*factoids*
official_name	Rugby\| type = Town\| country = England\| region = West Midlands
static_image_name	{{multiple image\|border = infobox\|total_width = 280\|image_style = border:1;\|perrow = 1/2/2\|image1 = Rugby town centre.jpg\|image2 = Webb Ellis Statue (2) 1.23.JPG\|image3 = Rugby School Chapel 9.21.jpg\|image4 = St Andrew's Church, Rugby, from south, 3.23.jpg\|image5 = Rugby_Art_Gallery,_Museum_&_Library_(2)_10.21.jpg

Rugby School Chapel; Rugby Art Gallery, Museum & Library; St Andrew's Church, Rugby>St Andrew's Church; and William Webb Ellis statue

| static_image_width = 300| population = 78,117

2021 United Kingdom census>2021 census)| population_demonym = Rugbeian| os_grid_reference = SP5075

52.37

display=inline,title}}| post_town = RUGBY| postcode_area = CV| postcode_district = CV21, CV22, CV23| dial_code = 01788

Rugby (UK Parliament constituency)>Rugby| civil_parish =

Rugby (borough)>Rugby| shire_county = Warwickshire}}Rugby is a market town in eastern Warwickshire, England, close to the River Avon. At the 2021 census, its population was 78,117,WEB, Rugby (Warwickshire),weblink Rugby on City Population, 11 November 2022, making it the second-largest town in Warwickshire. It is the main settlement within the larger Borough of Rugby, which had a population of 114,400 in 2021.WEB, How the population changed in Rugby: Census 2021,weblink Office for National Statistics, 10 November 2022, Rugby is situated on the eastern edge of Warwickshire, near to the borders with Leicestershire and Northamptonshire. It is the most easterly town within the West Midlands region, with the nearby county borders also marking the regional boundary with the East Midlands. It is {{convert|83|miles|km}} north of London, {{convert|30|miles|km}} east-south-east of Birmingham, {{convert|11.5|miles|km}} east of Coventry, {{convert|18|miles|km}} north-west of Northampton and {{convert|19|miles|km}} south-south-west of Leicester.Rugby became a market town in 1255. In 1567, Rugby School was founded as a grammar school for local boys but, by the 18th century, it had gained a national reputation and eventually became a public school. The school is the birthplace of Rugby football which, according to legend, was invented in 1823 by a Rugby schoolboy named William Webb Ellis.NEWS, Six ways the town of Rugby helped change the world,weblink BBC News, 11 March 2019, 1 February 2014, Rugby remained a small and fairly unimportant town until the mid-19th century, when a major railway junction was established there, which spurred the development of industry and the rapid growth of population.

History

Ancient history

Early Iron Age settlement existed in the Rugby area: The River Avon formed a natural barrier between the Dobunni and Corieltauvi tribes, and it is likely that defended frontier settlements were set up on each side of the Avon valley. Rugby's position on a hill overlooking the Avon, made it an ideal location for a defended Dobunni watch settlement. During the Roman period the Roman town of Tripontium was established on the Watling Street Roman road around {{convert|3.4|miles|km}} north-east of what is now Rugby, this was later abandoned when the Romans left Britain.

Medieval

(File:St Andrew's Church west tower 3.23.jpg|thumb|upright|The west tower of St Andrew's Church, dating from the 13th or 14th century)The small settlement at Rugby was taken over by the Anglo-Saxons around 560 AD, and it was mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Rocheberie; there are several theories about the origin of the name; one is that it is derived from an old Celtic name droche-brig meaning 'wild hilltop'.BOOK, Pernell, Sarah, Rugby, 2006, 1-85937-620-7, Another theory is that Rocheberie was a phonetic translation of the Old English name Hrocaberg meaning 'Hroca's hill fortification'; Hroca being an Anglo-Saxon man's name pronounced with a silent 'H', and berg being a name for a hill fortification, with the 'g' being pronounced as an 'ee' sound. By the 13th century the name of the town was commonly spelt as Rokeby (or Rookby) before gradually evolving into the modern form by the 18th century.BOOK, Osbourne, Andy, Eddy, Rawlins, Rugby: Growth of a Town, 1988, In 1140 the first recorded mention was made of St Andrew's Church which was originally a chapel of ease to the mother church at Clifton-upon-Dunsmore, until Rugby was established as a parish in its own right in 1221, at which point it was elevated to the status of parish church. In 1255 the lord of the manor Henry de Rokeby obtained a charter to hold a weekly market in Rugby, which soon developed into a small country market town.WEB, Rugby history timeline,weblink Rugby Local History Research Group, 30 August 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160920204515weblink">weblink 20 September 2016, live, In the 12th century Rugby was mentioned as having a castle at the location of what is now Regent Place. However, the nature of the 'castle' is unknown, and it was possibly little more than a fortified manor house.WEB, Site of a Possible Medieval Manor House or Castle at Regent Place,weblink Our Warwickshire, 27 December 2021, In any event the 'castle' may have been short lived: It has been speculated that it was constructed early in the reign of King Stephen (1135â€“1154) during the period of civil war known as The Anarchy, and then, as a so-called adulterine castle, built without Royal approval, demolished in around 1157 on the orders of King Henry II. The earthworks for the castle were still clearly visible as late as the 19th century, but have since been built over. According to one theory, the stones from the castle were later used to construct the west tower of St Andrew's Church, which bears strong resemblance to a castle, and was probably intended for use in a defensive as well as a religious role.WEB, Wait, Rev W. O., Rugby:past and present, with an historical account of neighbouring parishes.,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20230406212122weblink">weblink 38â€“47, 1893,

17th century

The Rugby area has associations with the Gunpowder Plot of 1605: On the eve of the plot, the plotters stayed at the 'Lion Inn' (now a private residence called 'Guy Fawkes House') in nearby Dunchurch, convened by Sir Everard Digby, awaiting news of Guy Fawkes's attempt to blow up the Houses of Parliament. If he had been successful they planned to kidnap the King's daughter Princess Elizabeth from Coombe Abbey in the countryside between Rugby and Coventry.WEB, Remember, remember the Gunpowder Plot's Warwickshire roots,weblink Rugby Observer, 5 May 2024, WEB, Warwickshire and the Gunpowder Plot 1605,weblink Our Warwickshire, 5 May 2024, During the English Civil War, one of the earliest armed confrontations of the conflict took place at the nearby village of Kilsby in August 1642.BOOK, The Northamptonshire Village Book, 1989, NFWI and Countryside Books, 1-85306-055-0, 105â€“106, That same year, King Charles I passed through Rugby on his way to Nottingham, and 120 Cavalier Horse Troops reportedly stayed at the town, however the townsfolk were sympathetic to the Parliamentarian cause, and they were disarmed by the Cavalier soldiers. Later, in 1645, Rugby was strongly Parliamentarian, and Oliver Cromwell and two regiments of Roundhead soldiers stayed at Rugby in April that year, two months before the decisive Battle of Naseby, some {{convert|12|miles|km}} to the east, in nearby Northamptonshire.

