'''Leamington Spa''' [http://www.royal-leamington-spa.co.uk/htmlfiles/frame.htm] is a large spa town in the West Midlands region of England, close to the cities of Coventry and Birmingham, part of the United Kingdom.

Understand

Leamington Spa is an attractive spa town notable for its fine Regency architecture and parks. Like Bath and Cheltenham, Leamington owes much of its grandeur to its development as a fashionable resort in the early nineteenth century, catering for those who believed its spring waters could cure or ease their ailments.

Leamington was laid out as a new town in the early to mid-nineteenth century, with features characteristic of modern planned towns including wide streets based predominantly on a north/south aligned grid. It was built on the site of a much smaller and older village called Leamington Priors, from which 2 buildings still remain - situated just East of the parish church.

Modern Leamington serves primarily as a commuter town for Coventry and Birmingham, with its population boosted during term time by students from the nearby University of Warwick

Get in

By air

'''Coventry Airport'''[http://flycvt.com] ({{IATA|CVT}}) is about 10 miles / 20 minutes journey by car. Flights operated by Thomsonfly and Wizzair, Current destinations include Jersey, Alicante and Katowice. '''Birmingham International Airport''' ({{IATA|BHX}}) ({{ICAO|EGBB}}), [http://www.bhx.co.uk/] is larger and not too far away and serves the region with frequent domestic and international flights. There are several direct arrivals a day from all major UK and European destinations, and one or two from more far-flung places such as Delhi, Dubai (twice daily), Islamabad, Luxor, New York and Toronto.

By train

Leamington is the line between London Marylebone and Birmingham, and is a relatively short distance from Coventry, which is on the main line between London Euston and Birmingham New Street.

By car

Visitors by car beware: the centre of Leamington features a perplexing traffic system which forbids turns onto or off the high-street. This can make navigating the centre of town by car very tricky to those unfamiliar with the town's layout.

Get around

The centre of Leamington is compact and easily walkable, but the Parade in particular is well served by local buses.

See

  • '''The Pump Rooms''', [http://www.royal-pump-rooms.co.uk/]. A recently renovated historic building housing an Art Gallery and Museum, Library and Tourist Information Center, along with a cafe.
  • * '''Art Gallery and Museum'''. Open Tu,W,F,Sa 10:30am-5pm; Th 1:30pm - 8pm; Su 11am - 4pm; M closed. Free admission.
  • * '''Cafe'''. Open M-Sa 9:30am-5pm, Su 10am-5pm. Self-service cafe with a terrace.
  • * '''Leamington Library''', ''+01926-''742721. Open M 9:30am-8pm, Tu 10am-8pm, W 9:30am-5pm, Th 9:30am-8pm, Fr 9:30am-5pm, Sa 9:30am-4pm, Su 10am-2pm. Once the large swimming hall of the baths, this part of the building is now home to a modern library.
  • * '''Tourist Information Centre'''. Open M-Sa 9:30am-5pm, Su Noon-4pm.
  • '''The Royal Spa Centre''', ''+01926-''334418, [http://www.royal-spa-centre.co.uk/]. Entertainment venue featuring various shows, from concerts to wrestling.
  • '''Jephson Gardens'''
  • Do

    Jephson Gardens is well worth a visit. There is a large pond, ducks, geese, a cafe, a restaurant, boating and lots of flowers and trees. You could combine it with a walk past the library, through the pump room gardens, over the bridge and into Victoria park.

    Buy

    Leamington's shopping area is focused on the Parade and consists mostly of the same retail chains found on any other British high street. The elegant facades of the Parade on the eastern side at the northern end conceal Royal Priors, a smart modern indoor shopping centre, with lots of brand name shops.

    There is a new development of shops between the Town Hall and the Holiday Inn. On the other side of the Town Hall there is a tree lined avenue with new shops, cafes and restaurants.

    Park Street and Regent Street have many small independent shops and it is well worth having a wonder round to find out some hidden gems. Also, Bedford Street is home to several small fasion stores.

