TIMELINE 5 - Post-Castle History

1928-9 AD

 

Weddington Gardens & Alsted Lodge built by Hope and Aldridge. Some of the Castle timber is believed to be in the latter (54,90)

 

1930-33 AD

 

First new houses built, hard to sell (at around £350), built by Simms of Hinckley (29)

 

1931 AD

 

Weddington population: 643 (34)
12th April: Nuneaton-Ashby Joint Railway passenger service closed. 
Weddington was incorporated into NUNEATON (34,47)
 

1932 AD

 

22nd May. River Anker flooded (28,32,37,38). You can see a picture of the flood by clicking here.

 

1933 AD

 

River Anker straightened (38,90)

 

1934 AD

 

10th July. Tues. 11.15 a.m. HRH Prince of Wales landed by aeroplane in Weddington Lane for his visit to Nuneaton (113) You can see photographs of the visit in the "Nuneaton Town" picture gallery.

 

1935-8 AD

 

Houses built in Castle Road (29)

 

1936 AD

 

26th November. Church Hall built (29)
 

1937-8 AD

 

The GROVE converted into an hotel by Captain Cunliffe Shawe (29)

 

1938 AD

 

Ordnance Survey re-mapped Weddington, Orient Close re-named Elmfield Close (43)
 

1940 AD

 

Bombs damaged parts of Weddington. German aerial reconnaissance photographs (38) Dummy airfield near railway diverted bombs from Lindley. This was frequently bombed (52)
 

1941  AD

 

No census; estimated 1,200? (29)

 

1951 AD

 

Weddington population: 1,828 (34)

 

Charles Shawe, son of Henry Cunliffe Shawe, died in Frome, Somerset
 

1956 AD

 

NEW INCUMBENT Rev. John GALE (81)

 

1958  AD

 

2nd July. River Anker flooded (38)

 

1959 AD

 

August/September. The old Rectory was demolished; new houses built in Church Lane, Wimpey Estate and Castle Road (30,38,90)
 

1960 AD

 

Good Friday 15th April 2.00am: the Coventry Cathedral Cross of Nails is brought to Weddington. It then moved on to Exhall, having come previously from Stockingford, then Atherstone.

Wimpey estate expands (38)
Land Utilisation Survey mapped Weddington (46)
 

1962 AD

 

Mrs Jessie K. Pearson last mentioned in the Electoral Roll at The Lodge (Grove Bungalow) (85)

 

1964 AD

 

NEW INCUMBENT Canon Guy CORNWALL-JONES, went to Bilton 1984, then Leek Wootton (81)

 

 

1965 AD

 

Church Farm demolished (85)
Brick Railway bridge near Shanklin Drive replaced with a steel one.
(38,90)
 

1967 AD

 

Grove Bungalow: i.e: the Northern Round Gatehouse Lodge is demolished. The local legend of tunnels between the Castle and the Lodges and Church were not proven (57)

 

1969 AD

 

Harry CLEAVER gives land for sports field (38), his name is later remembered when Cleaver Garden flats are built on the site of Weddington Gardens.

 

1969 AD

 

17th August. Nuneaton-Ashby Joint Railway finally closed. Wagon storage only (38,90)

 

1972 AD

 

January - March. Railway track is removed from Nuneaton-Ashby Joint Railway (38,90)

 

1972 AD

 

21st July. The Weddington Road bridge is blown up. Weddington Junction Signal Box is burnt down. Nameplate and Train registers rescued and donated to Shackerstone Museum (38,90)
The first Infra-Red colour photographs taken of the Deserted Mediaeval Village at Weddington (90)
 

1972-3 AD

 

Hedges and field boundaries begin to change with mechanised agriculture. The old castle's southern gateway is demolished (63,90)

 

1974 AD

 

March - May. River Anker was dredged and deepened (90)
July. Weddington Gardens are abandoned, sold to build Cleaver Gardens flats (90)
 

1975 AD

 

18th February: a picture of Weddington Castle appeared in the Tribune / Observer showing nurses and guests c. 1915-7 (113)
Many horseshoes were found in the bottoms of gardens along Shawe Avenue. There was a building there; believed to be a farriers (113)

 

6th June: a fatal rail crash just south of  Nuneaton Railway Station. It happened when the 23:30 sleeper from London Euston to Glasgow was derailed after entering a temporary speed restriction at too high a speed. Six people, four passengers and two staff, died and 38 were injured.
 

