 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 (16 km) of Southam, with Banbury 14 miles (22.5 km) to the south and the major city of Coventry some 13 miles (21 km) to the north.
Southam is located on the River Stowe (known by many of the locals as "the Brook"), which flows from Napton-on-the-Hill and joins Warwickshire's River Itchen just outside of the town, which in turn flows into the River Leam.
Contents
History
Southam can trace its history back to Anglo-Saxon times; a charter exists from 998 granted by King Ethelred the Unready. Southam was mentioned in the Domesday Book as "Sucham".[2] A market was established in 1227.[3]
In the 1540s the town was visited by John Leland, who described it as 'a modest market town of a single street'.[4] Southam is also mentioned in Henry VI, part 3 by William Shakespeare in Act V, Scene I (Lines 10–16).
WARWICK
Say, Somerville, what says my loving son?
And, by thy guess, how nigh is Clarence now?
SOMERSET
At Southam I did leave him with his forces,
And do expect him here some two hours hence.
WARWICK
Then Clarence is at hand, I hear his drum.
SOMERSET
It is not his, my lord; here Southam lies:
The drum your honour hears marcheth from Warwick.King Charles I passed through Southam just prior to the outbreak of the Civil War, and apparently was not made welcome by the townsfolk, who refused to ring the church bells.[5]
On 23 August 1642, a skirmish took place outside of the town between Parliamentary forces led by Lord Brooke and Royalist forces commanded by the Earl of Northampton. Later in 1642, Charles stayed in Southam before the Battle of Edgehill,[6] and in 1645, Oliver Cromwell stayed in the town along with 7,000 Roundhead troops.[7]
In the days of the stagecoach Southam became an important stop[citation needed] on the coaching road from Coventry to Oxford and many old coaching inns remain in the town.[8] Few buildings in Southam date from before 1741, for in that year a large fire devastated the town.[9]
A historical curiosity about Southam is that in mediaeval times, the town minted its own local currency[citation needed]. 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. During the Civil War King Charles used the mint to make new coins to pay his soldiers.
Between 1894 and 1974 Southam was the administrative centre of the Southam Rural District; since then it has been in the Stratford-on-Avon District of Warwickshire. Southam was in the parliamentary constituency of Stratford-on-Avon until the boundary changes approved by Parliament in June 2007 when it became part of the new constituency of Kenilworth and Southam. The constituency was first contested in the United Kingdom general election, 2010.
Historic population
Year Population 1801 900 1901 1,800 1971 4,435 1991 5,304 2001 6,509 Economy
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. Europe's largest privately owned video games company Codemasters is also based nearby, having been started by two locals.
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.
Facilities
Southam has three primary schools and a secondary school (Southam College) that has around 1,000 pupils from Southam and the local villages. There is a leisure centre with a swimming pool and gym 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.
Southam also has a Retained Fire Station and a now 24-hour police station.
There are four Christian places of worship. St James's parish church is behind Market Hill. Both the Catholic church and the Congregational chapel are on Wood Street, and the new Community Church is accessed directly from the main shopping street. There is also a small but active Bahá´í group in the town.
Southam Rugby Club was formed in 1962. In 1969 the club purchased pitches at Kineton Road and started playing home games. Over three years money was raised to build the club house which was constructed mainly by the players and was opened in 1972. Today the club plays in the Midland league and has 3 senior sides and a colts team.
Additionally Southam is home to 2028 (Southam) Squadron Air Training Corps. An RAF (Royal Air Force) sponsored youth organisation for 13–20 years olds. The squadron is based in Millar House, Wattons Lane.
On 30th August 2010, a Tesco store opened on Northfield Road Industrial Estate. The purpose of which was to supply the residents of the market town of Southam to be able to purchase their food shopping closer to home and not have to travel to Leamington Spa, Banbury, and Coventry. The store is of no means big but supply's a substantial amount of foods including fresh fruit and vegetables, butchery, bakery and fishmongers along with a 'Foreign Foods' aisle.
Transport links
Approximate route of the London-Birmingham section based on the official description, also available as KML. It would pass just south and west of Southam and through Brackley.
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 15 miles from Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of Shakespeare. About 8 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 and Long Itchington railway station.
The GWR (later British Railways) London to Birmingham main line (the Chiltern Main Line as it is now called) passed three miles southwest of Southam and the nearest station was at Harbury (Southam Road & Harbury). Today, the closest railway station is at Leamington Spa.
Famous people
Despite Southam's relatively small size it was home to two winners of the World Professional Darts Championship: Steve Beaton (in 1996); and Trina Gulliver (eight times women's championship), who has resided in Somerset since 2008.[10]
The EastEnders actor Adam Woodyatt (Ian Beale) has a home in Southam, some considerable distance from Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, where the programme is filmed.
Arthur Cox, who managed the football clubs Newcastle United and Derby County between 1980 and 1993, was born at Southam in December, 1939.
Flight Lieutenant Jon Egging, former Air Cadet at 2028 Squadron Air Training Corps, Red Arrows display team pilot between 2009 and 2011 seasons.Nearby places
- Nearby towns and cities: Coventry, Daventry, Leamington Spa, Rugby and Warwick.
- Nearby villages: Bishop's Itchington, Broadwell, Harbury, Kineton, Ladbroke, Long Itchington, Napton-on-the-Hill, Stockton and Ufton.
- Other locations: Ufton Fields nature reserve.
See also
- Wikisource – The Third Part of King Henry the Sixth – Act V, Scene I - contains mentions of Southam.
References
- ^ ONS parish headcounts
- ^ Allen, Geoff, (2000) Warwickshire Towns & Villages, ISBN 1 85058 642 X
- ^ Allen, Geoff, (2000) Warwickshire Towns & Villages, ISBN 1 85058 642 X
- ^ Allen, Geoff, (2000) Warwickshire Towns & Villages, ISBN 1 85058 642 X
- ^ Allen, Geoff, (2000) Warwickshire Towns & Villages, ISBN 1 85058 642 X
- ^ Allen, Geoff, (2000) Warwickshire Towns & Villages, ISBN 1 85058 642 X
- ^ Warwickshire Federation of Women's Institutes (2000) The Warwickshire Village Book ISBN 185306 6524
- ^ Allen, Geoff, (2000) Warwickshire Towns & Villages, ISBN 1 85058 642 X
- ^ Allen, Geoff, (2000) Warwickshire Towns & Villages, ISBN 1 85058 642 X
- ^ "Golden Girl hits bullseye". ThisIsSomerset.co.uk. January 15, 2010. http://www.thisissomerset.co.uk/news/Golden-Girl-hits-bullseye/article-1716657-detail/article.html. Retrieved 2011-01-08.
Ceremonial county of Warwickshire Boroughs or districts Major settlements - Alcester
- Atherstone
- Bedworth
- Coleshill
- Henley-in-Arden
- Kenilworth
- Leamington Spa
- Nuneaton
- Rugby
- Shipston-on-Stour
- Southam
- Stratford-upon-Avon
- Warwick
- Whitnash
See also: List of civil parishes in Warwickshire
Rivers Topics - History
- Monastic houses
- Museums
- Parliamentary constituencies
- Places
- Windmills
Categories:- Market towns in Warwickshire
- Towns in Warwickshire
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