Bedworth, Nuneaton, Warwickshire, England

Notes:
Bedworth (/'b?d?r?/ or locally /'b?d?f/) is a market town in the borough of Nuneaton and Bedworth, Warwickshire, England.[1] It is situated between Coventry, 6 miles (10 km) to the south, and Nuneaton, 3.5 miles (6 km) to the north. In the 2011 census the town had a population of 30,438.[2]



Originally a small market town with Saxon origins, Bedworth was mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086.[6] Bedworth developed into an industrial town in the 18th and 19th centuries, due largely to coal mining and the overspill of ribbon weaving and textile industries from nearby Coventry. The ribbon weaving industry had been introduced to the area by French Hugenot immigrants in the 18th century and thrived for nearly a century, until it was largely wiped out in the 1860s following the Cobden?Chevalier Treaty which removed tariffs on imported French silks, causing enormous hardship to the town. Hat making however grew and largely replaced the ribbon trade, and lasted until the 1950s.[7][8]



The opening of the Coventry Canal in 1789 and later, the railway in 1850 enhanced the town's growth.[8]



Bedworth was for many years primarily a coal mining town: Located on the Warwickshire Coalfield, coal mining in the area was recorded as early as the 13th century. The industry peaked in 1939 when there were 20 pits in the Bedworth area producing over 5.8 million tons of coal. The last colliery in Bedworth, Newdigate Colliery closed in 1982, and Coventry Colliery on the edge of the town closed in 1991.[7] In the middle of the 19th century, the large number of public houses, and thirsty miners lead to the town being called 'Black Bedworth'.



From 1894 Bedworth was a civil parish within the Foleshill Rural District. In 1928 Bedworth was incorporated as an urban district in its own right.[9] In 1932 the urban district was enlarged by the addition of Exhall and parts of Foleshill, Astley and Walsgrave on Sowe parishes.[10] It was further enlarged in 1938 by the addition of Bulkington. In 1974 the Bedworth Urban District was merged with the borough of Nuneaton to create the borough of Nuneaton and Bedworth.[11]



The most notable buildings in Bedworth are the Nicholas Chamberlaine Almshouses on All Saints' Square in the town centre, which are built in Tudor style and date from 1840,[6] having been funded by a legacy from the local benefactor Nicholas Chamberlaine (1632?1715) through his will. The almshouses were restored in the 1980s, and are now Grade II* listed.[12][13]



Church of England

The town centre is dominated by All Saints' Parish Church (Church of England), which was rebuilt in the late 19th century of Runcorn stone in the Decorated style. The church has a square bell tower from the original church thought to date from 1450 which houses the town clock (1817); the church also has a peal of eight bells, which are rung for morning services and for special occasions. The church has several fine stained glass windows; of particular note, the north aisle window is a rare example of the work of Mr. H. Clarke depicting St Peter, St Paul, St Luke and St John. All Saints' was reordered in 2000 to include a narthex.



The Coventry Canal runs along the eastern edge of the town. Just outside Bedworth to the north-east is Marston Junction where the Coventry Canal joins the Ashby Canal, at Hawkesbury Junction just to the south-east it joins the Oxford Canal.

Latitude: 000000, Longitude: -1.477

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