    Eat

    Leamington has a good choice of moderately priced upmarket restaraunts, including a wide choice of British Indian restaraunts
  • Kismet. 1 Spencer St.. Very good Indian food at reasonable prices. The "buffet" is really a prix-fixe, but recommended.
  • '''Alastairs Bistro''', 40 Warwick Street West''+01926-''422550
  • '''Ali Curry House''', 21 Bath Street, ''+01926-''429405.[http://www.e-resistible.co.uk/indian-takeaway/leamington-spa/alis-curry-house]
  • '''Amors Restaurant''', 15 Dormer Place, ''+01926-''774744.
  • '''Bistrot 39''', 39 Chandos Street, ''+01926-''452807.
  • '''Bombay Tandoori''', 38 Regent Street West, ''+01926-''420521.
  • '''Phoenix Chinese Restaurant''', 11 Euston Place, ''+01926-''424479.[http://www.phoenix-chinese-restaurant.co.uk]
  • '''Oxford Restaurant''', 21 Clarendon Avenue, ''+01926-''424748.
  • '''Paprika Club''', 22 Regent Street West, ''+01926-''428272.
  • '''Royal Buffet''', 16 High Street, ''+01926-''772222.
  • '''Wildes Restaurant''', 7 Parade, ''+01926-''336732. Food and tapas in atmospheric basement wine bar. [http://www.wildes.uk.com/]
  • '''Zebs Cafe''', 52 High Street. A small family run establishment steeped in history which is well-known in around the local area for it's excellent homecooked food and attractive prices, a must see for anyone wanting a true Leamington experience!
  • ''' The Restaurant In The Park''' In Jephsons Gardens
  • '''Leamington Bar & Grill''', on the Parade. ''Far'' classier than the name suggests, with attendant prices.
  • '''Zebs Cafe''', 52 High Street, ''+01926-''730318. - Simply the biggest and best breakfast in Leamington.
  • '''Food to go''', 47 High Street, ''+01926-''313017. - The tastiest baps and baguettes in town with a great choice of fillings.
  • Drink

    Leamington has a small but vibrant nightlife scene. There are many pubs and bars and 3 small nighclubs. Most of the bars are around Bedford Street and Warwick/Regent street.

    Bars and Pubs

  • '''Bar 44''', 126 Warwick Street East, ''+01926-''888444.
  • '''Hogshead''', 41 Warwick Street West, ''+01926-''339885.
  • '''Moo''', 24 Russell Street. - Fairly expensive, trendy bar at the top of town renowned for its strange videos on huge wall screens which seem, somehow to be bizarely in time to the music (often strange mixes or alternative versions of popular indie songs and classics). The screens and videos CAN kill conversations as people stare fixatedly
  • '''Tavistock Inn''', Tavistock Street.
  • '''Voodoo''', 35 Regent Street West, ''+01926-''422685. - kitsch bar popular with young people on the corner
  • '''Yates Wine Lodge''', 44 Warwick Street West, ''+01926-''886314. - Everyone knows Yates
  • '''TJ's Bar & Bistro''' & '''TJ's Sports Bar''', 45-47 Bath Street, ''+01926-''312568
  • '''Robbins' Well''', A Scream Bar associated student pub opposite the Parish Church at the bottom of town, overlooking the river.
  • '''Satchwells''' the local Wetherspoons, in the centre of the parade
  • Clubs

  • Smack. t the top of bedford street / tavistock street. Very popular with many student nights. Dingy and cramped despite recent refit. Often there are drinks promotions associated with Moo bar
  • Evolve. Set in an old-cinema building, this light and airy club caters to the student population.

    Sleep

  • '''Best Western Falstaff Hotel''', 16 Warwick New Road, ''+01926-''312044, fax 450574, [http://www.meridianleisure.com/The_Best_Western_Falstaff_Hotel/default.asp]. Rates between __60 and __105.
  • '''The Adams Hotel''', Avenue Road, ''+01926-''450742, fax ''+01926-''313110, [http://www.adams-hotel.co.uk/]. 14 en-suite rooms. __66 - __85.
  • '''Courtyard Hotel''', Olympus Avenue, Tachbrook Park, ''+01926-''425522, fax 881322, [http://marriott.com/property/propertypage/LSPWA]. Part of the Marriott chain of hotels.
  • '''Thomas James Hotel''', 45-47 Bath Street, ''+01926-''312568. 17 en-suite bedrooms, conference facilities, bars and restaurant,[http://www.thomasjameshotel.com] . pick-up from local airports. __60 - __120.
  • Get out

    Trains leave regularly from the station at the bottom of town and go direct to Birmingham, London, (and Edinburgh a few times a day). Anywhere else and your best bet is to go to Birmingham or London (depending on whether you're going north or south) and get a train from there

    Take a bus to Warwick and visit Warwick Castle