Influence of Rugby School

Rugby School was founded in 1567 with money left in the will of Lawrence Sheriff, a locally born man, who had moved to London and made his fortune as the grocer to Queen Elizabeth I. Sheriff had intended Rugby School to be a free grammar school for local boys, but by the 18th century it had acquired a national reputation and gradually became a mostly fee-paying private school, with most of its pupils coming from outside Rugby. The Lawrence Sheriff School was eventually founded in 1878 to continue Sheriff's original intentions.WEB, SHERIFF, Lawrence,weblink Rugby Local History Group, 11 April 2018,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20180412001354weblink">weblink 12 April 2018, live, (File:The High Street, Rugby, 1830.jpg|thumb|Rugby High Street in 1830)Until the 19th century, Rugby was a small and relatively unimportant settlement, with only its school giving it any notability. Its growth was slow, due in part to the nearby markets at Dunchurch and Hillmorton which were better positioned in terms of road traffic. In 1663 Rugby was recorded as containing 160 houses with a population of around 650. By 1730 this had increased to 183 houses, with a population of around 900. Rugby's importance and population increased more rapidly during the late 18th and early 19th century due to the growing national reputation of Rugby School, which had moved from its original location at a (now long vanished) schoolhouse north of St Andrew's Church, to its present location south of the town centre by 1750. By the time of the first national census in 1801, Rugby had a population of 1,487 with 278 houses. By 1831 this had increased further to 2,501 in 415 houses. This growth was driven by parents who wished to send their boys to Rugby School, but were unable to afford the boarding fees and so took up residence in Rugby, this in turn attracted domestic staff and tradesmen to the town to service the needs of the newcomers.Rugby, Further Aspects Of The Past (1977) Rugby Local History Group

Railway town

Rugby's growth into a significant town was prompted by the arrival of the railways, as its location made it an ideal meeting place for various railway lines, by the middle of the 19th century, the railway junction at Rugby had become one of the most important in the country: The first railway arrived in 1838 when one of the earliest inter-city main lines, the London and Birmingham Railway (L&BR) was constructed around the town. In 1840 the Midland Counties Railway made a junction with the L&BR at Rugby, which was followed by a junction with the Trent Valley Railway in 1847. A line to Peterborough opened in 1850, followed by a line to Leamington in 1851, by which time there were more than sixty trains a day passing through Rugby railway station via the five converging lines. A line to Northampton opened in 1881, and finally the Great Central Main Line opened in 1899. Rugby was transformed into a railway town, and the influx of railway workers and their families rapidly expanded the population. Rugby's population grew to nearly 8,000 by 1861. reaching nearly 17,000 by 1901. By which time around 1 in 5 Rugbeians were employed by the railways.WEB, Administrative unit Rugby MB/UD Local Government District,weblink Vision of Britain, 7 March 2018,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20180308103209weblink">weblink 8 March 2018, live, (File:45 of '(Our own country. Descriptive, historical, pictorial.)' (11247583474).jpg|thumb|left|Late 19th century map of Rugby)

Growth of industry

The arrival of the railways had the effect of transforming Rugby from a rural backwater, into a substantial industrial town. In the later half of the 19th century, local industries began to develop: Large-scale cement production began in the town in 1862 when the Rugby Lias Lime & Cement Company Ltd was founded to take advantage of the locally available deposits of Blue Lias limestone.WEB, Rugby Portland Cement Company Ltd.,weblink Cement Kilns, 25 October 2018,weblink 26 October 2018, live, A factory producing corsets was opened in 1882, employing local women, this survived until 1992, by which time it was making swimwear. In the 1890s and 1900s heavy engineering and electrical industries began to set up in Rugby, attracted by its central location and good transport links, causing the town to rapidly grow into a major industrial centre: Willans and Robinson were the first engineering firm to arrive in 1897,WEB, THE WILLANS WORKS,weblink Our Warwickshire, 7 March 2018,weblink 8 March 2018, live, building steam engines to drive electrical generators, they were followed by British Thomson-Houston (BTH) in 1902, who manufactured electrical motors and generators. Within a short time, their product range expanded, and a wide array of electrical equipment came to be produced by BTH at Rugby. Both firms started producing turbines in 1904, and were in competition until both were united as part of GEC in 1969. Another name associated with Rugby was Lodge Plugs, manufacturer of spark plugs, who set up a factory in the town in 1916.WEB, Industrial Town â€“ From 1836 to now,weblink Rugby Local History Group, 7 March 2018,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20180308104242weblink">weblink 8 March 2018, live, For most of the 20th century, the various engineering works dominated employment in Rugby; at their height in the 1960s, BTH alone employed around 22,000 people.WEB, Trip down memory lane for BTH workers in Rugby â€“ and remembering when the town won at Wembley,weblink Warwickshire World, 4 October 2022, 23 September 2022, Rugby expanded rapidly in the early decades of the 20th century as workers moved in. By the 1940s, the population of Rugby had grown to over 40,000, and then to over 50,000 by the 1960s.

Civic history

The parish of Rugby was made a local board district in 1849, which was the town's first modern form of local government; previously it had been governed by its vestry and manorial court.{{London Gazette|issue=21020|page=2853|date=18 September 1849}} The local board's main responsibilities were to provide the town with infrastructure such as paved roads, street lighting, clean drinking water and sewerage. Such districts were converted into urban districts in 1894.Local Government Act 1894 Rugby's status was upgraded to that of a municipal borough in 1932, and its boundaries were expanded to incorporate the formerly separate villages of Bilton, Hillmorton, Brownsover and Newbold-on-Avon which have become suburbs of the town.WEB, THE BOROUGH OF RUGBY,weblink British History Online, 7 March 2018,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20180308042739weblink">weblink 8 March 2018, live, visionofbritain.org {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930210612weblink |date=30 September 2007 }} In 1974 the municipal borough was merged with the Rugby Rural District to form the present Borough of Rugby.WEB, Timeline History of Rugby,weblink VisitorUK, 4 May 2018,

Modern history

In the postwar years, Rugby again became a major junction, but of the motorway network, with the M1 and M6, and M45 merging close to the town. However, the railways went into decline during the same period, with several of the railway lines into Rugby closed. Since the 1980s, the engineering industries have gone into steady decline, with many former industrial sites redeveloped for housing and retail, however, due to its proximity to the motorway network, Rugby has become a major centre for logistics, becoming, in some definitions, part of the area known as the golden logistics triangle. In the 21st century, Rugby's urban area has undergone further expansion with large new developments at Cawston and the large new development of Houlton on the site of the former Rugby Radio Station to the east of the town.

