Bedworth and Nuneaton

We had visitors from New Zealand at the Bedworth Heritage Centre last Friday. They were cycling along the canal towpath from Coventry to Nuneaton and had come into Bedworth in search of family history information. They were interested in Thomas Woodhouse who had been born in the town in 1793. After searching my memory bank I suddenly realised who it was. Wondered if the following is of interest to the railway buffs amongst you. Thomas Jackson Woodhouse Born Bedworth, Warwickshire on 9 December 1793. Married Dorothy Jackson at Bedworth Parish Church 29th November 1791 Died in Turin on 26th September 1855 whilst working for Brassey on Italian railways. He had been resident engineer under Josiah Jessop on the Cromford & High Peak Railway. He was engineer of the Dublin & Kingstown Railway followed by civil engineering for the Belfast Harbour Trust and the railway between Belfast and Lisburn. In 1836 he was appointed resident engineer to the Midland Counties Railway. This work included a bridge across the Trent. It has been a while since I looked into Woodhouse but a google search over the weekend revealed the following from The Dictionary of Irish Architects. English civil engineer, for biography of whom see his obituary in Min.Proc.Inst.CE 16 (1856-57), 150-154. Thomas Jackson Woodhouse worked in Ireland from 1832 to 1836. He was resident engineer of the Dublin and Kingstown Railway under CHARLES VIGNOLES from 1832 until 1834, when he sat the newly-established competitive examination held by the Irish Board of Public Works for the purpose of selecting county surveyors. As the result of gaining first place in the examination, he was allowed to choose his county and 'fixed upon Antrim, as the most important, because it included Belfast'. Following his appointment in May 1834, he was also appointed engineer to the Belfast Ballast Board and to the Belfast to Lisburn Railway. He designed many of the sandstone bridges on the Belfast to Lisburn line. He resigned in October 1836, when the latter line was completed, and, 'seeing no probability of railway works proceeding in Ireland for some time', returned to England to take up the appointment of resident engineer to the Midland Counties Railway. He appears to have collaborated with JOHN FRASER on the first designs for the Queen's Bridge in Belfast, his place being taken by CHARLES LANYON, who succeeded him in the Co. Antrim surveyorship. He did no further work in Ireland.

Hi Heritage & Hi all I heard a snippet on our local radio this morning (they were talking cycle lanes) where to cycle on along a canal tow-path, a licence is required by the rider. What a pip!

Apparently you can have a permit if you want but it's not really required. That was from the new organisation who have taken over from British Waterways. Words fail you.

I went to Nicholas Chamberlaine School from 1966-69. We moved to Bedworth from Keresley End when I was 12. I never settled, really. Many of my family still live in Bedworth and successive generations have attended 'Nico'.

Hello Anne, Which junior school did you go to?

Hi Heritage! We lived in Keresley End so I went to Keresley Newlands. Because my parents got a council house transfer we moved very quickly and I didn't recover from being dragged from all I knew, for a very long time. My younger brother went to George Street, and my niece and nephew to Race Leys - as do my niece's children! When a teenager I was involved with All Saints Church and taught at a Sunday School based in a school near Furnace Road.

I've just found a great page on Facebook, called 'Bedworth Memories'. It's got some really good photo's on it. If I shouldn't mention Facebook on here, I shall totally understand if a moderator removes this thread.

Thanks Anne, great photos of the good old days.

Nothing (well, nearly nothing!) is out of bounds on here Anne. Please feel free to discuss anything till your heart's content!

Thankyou Rob! I'd wave but, well, you know!!

They are good, aren't they?

People living in Bedworth will remember names like Dog and Babbie alley, Donkey Common, to name a few. Dog and Babbie is now Wootton St. And Donkey Common, is the area around the Cross Keys pub. Another memory people may have is of the old farm that sat on the corner of Smorrall Lane and Heath Rd, where the shops are now. Between there and where the old pit railway line crosses Heath Rd, there is a small wall next to the pavement. This used to be the wall of a bridge that once let a stream run under Heath Rd. The stream is now all but gone due to housing but may have ran along Smorrall Lane.

Not sure what happens, probably finger trouble, but have had to have second go at this post. Some of you will probably have visited the Bedworth Heritage Centre which is on the outside of the almshouses by the bus stops. Having been open since February 2000 we have been closed for redecoration and installation of a much needed heating system. Staging at least three exhibitions a year it is difficult not to recycle exhibits but it is thought that the new exhibition is totally new. Central Schools, 1845-1967 takes a look at the still fondly remembered schools which stood on a site originally occupied by Bedworth Hall and where the Police Station and Health Centre stand today opposite the Civic Hall. Two schools and almshouses were built in the grounds of the hall in 1715 as part of the provisions of the will of Nicholas Chamberlaine who had been Rector of Bedworth for 51 years. After the present almshouses were built in 1840 the new Boys' and Girls' Central school educated the senior children of the town until 1952 when the new Nicholas Chamberlaine School opened. It then became a mixed Infants and Junior School until its final closure in 1967. Everyone is welcome, free admittance.

For the people that grew up in Nuneaton, they will remember the likes of the outdoor swimming pool in Bath Rd / St Mary's Rd. You know, the one next to the slaughterhouse. What a smell it must have been. Then there was the Prince of Wales Theatre. 2 Large domes on the roof. And the Scala in Abbey Street. The Co-op dance hall that once had the Beatles rocking the place. What about their very own zoo up Plough Hill Rd, and it was said that Stanley's Bricks held up the Empire State Building. Then there was Sterling Metals, Courtaulds, and pits. Lots of them. Many people living around that area have someone in their family that once worked down the pits. It's a great shame that all but one of the pits are now closed. Brand new machinery was left down there when they closed, and there is still enough coal to last years. Back above ground there was the flood, when the River took over the town. And the most famous person of all. Mary Ann Evans (aka George Eliot) I am sure people can add to all of this so I leave it to you.

My ex-boyfriend who is a taxi driver for MGM he went to see the Beatles at the Co-op, as he was about to go through a door the Beatles were coming through it and knocked him out, so he never got to see them Thennot sure if it was the same time some lads got crushed to death there on the stair well, one was his best mate. A lot of other famous artists played at the Co-op. The Arbury Hall you missed, which I think is open to the public certain days of the year better known as the Round Towers. My ex-hubby used to own the BP petrol station by there. There used to be Judkins Lorries by where the Nuneaton tip is now. I know of the slaughter house by Abbey Green no longer there. The George Eliot in the town down by Queens Road, used to be the Bull Hotel where I used to live. Nuneaton was built on a volcano. There is great history of an old Abbey down Abbey Green I used to live by there too. Wikipedia link A lot of the pit people also lived in the little villages like New Arley, Old Arley, which is close to Nuneaton, a lot of my relations live there and Nuneaton. Derek Kingstone who lived in Nuneaton used to be the manager who used to run Bedworth Park. Riversley Park Philip loves walking through, and the Pingles swimming baths and fields. It also has a lovely street market on Wednesday and a bigger one on Saturday. You can't beat Pete's Chippy either on Arbury Road. Also a great view of the Quarry. Just outside Nuneaton you have Jackson's Camping, my relations. Also the Jam Factory