Clifton-upon-Dunsmore

Coordinates: 52°23′N 1°13′W / 52.39°N 1.22°W / 52.39; -1.22

Clifton-upon-Dunsmore
Clifton-upon-Dunsmore  Clifton-upon-Dunsmore shown within Warwickshire
Population	1,219 (2001)
OS grid reference	SP529764
Parish	Clifton-upon-Dunsmore
District	Rugby
Shire county	Warwickshire
Region	West Midlands
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	RUGBY
Postcode district	CV23
Dialling code	01788
Police	Warwickshire
Fire	Warwickshire
Ambulance	West Midlands
EU Parliament	West Midlands
UK Parliament	Rugby and Kenilworth
List of places: UK • England • Warwickshire

Clifton-upon-Dunsmore is a village and civil parish in the Rugby borough of Warwickshire in England.

Location

Clifton bears the distinction of being the most easterly village in Warwickshire (and of the entire West Midlands region). It is located roughly a mile east of Rugby, and is effectively a suburb of the town, although separated by a narrow gap. Clifton once had a railway station on the former Rugby to Market Harborough railway line, which opened in 1864. The station was closed in 1953, and the line in 1966.

The village is located upon a hill, and the Oxford Canal runs past at the foot of the hill. To the north of the village is the River Avon. One mile east of Clifton is Dow Bridge - the point at which the A5 road (Watling Street) crosses over the River Avon, and the counties of Warwickshire, Northamptonshire and Leicestershire meet.

St Mary's Church

History

The village has its origins in pre-Roman times as an agricultural settlement. Roman remains have been found in the parish, unsurprising given its proximity to Tripontium. Clifton is recorded in the Domesday Book as possessing a church dedicated to St. Mary. That church no longer exists, though the present one (of the same name) dates back to the 13th century.

The village was once home to Rugby Racecourse, which is still used annually for point-to-point races. The National Hunt Cup, now part of the Cheltenham Festival, was held nearby in 1862^[1]

Commerce

In the centre of the village are a number of small shops, a post office, St Mary's Church, the registers for which date back to 1594, and the Bull Inn public house. The latter building was originally a farmhouse, and according to a plaque on the entrance it was built in 1598 and became a public house in 1825. There were rooms for travellers and stables for their horses, some evidence of which still survives. There was formerly a second public house, the Red Lion, which was converted to cottages and the Townsend Memorial Hall in the late 19th century.

Education

The village also supports a primary school, Clifton-upon-Dunsmore Church Of England Primary School. Secondary-age pupils attend schools in Rugby.

References

1. ^ Stevens, Peter, History of the National Hunt Chase 1860-2010, pp 15-16. ISBN 9780956725004

External links

• Clifton upon Dunsmore Parish Website a portal of information and events in the village
• Clifton upon Dunsmore Local History Group A more detailed history of the village