Fame

File:Rugby School 06.jpg|thumb|right|Rugby School Rugby SchoolRugby is most famous for the invention of rugby football, which is played throughout the world. The invention of the game is credited to William Webb Ellis, a Rugby School pupil who, according to legend, broke the existing rules of football by picking up the ball and running with it at a match played in 1823. Although there is little evidence to support this story, the school is credited with codifying and popularising the sport. In 1845, three Rugby School pupils produced the first written rules of the "Rugby style of game".Rugby School is one of England's oldest and most prestigious public schools, and was the setting of Thomas Hughes's semi-autobiographical masterpiece Tom Brown's Schooldays, published in 1857. Hughes later set up a colony in America for the younger sons of the English gentry, who could not inherit under the laws of primogeniture, naming the town Rugby. The settlement of Rugby, Tennessee still exists.NEWS, Typhoid, tomatoes and Tom Brown's Schooldays - the story of the rise and fall of Rugby, Tennessee, 19 August 2020,weblink Rugby Advertiser, 24 August 2020, Rugby School is said to have been a major inspiration behind the revival of the Olympic Games: the French educator, and father of the modern Olympics Pierre de Coubertin, visited Rugby School several times in the late 19th century, and cited the school as one of his major inspirations behind his decision to revive the Olympic Games.Rugby is a birthplace of the jet engine. In April 1937 Frank Whittle built and tested the world's first prototype jet engine at the British Thomson-Houston (BTH) works in Rugby, and during 1936â€“41 based himself at Brownsover Hall on the outskirts, where he designed and developed early prototype engines. Much of his work was carried out at nearby Lutterworth. Whittle is commemorated in Rugby by a modern sculpture near the town hall dating from 2005, made by Stephen Broadbent.WEB, SIR FRANK WHITTLE, INVENTOR OF THE JET ENGINE,weblink Our Warwickshire, 16 June 2020, NEWS, Winning ways to hail jet pioneer,weblink Coventry Telegraph, 16 June 2020, 24 March 2005, Holography was invented in Rugby in 1947, by the Hungarian born inventor Dennis Gabor, also while working at BTH. For this he later received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1971.WEB, DENNIS GABOR, RUGBY NOBEL LAUREATE,weblink Our Warwickshire, 16 June 2020, In the 19th century, Rugby became famous for its once important railway junction which was the setting for Charles Dickens's story Mugby Junction.

Rugby today

The modern town of Rugby is an amalgamation of the original town with the former settlements of Bilton, Hillmorton, Brownsover and Newbold-on-Avon which were incorporated into Rugby in 1932 when the town became a borough, all except Brownsover still have their former village centres. Rugby also includes the areas of New Bilton, Overslade, Hillside and the partially constructed Houlton housing development. The spread of Rugby has nearly reached the villages of Clifton-upon-Dunsmore, Cawston, Dunchurch and Long Lawford.File:Regent Street, Rugby.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Regent Street and the tower of St Andrew's Church ]]

Town centre

The town centre is mostly Victorian and early 20th century, however a few much older buildings survive, along with some more modern developments. Rugby was described by Nikolaus Pevsner as 'Butterfieldtown'Allen, Geoff, (2000) Warwickshire Towns & Villages, {{ISBN|1-85058-642-X}} due to the number of buildings designed by William Butterfield in the 19th century, including much of Rugby School and the extension of St Andrew's Church.The main shopping area in Rugby has traditionally been in the streets around the Clock Tower, two of which â€“ High Street and Sheep Street â€“ were pedestrianised in the 1980s. Until the 19th century, Rugby's urban area consisted of only Market Place, High Street, Sheep Street, Church Street, North Street and what is now Lawrence Sheriff Street. These centred on what is now the Clock Tower, which was built in 1887 on the site of an ancient cross. These streets still form the core of the town centre. In the Victorian and Edwardian eras several more shopping streets were added in order to cater for the growing town, including Albert Street and Regent Street, the latter of which was built in 1905, and was intended to be Rugby's main shopping street, although it never achieved this goal.WEB, Rugby roads Jâ€“Y,weblink Rugby Local History Research Group, 23 August 2019, The town centre has an indoor shopping centre called Rugby Central Shopping Centre which opened in 1979 (previously named The Clock Tower shopping centre). A street market is held in the town centre several days a week. In recent years several out-of-town retail centres have opened and expanded to the north of the town, including: Elliott's Field Retail Park, Junction 1 Retail Park and Technology Drive.

Geography

(File:RugbyMap.png|thumb|upright=1.5|Map of Rugby)(File:Rugby from the air (crop), geograph-2056266-by-Thomas-Nugent.jpg|thumb|Aerial photograph of Rugby from the north-east.)Most of Rugby sits around {{convert|400|ft|m}} above sea level on an irregular shaped plateau which is situated between the valleys of the River Avon and Swift to the north, and the Rains Brook and River Leam to the south. During its modern growth, Rugby spread north across the Avon valley and enveloped the villages of Brownsover and Newbold, which are to the north of the Avon valley.OS Explorer Map 222 : Rugby & Daventry, Southam & Lutterworth: (1:25 000) {{ISBN|9780319244159}}WEB, Wait, Rev W. O., Rugby:past and present, with an historical account of neighbouring parishes.,weblink 325, 1893, The county boundary between Warwickshire, Northamptonshire and Leicestershire to the east of Rugby is defined by the A5 road (the former Watling Street) around {{convert|3|mi|km}} east of Rugby town centre. The three counties meet at Dow Bridge; the point where the A5 road crosses the River Avon, forming a tripoint. To the south-east of Rugby the county boundary with Northamptonshire is defined by the Rains Brook.WEB, Wait, Rev W. O., Rugby:past and present, with an historical account of neighbouring parishes.,weblink 294, 1893, Rugby is the easternmost town within Warwickshire (and the entire West Midlands region)

Suburbs and districts

Suburbs and districts of Rugby include:

Adjacent settlements

Places adjoining or adjacent to Rugby, but not part of the town itself:

Nearby places

Nearby cities: Birmingham, Coventry and Leicester
Nearby towns: Bedworth, Daventry, Hinckley, Kenilworth, Leamington Spa, Lutterworth, Northampton, Nuneaton, Southam and Warwick.
Nearby villages: Barby, Braunston, Brinklow, Catthorpe, Harborough Magna, Kilsby, Lilbourne, Monks Kirby, Newton and Pailton.

