Arts and crafts in Warwickshire

Warwickshire (including North Warwickshire, Nuneaton and Bedworth, Rugby, Stratford-on-Avon and Warwick)It has a population of around 550,000 and covers approximately 200,000 hectares. Here is a list of nearby or neighbouring counties: Gloucestershire, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, Oxfordshire, Staffordshire, West Midlands, Worcestershire.

Centuries ago the historic Forest of Arden grew across a large area of Warwickshire, though today only small parts of the ancient landscape remain. Most of the trees were cut down, becoming fuel for the major towns and cities that were built in the Midlands and which played an important role in the British textile industry. The county town of Warwickshire is Warwick, where you can stroll through the streets appreciating the historic buildings, many of which date back to the 17th and 18th centuries and a few further back to the Medieval period. Warwick Castle is located on the River Avon and holds a number of events each year, some with a Medieval theme and has attractions including a working trebuchet and adjacent to the castle grounds The Mill Garden.

Stratford-upon-Avon attracts millions of visitors each year from across the globe, who come to absorb the history of the town where the famous poet and playwright William Shakespeare was born and grew up. Popular attractions include Shakespeares childhood home, Anne Hathaways Cottage, Halls Croft and Holy Trinity Church, where the playwright was baptised on the 26th April 1564 and buried on the 25th April 1616. The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), is based in Stratford-upon-Avon and performs plays written by the man who is considered to be the worlds most important dramatist and whose work has had a huge influence on English language and culture. Performing arts venues in Warwickshire include The Royal Shakespeare Theatre and the Swan Theatre, both located in in Stratford-upon-Avon and owned by the RSC, the Talisman Theatre and Arts Centre in Kenilworth and the Loft Theater in Leamington Spa.

Ragley Hall is a 17th century mansion with baroque interiors decorated with paintings, porcelain and furniture from different periods of the properties history. The surrounding grounds cover 400 acres and include picturesque gardens, woodlands and parkland. Compton Verney House, is an 18th century country house which now houses an extensive art collection. Exhibits include paintings and beautifully carved sculptures from Germany dating back to between the 15th and 17th centuries and Baroque Art from Naples. There are portraits of Tudor monarchs such as Henry VIII and Elizabeth I, as well as later works by artists including Sir Joshua Reynolds and the art gallery is also home to the countries largest collection of British Folk Art. Other attractions in Warwickshire include Kenilworth Castle, Packwood House near Lapworth, Nuneaton Museum and Art Gallery, Stoneleigh Abbey in Kenilworth and St. Johns House Museum in Warwick.