1977-8 AD

 

Flood Relief Culvert began construction (90)

 

1981 AD

 

Water pipe laid to Church, quartzite rubble was found from old Church, Swithland Slate from roof (65,90)

 

1983 AD

 

10th October: 'Weddington Walk' officially opened as a Green Track on the route of the former Weddington Railway Line (50,90)

 

1984 AD

 

NEW INCUMBENT Rev. John BARNES, moved to Wilnecote 1989, then Walsall Wood, then Bentley, retired 1995 (81)
Fire partly destroyed Lower Farm (38,90)
20th June. River Anker flooded after 1 inch of rain in 24 hours (113)
 

1988 AD

 

Lower Farm demolished, discovery of a timber-frame building of high quality. It belonged to the South Western School and had numerous carpenters' marks. The main doorway was less than 67" high and skilfully carved with rebates and grooves. Several possible explanations:

a) It was the in situ remains of a 16th C. grand manor or farmhouse on that site.
b) It was from a larger 16th C building that was demolished and sold e.g. Lindley Hall or Weddington'sCapital Mansion House.

It was dismantled and re-erected in the Ashbourne area (38,90)
 

1989 AD

 

NEW INCUMBENT Rev. Tony ADAMS (81)

 

1990 AD

 

3 shallow depth, small diameter soil boreholes drilled in the field between the river and the church.
Borehole 1 found a rusted iron implement similar to an ancient plough blade at considerable depth.
Borehole 2 found a layer or burnt soil and charcoal at about 18" depth.
Borehole 3 found what appeared to be a piece of wattle and daub (90)
A book is published on Weddington called 'Skylark Fields' by Alan Sheasby. Sensitive observations of the 1940-50's (86)
 

1991-2 AD

 

Church Alterations: new drive, doors, floor, central heating, gas laid (65,90)

 

1992 AD

 

First publication of “A geology, geography and history of 
WEDDINGTON, in the County of Warwick" by Alan F Cook
 

1993 AD

 

Factories & shops extended & improved e.g. Parkside (Trinity – then Citreon), Jacques (Nial Bailey – then Bailey Buildbase), Abbey Metals & ATS. Track lifted from railway near ATS.
Two periods of high rainfall caused waterlogged fields especially in the ridge & furrow (113)
 

1995 AD

 

July. The church flower festival. The talented ladies group created various scenes from Weddington’s pre-history and history, as well as copying the heraldic crests of the parish’s various owners.

 

1996 AD

 

4th Feb. Roman mortaria and Samian pottery found in a ditch or pit structure beneath 284 Weddington Road (113)
20th Apr. The Weddington Hotel has foundation constructed at the rear for an extension. At 1.0 m depth they were in natural clay, probably glacial drift or re-worked Mercia Mudstone, no evidence of archaeological surfaces. The Hotel changed its name to The Fox & Crane, there are rumours that a tunnel between the Grove and the Castle was found at this time. (113)
 

1997 AD

 

29th Jun. Official archaeological trial excavations to the east of the church in preparation for a new building. Unique stone drains were found c. 1670 designs from Dugdale’s monograph on land drainage. A stone building c. C17th was found near the stream. Mesolithic flints and a Bronze Age tool had also been found. The whole area was ultimately designated as an important archaeological zone. Most of the adjacent Oak trees were subject to Tree Preservation Orders (113)

 

1998 AD

 

January. The Public Inquiry rejected the proposed new church at Weddington – euphemistically known as the “Stealth Bomber” because of its shape!
November The Weddington Green Track and others were adopted by the Countryside Commission as type examples.
Part of the Rectory grounds were sold for a new house
 

1999 AD

 

9th January. The first steam engine through Weddington for 35 years
15-16th January. The River Anker flooded Weddington.
 

 

(c) Alan F Cook 1992 and (c) John Brookes 2011