{{Geographic location|title = Destinations from Rugby|Northwest = Nuneaton, Bedworth, Hinckley|North = Leicester,Lutterworth, |Northeast = Market Harborough, Corby|West = Birmingham, Coventry|Centre = Rugby|East = Kettering, Wellingborough |Southwest = Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwick, Leamington Spa |South = Southam,Banbury|Southeast = Daventry, Northampton, London}}

Climate

Rugby has an oceanic climate typical of the English interior. Temperatures are mild for the latitude and winter nights average above freezing. Summers are highly variable depending on wind patterns, with an all-time record of {{convert|38.7|C|F}} in spite of the mild averages. Annual rainfall is moderate, but frequent drizzle results in about 125 precipitation days per year.{{Weather box

Church Lawford, {{convert>3

km}} from Rugby (1991â€“2020 normals), sunshine from Coventry, extremes 1983â€“present| collapsed = | metric first = y| single line = y|Jan record high C = 14.7|Feb record high C = 17.7|Mar record high C = 22.4|Apr record high C = 25.5|May record high C = 27.5|Jun record high C = 31.3|Jul record high C = 38.7|Aug record high C = 34.6|Sep record high C = 30.6|Oct record high C = 27.6|Nov record high C = 18.4|Dec record high C = 15.3|year record high C = |Jan avg record high C = 12.3|Feb avg record high C = 12.9|Mar avg record high C = 16.1|Apr avg record high C = 20.1|May avg record high C = 24.1|Jun avg record high C = 27.0|Jul avg record high C = 29.4|Aug avg record high C = 28.7|Sep avg record high C = 24.4|Oct avg record high C = 19.3|Nov avg record high C = 15.1|Dec avg record high C = 12.9|year avg record high C = 30.6|Jan high C = 7.1|Feb high C = 7.8|Mar high C = 10.4|Apr high C = 13.6|May high C = 16.7|Jun high C = 19.8|Jul high C = 22.3|Aug high C = 21.8|Sep high C = 18.7|Oct high C = 14.3|Nov high C = 10.0|Dec high C = 7.4|year high C = |Jan mean C = 4.3|Feb mean C = 4.7|Mar mean C = 6.6|Apr mean C = 9.0|May mean C = 11.9|Jun mean C = 14.9|Jul mean C = 17.1|Aug mean C = 16.9|Sep mean C = 14.4|Oct mean C = 10.9|Nov mean C = 7.1|Dec mean C = 4.6|year mean C = |Jan low C = 1.5|Feb low C = 1.5|Mar low C = 2.7|Apr low C = 4.3|May low C = 7.1|Jun low C = 10.0|Jul low C = 11.9|Aug low C = 12.0|Sep low C = 10.0|Oct low C = 7.4|Nov low C = 4.1|Dec low C = 1.8|year low C = |Jan avg record low C = -4.7|Feb avg record low C = -4.3|Mar avg record low C = -3.3|Apr avg record low C = -1.7|May avg record low C = 0.3|Jun avg record low C = 4.6|Jul avg record low C = 6.9|Aug avg record low C = 6.6|Sep avg record low C = 4.0|Oct avg record low C = 0.9|Nov avg record low C = -2.4|Dec avg record low C = -4.7|year avg record low C = -7.1|Jan record low C = -14.5|Feb record low C = -12.2|Mar record low C = -8.5|Apr record low C = -4.9|May record low C = -2.2|Jun record low C = -0.2|Jul record low C = 3.4|Aug record low C = 3.7|Sep record low C = -0.1|Oct record low C = -3.8|Nov record low C = -8.2|Dec record low C = -12.5|year record low C = -14.5|precipitation colour = green|Jan precipitation mm = 58.0|Feb precipitation mm = 44.2|Mar precipitation mm = 43.0|Apr precipitation mm = 46.5|May precipitation mm = 55.0|Jun precipitation mm = 55.1|Jul precipitation mm = 60.0|Aug precipitation mm = 67.0|Sep precipitation mm = 57.8|Oct precipitation mm = 67.4|Nov precipitation mm = 63.6|Dec precipitation mm = 59.6|year precipitation mm = |unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm|Jan precipitation days = 12.0|Feb precipitation days = 10.1|Mar precipitation days = 10.2|Apr precipitation days = 9.9|May precipitation days = 9.9|Jun precipitation days = 9.2|Jul precipitation days = 9.0|Aug precipitation days = 9.7|Sep precipitation days = 9.6|Oct precipitation days = 10.7|Nov precipitation days = 12.2|Dec precipitation days = 12.0|year precipitation days = |Jan sun = 55|Feb sun = 75|Mar sun = 115|Apr sun = 147|May sun = 192|Jun sun = 185|Jul sun = 198|Aug sun = 180|Sep sun = 137|Oct sun = 101|Nov sun = 63|Dec sun = 61|year sun =

Met OfficeHTTPS://WWW.METOFFICE.GOV.UK/RESEARCH/CLIMATE/MAPS-AND-DATA/UK-CLIMATE-AVERAGES/GCR1CERX2

ACCESS-DATE=30 SEPTEMBER 2023, Met Office,

PUBLISHER=INFOCLIMAT

ACCESSDATE=30 SEPTEMBER 2023, }}

Demographics

At the 2021 census, there were 78,125 residents in Rugby, up from 70,628 on the 2011 census, and 62,580 at the 2001 census.In terms of ethnicity in 2021:

84.3% of Rugby residents were White
8.3% were Asian
3.1% were Black
3.0% were Mixed.
1.1% were from another ethnic group.

In terms of religion, 52.9% of Rugby residents identified as Christian, 38.6% said they had no religion, 4.0% were Hindu, 2.3% were Muslim, 1.2% were Sikh, 0.4% were Buddhists, and 0.6% were from another religion.

Politics and governance

National representation

From 1885 until 1983 Rugby was a constituency in itself, a status it regained in 2010. Rugby was historically one of the Midlands' most marginal seats. From 1885 until 1924 Rugby was a marginal seat which changed hands between the Conservative and Liberal parties. From 1924 until 1942, the prominent Conservative David Margesson was Rugby's MP, his resignation triggered the 1942 Rugby by-election which was won by an independent trade unionist William Brown, who retained the seat until losing it to James Johnson of the Labour Party in 1950. From 1950 until 1983 Rugby was a Labour-Conservative marginal, with the Labour Party holding it for the majority of that period.WEB, The House of Commons Constituencies Beginning With "R",weblink leighrayment, 1 April 2018,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20121219110721weblink">weblink 19 December 2012, usurped, In 1983 Rugby was joined with Kenilworth to become part of the parliamentary constituency of Rugby and Kenilworth. Between 1983 and 1997 Jim Pawsey was the Conservative Member of Parliament, losing in 1997 to Labour's Andy King. At the 2005 general election Jeremy Wright regained the seat for the Conservatives.Following the recommendations of the Boundary Commission for England, Warwickshire was allocated a sixth parliamentary seat. In the 2010 general election, the existing Rugby and Kenilworth constituency was abolished and split in two. A new Rugby constituency was created, and a new constituency of Kenilworth and Southam formed to the south of Rugby, and as a result the town regained its pre-1983 status of returning its own member of parliament, albeit with the addition of the Bulkington Ward from Nuneaton. Jeremy Wright chose to stand for Kenilworth and Southam in the 2010 general election and was successful. Mark Pawsey, son of former Rugby MP Jim Pawsey, was elected for Rugby in 2010.

