Leamington Spa

12 July 2007

Leamington Local History
The Royal Pump Rooms
A new culturual and tourism complex has been created in Leamington Spa's historic Royal Pump Rooms. The total cost of the project undertaken by Warwick District Council was 7 million. Work began on site in winter 1997 and the Royal Pump Rooms opened to the public in Summer 1999.
The town's Art Gallery and Museum, Library and Tourist Information Centre have now moved to the restored building, alongside the existing Assembly Room and a new caf.
The Parish Church of All Saints
There has been a church on this site for over 900 years. The present buiding, a fine example of Victorian gothic, dates from the 19th Century. It is one of the largest Church of England parish churches, rivalling many Cathedrals in size.
We owe it's existence to the Reverend John Craig, it's vicar, who was the moving force in it's design and building. Technically it is not finished, because early prints of the design show a great central tower which was not built.
The prosperous town, whose spa waters made it a popular tourist venue even then, wanted a church whose size and grandeur fittingly expressed the glory of God. They built it around the small parish church of the day, and continued to use the existing church inside the growing walls of the new one, until the small church was demolished and this one, affectionately known to leamingtonians as 'The Parish Church' became the church you see today.

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