Local government

File:Rugby town hall.jpg|thumb|right|Rugby Town Hall Rugby Town HallRugby is administered by two local authorities: Rugby Borough Council which covers Rugby and its surrounding countryside, and Warwickshire County Council. The two authorities are responsible for different aspects of local government. Rugby is an unparished area and so does not have its own town council.The Borough of Rugby was created in its current form in 1974, with the first elections held in 1973, since then, Rugby Borough Council has spent the majority of its time under no overall control, alternating with periods of Conservative control. (see Rugby Borough Council elections) since 2023 it has been under no overall control.

Public services

Rugby is covered by Warwickshire Police and Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service. Ambulance services are covered by the West Midlands Ambulance Service.The local hospital in Rugby is the Hospital of St. Cross which is part of the University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust.WEB, Hospital Of St Cross: Overview,weblink NHS, 18 August 2020, A more extensive range of health services are provided at the University Hospital Coventry, some ten miles away.WEB, University Hospital (Coventry): Overview,weblink NHS, 18 August 2020,

Culture and recreation

The largest general purpose venue in Rugby is the Benn Hall which opened in 1961 as part of the town hall complex,WEB, Directory of attractions â€“ BENN Hall,weblink The Rugby Town, 10 December 2018, Rugby has two theatres, a professional theatre, the Macready Theatre, and the amateur Rugby Theatre, both in the town centre.WEB, Directory of attractions â€“ Rugby Theatre,weblink The Rugby Town, 10 December 2018, A nine-screen cinema run by Cineworld is located at a retail park north of the town centre.WEB, Directory of attractions â€“ Cineworld Rugby,weblink The Rugby Town, 12 September 2019, File:Rugby Art Gallery, Museum & Library (2) 10.21.jpg|thumb|left|The Rugby Art Gallery, Museum and Library Rugby Art Gallery, Museum and LibraryThe Rugby Art Gallery, Museum and Library which opened in 2000, hosts various temporary art exhibitions. The main collection, which is not on permanent display, is the nationally-renowned Rugby Collection of 20th Century and Contemporary British Art, which comprises 170 artworks by artists including L. S. Lowry, Stanley Spencer, Paula Rego and Graham Sutherland.WEB, Rugby Art Gallery and Museum Art Collections,weblink Art UK, 10 December 2018, The museum displays Roman artefacts excavated from the nearby Romano-British town of Tripontium, as well as an exhibition of the social history of Rugby. The building also houses the town's library.WEB, Directory of attractions â€“ Rugby Art Gallery and Museum,weblink The Rugby Town, 10 December 2018, The Webb Ellis Rugby Football Museum also in the town centre also hosts rugby memorabilia.The poet Rupert Brooke was born and grew up in Rugby, and is commemorated in the town by a statue in Regent Place.WEB, RUPERT BROOKE Poet from Rugby,weblink Our Warwickshire, 13 December 2018, In the 1960s, Clifton Hall at Rugby was owned by the music manager Reginald Calvert and became a centre of the Midlands rock music scene, with a number of Midlands bands such as The Fortunes, and the local band Pinkerton's Assorted Colours starting their careers there.NEWS, Backbeat: Stars out for Clifton Hall 50-year reunion party, 31 May 2012,weblink Coventry Telegraph, 6 January 2021, In the 1980s the influential rock band Spacemen 3 was formed in Rugby by the local musicians Jason Pierce and Pete Kember. Following its demise in 1991, both musicians went on to form successful subsequent projects; Pierce formed the critically acclaimed band Spiritualized and Kember continued performing under the names Sonic Boom/Spectrum.WEB, Spacemen 3 Biography by Stephen Thomas Erlewine,weblink Allmusic, 13 December 2018, Other notable musical acts to emerge from Rugby include the 1970s pop band Jigsaw which was formed by musicians from Rugby and Coventry,NEWS, Flashback: Remembering Coventry band Jigsaw, 13 April 2016,weblink Coventry Telegraph, 17 February 2021, WEB, Jigsaw Biography by Timothy Monger,weblink Allmusic, 18 December 2018, the 2000s singer-songwriter James Morrison, and more recently Emily Burns.WEB, PREMIERE: EMILY BURNS â€“ "MY TOWN", 26 September 2019,weblink Wonderland Magazine, 6 July 2020, 8 July 2020,weblink live, There are two large urban parks in the town centre, one is Caldecott Park alongside the town hall,WEB, Directory of attractions â€“ Caldecott Park,weblink The Rugby Town, 28 January 2019, and on the edge of the town centre is the Whitehall Recreation Ground.WEB, Directory of attractions â€“ Whitehall Recreation Ground,weblink The Rugby Town, 28 January 2019, Rugby has an indoor leisure centre, the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Centre which opened in 2013, replacing the older Ken Marriott Leisure Centre, it is run by GLL a charitable social enterprise on behalf of the local council.NEWS, Queen's Diamond Jubilee Centre in Rugby opens to public,weblink BBC News, 28 January 2019, 31 August 2013,

Sport

File:Rugby School, Rugby match (1) 3.23.jpg|thumb|Game of Rugby being played on 'The Close' at Rugby School Rugby School

Rugby has a number of rugby union teams including; the Rugby Lions, Rugby Welsh, Rugby St. Andrews RFC, Newbold-on-Avon RFC, AEI (Rugby) Rugby Football Club and Old Laurentian RFC.WEB, Rugby Union,weblink Rugby Borough Council, 10 January 2023,
Rugby has two non-league football clubs, Rugby Town F.C., who play in the United Counties League Premier Division, and Rugby Borough F.C., formed in 2017, who were Leicestershire Senior League Division One Champions in 2017â€“18.
There are two golf courses near the town: Rugby Golf Club to the East, and Whitefields Golf Club to the South West.
The Rugby Lawn Tennis Club, is one of the oldest in the world, having been established in 1876.WEB, Rugby Lawn Tennis Club,weblink Rugby Lawn Tennis Club, 23 September 2021,
Rugby's Artistic Swimming Club is competitive on a regional and national level.NEWS, "We were quite a small club, we had about 25 swimmers - now we're competitive at every age group nationally.",weblink Coventry Observer, 10 January 2023,

Economy

For most of the 20th Century manufacturing was the largest employer in Rugby. Manufacturing employment peaked in the 1950s, and has gone into steady decline since, and service industries are now the largest source of employment.WEB, Simplified Industrial Structure,weblink Vision of Britain, 20 March 2018,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20180321063238weblink">weblink 21 March 2018, live, In 2017 the average annual workplace wage in the Rugby borough was Â£29,059; above the Warwickshire (Â£28,513) and UK (Â£28,296) averages.

Engineering and manufacturing

File:GE Energy building, Rugby 10.21.jpg|thumb|The GE Power GE PowerRugby remains an engineering centre and has a long history of producing gas and steam turbines and electrical equipment. Engineering in Rugby has taken place under a myriad of different companies; it was established in the 1900s by British Thomson-Houston (BTH) and Willans & Robinson, which later became parts of Associated Electrical Industries (AEI) and English Electric respectively, until both were united as part of the General Electric Company (GEC) in the late-1960s, which itself merged with Alstom in 1989. Most of the engineering works in Rugby were based in the Avon valley area north of the railway station, since the 1980s much of the engineering works have closed with their land sold off for housing and commercial development, however engineering still continues in Rugby on a smaller scale under the auspices of GE Power Conversion, which produces large electric motors, and services and manufactures steam turbines. In 2019 the Rugby site was threatened with closure, but was saved following an order for motors from the Ministry of Defence, after the House of Commons Defence Select Committee, decided that closing the site would lead to a 'loss of sovereign capability and security'.NEWS, UPDATE: GE site to stay open - but around 80 employees to be made redundant,weblink Rugby Observer, 24 March 2021, 20 May 2019, WEB, Saving industrial plant operators time and money: An inside look at the Rugby Repair Center,weblink GE Power, 27 March 2021, 20 April 2020, Further afield, within the Rugby borough is the Rolls-Royce engineering works near Ansty. This is nearer to Coventry than Rugby.Rugby is also a centre of laser manufacturing: This was started by the local firm JK Lasers, which was founded in 1972. In 1982 JK Lasers merged with Lumonics of Canada and was for a time one of the largest industrial laser companies in the world.WEB, A serious laser player,weblink Electro Optics, 19 April 2021, 9 September 2008, Following takeovers and mergers, the JK Lasers brand name disappeared in 2015, and it is now part of SPI Lasers, a subsidiary of the Trumpf company.WEB, JK Lasers joins SPI to enhance TRUMPF's business in fibre laser technology,weblink SPI Lasers, 26 March 2021, WEB, Trumpf acquires JK Lasers for Â£21.2 million,weblink machinery.co.uk, 26 March 2021, 16 March 2015, In 2018, SPI Lasers announced that their manufacturing site at Rugby was to be doubled in size.WEB, SPI Lasers to double the size of its Rugby manufacturing site, 30 October 2018,weblink Product Engineering Solutions, 15 April 2021, A second laser manufacturing firm in Rugby is Litron Lasers, which was established in 1997.WEB, Litron Lasers England, Rugby,weblink cyclex, 16 April 2021, WEB, LITRON LASERS LIMITED Company number 03395353,weblink Companies House, 15 April 2021,

Cement

File:Cemex Cement Works, from Lawford Road, Rugby 7.21 (2).jpg|thumb|left|Rugby cement works at New Bilton New BiltonAnother major industry in Rugby is cement making; This industry started on a small scale locally in the early 19th century, but began on a large scale in the 1860s when the Rugby Cement company was founded, making cement from the local Jurassic Blue Lias limestone at New Bilton. The current cement works at Rugby has the largest cement kiln in the UK, capable of producing 1.8 million tonnes of cement a year.WEB, CEMEX cement works, Rugby, Warwickshire,weblink Environment Agency, 19 February 2021, 19 January 2014, The current plant was opened in 2000, having been rebuilt and substantially enlarged in the late-1990s, upon its opening other Rugby Cement plants at Southam and Rochester were closed, with all production moved to the enlarged Rugby plant.minerals.com {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928085834weblink |date=28 September 2007 }} (PDF) Rugby Cement was taken over in 2000 and is now owned by the Mexican firm Cemex, who moved their UK headquarters to Rugby in 2018.WEB, CEMEX UK moves headquarters to Rugby, 18 June 2018,weblink Builders Merchant, 15 January 2019,

Logistics

Rugby is often described as being part of the area known as the golden logistics triangle due to its central location and good transport links. In 2021 Rugby had the highest percentage of business units used for transport and storage in the UK, at 17%.WEB, The rise of the UK warehouse and the "golden logistics triangle",weblink Office for National Statistics, 15 December 2022, 11 April 2022, Since the 1980s several large industrial estates have been built to the north, and warehousing, distribution and light industry have become major employers. This is due to the town's close proximity to the M6 motorway (Junction 1) and M1 (Junction 19), at the heart of the UK's motorway network. In 2017 nearly half of Warwickshire's businesses in the 'Transport and storage' sector were in Rugby.WEB, Rugby Economic Overview 2017,weblink Warwickshire County Council, 11 November 2019, In 2017 Hermes opened its 'Midlands Super Hub' parcel delivery depot at the Rugby Gateway development to the north of the town, which is the largest of its type in the UK.NEWS, UK's biggest parcel hub brings over 100 jobs to Rugby,weblink Rugby Observer, 11 November 2019, 22 August 2017, To the east of Rugby is the large Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal (DIRFT), which opened in the 1990s; although this is across the county border in Northamptonshire, it is closest to Rugby.

Organisations based in Rugby

File:IChemE headquarters, Railway Terrace, Rugby 4.21.jpg|thumb|Headquarters of the Institution of Chemical Engineers Institution of Chemical EngineersThe American fashion retailer Gap Inc. has had its UK headquarters and distribution centre in Rugby since 2002,NEWS, Gap HQ moving to Rugby,weblink Coventry Telegraph, 16 April 2021, 10 August 2001, as does the construction firm Morgan Sindall,WEB, Morgan Sindall headquarters and office locations,weblink Craft, 25 April 2021, WEB, Morgan Sindall Construction receives Â£39 million Rugby secondary school brief,weblink Morgan Sindall, 25 April 2021, and the historic legal firm Brethertons.WEB, BRETHERTONS LLP Company number OC317116,weblink Companies House, 6 April 2021, In addition a number of trade, professional and charitable organisations have headquarters in Rugby, including the Institution of Chemical Engineers,WEB, THE INSTITUTION OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERS Charity number: 214379,weblink Charity Commission, 12 April 2021, the Institution of Lighting Professionals,WEB, THE INSTITUTION OF LIGHTING PROFESSIONALS Company number 00227499,weblink Companies House, 16 April 2021, the Master Locksmiths Association,WEB, Master Locksmiths Association gets keys to new HQ,weblink The Business Desk, 10 April 2021, 15 September 2019, the Auto-Cycle Union,WEB, THE AUTO-CYCLE UNION LIMITED Company number 00134679,weblink Companies House, 6 April 2021, the Oral Health Foundation,WEB, ORAL HEALTH FOUNDATION Company number 01027338,weblink Companies House, 6 April 2021, and the development charity Practical Action.WEB, PRACTICAL ACTION Company number 00871954,weblink Companies House,

Tourism and other

Tourism is also important to the town's economy, especially related to Rugby football.Rugby BC Action on Tourism {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929011830weblink |date=29 September 2007 }}One of the last links to Rugby's rural past was the cattle market held near the railway station, and earlier in the "Market Place" in the old centre of Rugby since medieval times. The market near the railway station was closed in late 2008 and the site has been redeveloped into housing, a hotel and a Tesco store as part of a wider scheme of work in the station area.

Notable buildings and landmarks

File:Hillmorton radio masts.jpg|thumb|upright|right|Rugby Radio Station Rugby Radio StationOne of the most notable landmarks around Rugby was, until August 2007, the Rugby Radio Station, a large radio transmitting station just to the east of the town. The station was opened in 1926, at its height in the 1950s it was the largest radio transmitting station in the world, with a total of 57 radio transmitters, covering an area of 1600 acres. Traffic slowly dwindled from the 1980s onwards, and the site was closed between 2003 and 2007.WEB, RUGBY RADIO STATION A short history,weblink Our Warwickshire, 24 October 2018, Several of the masts were decommissioned and demolished by explosives in 2004, although a few, including four of the biggest masts remained until 2007. (Firing the explosive charges was delayed by rabbits gnawing the wires).NEWS, Rabbits delay masts' demolition,weblink BBC News, 20 June 2004, 15 September 2007,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20040719105152weblink">weblink 19 July 2004, live, dmy-all, The remaining four 'tall' masts were demolished on the afternoon of 2 August 2007 with no prior publicity. The site is now being developed as a new housing development known as Houlton Rugby Cement works, is to the west of the town. The main tower of the cement works stands at {{convert|400|ft|m}} tall,NEWS, Chance to climb Rugby's Cemex tower,weblink Coventry Telegraph, 23 September 2021, 31 August 2009, and can be seen from as far away as the Cotswolds and the Malvern Hills in Worcestershire.NEWS, Bright lorries and growing anger in New Bilton - former Advertiser reporter remembers Rugby Portland Cement,weblink Rugby Advertiser, 4 August 2021, The landmark is controversial; in 2005 it came in the top ten of a poll of buildings people would like to see demolished on the Channel 4 television series Demolition.WEB, The dirty dozen,weblink Channel 4, HTTP, 15 September 2007,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20071108220440weblink">weblink 8 November 2007, live, dmy-all, In October 2006, the owners of the Rugby Cement works, Cemex, were fined Â£400,000 for excessive pollution after a court case brought by the Environment Agency.WEB, EA Court Case details,weblink Environment Agency, 15 September 2007,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20070927183927weblink">weblink 27 September 2007, (File:WWEstatue 700.jpg|thumb|upright|William Webb Ellis' statue)The town has statues of three famous locals: Rupert Brooke, Thomas Hughes and William Webb Ellis. The Rupert Brooke statue is situated at the forked junction of Regent Street on the green and commemorates his contribution to poetry. Thomas Hughes' statue stands in the gardens of the Temple Reading Rooms (the central library of Rugby school) on Barby Road. Since England won the Rugby World Cup in 2003, the William Webb Ellis statue outside Rugby School is one of the most visited parts of the town.As the main growth of Rugby occurred in the 19th century. The central area of Rugby, is known for its many fine examples of Victorian architecture, these include:(File:St Andrew's Church, May 18.jpg|thumb|left|St Andrew's Church)St Andrew's Church, in the town centre, is Rugby's original Church of England parish church. A church has stood on the site since 1140. The oldest surviving part of the church is the 22 metre high west tower which bears strong resemblance to a castle turret, the west tower was possibly built during the reign of Henry III (1216â€“1272) to serve a defensive as well as religious role, and is Rugby's oldest building. The church has other artefacts of medieval Rugby including the 13th-century parish chest, and a medieval font. The church was extensively re-built and expanded in the 19th century, designed by William Butterfield. The expanded church included a new east tower, added in 1895 which has a spire {{convert|182|feet|metres}} high. The church is grade II* listed.WEB, Church of Saint Andrew A Grade II* Listed Building in Rugby, Warwickshire,weblink British Listed Buildings, 12 December 2018, Very unusually, both of the church towers have ringable bells, the main peal of bells (all cast in 1896 by Mears & Stainbank, London) being located in the eastern tower, and the old peal (all cast in 1711 by Joseph Smith of Edgbaston) located in the western tower.WEB,weblink Rugby, warksbells.co.uk, 20 February 2019, (File:St Maries Church, Rugby 3.19.jpg|thumb|upright|St Marie's Church)St Marie's Church on Dunchurch Road, is Rugby's main Roman Catholic church. It is one of the town's most well-known landmarks as it is quite dominant on the skyline. The church was first opened in 1847, designed by Pugin in the Gothic revival style, it was enlarged in 1864, and in 1872 the current tall and slender spire was added, which is nearly {{convert|200|ft|m|abbr=off}} tall. The church is also grade II* listed.WEB, Roman Catholic Church of St Marie A Grade II* Listed Building in Rugby, Warwickshire,weblink British Listed Buildings, 12 December 2018, (File:Rugby School buildings from Warwick Street 9.21 (2).JPG|thumb|280px|left|Rugby School, (from left to right) New Quad Buildings, Chapel and War Memorial Chapel.)The buildings of Rugby School are major landmarks mostly dating from the 18th and 19th century with some early 20th Century additions. The oldest buildings are the Old Quad Buildings and the School House the oldest parts of which date from 1748, but were mostly built between 1809 and 1813 by Henry Hakewill, these are grade II* listed.{{NHLE |desc=OLD QUAD BUILDINGS AT RUGBY SCHOOL |num=1035021 |access-date=3 September 2019}}{{NHLE |desc=SCHOOL HOUSE AT RUGBY SCHOOL |num=1183930 |access-date=3 September 2019}} Most of the current landmark buildings date from the Victorian era and were designed by William Butterfield: The most notable of these is the chapel, dating from 1872, which is topped by an octagonal tower {{convert|138|ft|metre}} tall, and is grade I listed.{{NHLE |desc=CHAPEL AT RUGBY SCHOOL|num=1183714|access-date=8 June 2021}} Butterfield's New Quad buildings are grade II* listed and date from 1867 to 1885. The War Memorial chapel designed by Charles Nicholson is a later addition dating from 1922.{{NHLE |desc=NEW QUAD BUILDINGS AT RUGBY SCHOOL |num=1035020 |access-date=3 September 2019}}{{NHLE |desc=WAR MEMORIAL CHAPEL AT RUGBY SCHOOL|num=1365005 |access-date=3 September 2019}} There are two further grade I listed buildings in Rugby, although these are not in the town centre, one of these is St Botolph's Church in Newbold-on-Avon,{{NHLE|desc=CHURCH OF ST BOTOLPH |num=1183970|accessdate=16 May 2024}} the second is Bilton Hall in Bilton.{{NHLE|desc= BILTON HALL |num=1035049|accessdate=16 May 2024}}(File:Rugby_Clock_Tower_9.22.jpg|thumb|upright|Jubilee Clock Tower)Rugby's Jubilee Clock Tower in Market Place is one of the town's best known landmarks, which traditionally marks the centre of Rugby. The clock tower dates from 1887, and was built to celebrate Queen Victoria's jubilee. It is {{convert|43|ft}} tall, built of Derby Dale stone, and was designed by Goodacres of Leicester. The clocks were donated by Evans and Sons of Birmingham. It is grade II listed.WEB, Rugby's Jubilee Clock Tower,weblink Our Warwickshire, 1 January 2023, WEB, Jubilee Clock Tower, Market Place, Rugby,weblink Our Warwickshire, 8 June 2021, {{NHLE |desc=CLOCK TOWERL|num=1300276|access-date=8 June 2021}}

Places of interest

Places of interest in the town include:

The Rugby School Museum, which has audio-visual displays about the history of Rugby School and of the town.
The combined Rugby Art Gallery and Museum. The art gallery contains a nationally recognised collection of contemporary art. The museum contains, amongst other things, Roman artefacts dug up from the nearby Roman settlement of Tripontium.
The Webb Ellis Rugby Football Museum, where traditional rugby balls are handmade. It contains much rugby football memorabilia.
The Benn Hall, a conference, seminar, exhibition and party venue.
Newbold Quarry Park, nature reserve
Swift Valley Nature Reserve
Rainsbrook Valley Railway, miniature railway

Places of interest around Rugby include:

Brandon Marsh
Brinklow Castle
Coombe Abbey
Dunchurch â€“ Historic village
Draycote Water â€“ Reservoir and nature reserve
Garden Organic
Oxford Canal
Stanford Hall

Transport

Railways

(File:Rugby railway station.jpg|thumb|Rugby railway station)Rugby railway station is a principal stop on the West Coast Main Line, with frequent regular services to London Euston, Birmingham New Street, Stafford, Crewe and {{rws|Northampton}}. There are also some infrequent services to Glasgow Central, the North West of England, Shrewsbury, Chester and Holyhead. Routes are operated by West Midlands TrainsWEB, Train timetables and schedules, London Northwestern Railway, May 2023, 20 November 2023,weblink and Avanti West Coast.WEB, Our latest timetables and ticket info, Avanti West Coast, May 2023, 20 November 2023,weblink Rugby has had a railway station since 1838, when the London and Birmingham Railway was opened, though the present station dates from 1885. It was once served by lines which have now been closed, including to Leicester, Leamington Spa and Peterborough; these were closed in the 1960s as part of the Beeching cuts.Elliott, Peter H (1985). Rugby's Railway Heritage. {{ISBN|0-907917-06-2}}.Between 1899 and 1969, Rugby had a second station; Rugby Central station was a stop on the former Great Central Main Line, which hosted services to London Marylebone to the south and Leicester, Nottingham and Sheffield to the north. The station and line were closed in the 1960s as part of the Beeching cuts.British Railways' locomotive testing centre was located in Rugby.Warwickshire County Council have proposed a new station in the area; Rugby Parkway station is to be sited on the Northampton Loop Line, south-east of the existing station; it will serve the Hillmorton area of the town and the new development at Houlton. The station is to be built in between the current edge of town and DIRFT to accommodate for the future expansion of the town where 6,200 homes are planned to be built over a 15 to 20-year period. No date, however, has been given for the opening of this station.NEWS, Second train station to be built as Rugby expands,weblink Rugby Advertiser, 23 November 2015, 15 October 2015,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20151124100610weblink">weblink 24 November 2015, live,

Roads

Rugby is situated near to several major trunk routes including the M1, M6 and M45 motorways, and the A5, A14 and A45 roads. Other main roads in the town include the A426 road, the A428 road and the Rugby Western Relief Road, which links the A45 with the Leicester Road, that connects with junction 1 of the M6.In 2010, a short local bypass was opened; it was the first part of the Rugby Western Relief Road. It runs from the A428 (Lawford Road), along the edge of the built-up area to the A4071 (road from Rugby through Bilton and Cawston), a little west of Cawston; it takes through heavy traffic off suburban housing roads such as Addison Road. On 10 September 2010, the final part of Rugby's Western Relief Road was opened. The road runs from Potsford Dam near Cawston, through the Lawford Road and ending at Newbold Road, near the Avon Valley School. The initial estimated cost was projected at Â£36.6 million, while the final figure was in excess of Â£60 million.NEWS,weblink Final Â£60.5 million bill for Rugby Western Relief Road, 15 December 2010, Rugby Advertiser, 12 January 2011,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20101219125416weblink">weblink 19 December 2010, live,

Buses

Stagecoach in Warwickshire is the town's primary operator, with routes to Coventry, Southam, Leamington Spa, Daventry, Leicester and Northampton; it also serves the major estates of the town.WEB, Rugby Bus Services, Bus Times, 2023, 20 November 2023,weblink

Air

There are direct railway links to Birmingham Airport, via Birmingham International railway station; the smaller Coventry Airport is also nearby.

Canal

(File:Newbold canal tunnel.jpg|thumb|Newbold canal tunnel on the Oxford Canal at Rugby)The Oxford Canal, which runs from near Coventry to Oxford, passes around Rugby and through the areas of Newbold, Brownsover and Hillmorton. The canal was opened in 1790, as a winding contour canal, but was straightened out in the 1830s. Notable features of the canal locally are the {{convert|250|yard|metre|abbr=on}} long tunnel at Newbold and the flight of locks at Hillmorton, which are the busiest flight of locks on the national canal network.WEB, The Development of Transport in Rugby by Peter H Elliott,weblink's_transport_history.pdf, Warwickshire Railways, 10 September 2021, NEWS, Hillmorton Locks set to keep its crown as the busiest set of locks in England and Wales,weblink Rugby Advertiser, 10 September 2021,

Cycling

There are a number of cycling routes in Rugby, including roadside cycle lanes; others are off-road and traffic free, some of which reuse old railway infrastructure.WEB, Cycle routes in Rugby,weblink Warwickshire County Council, 8 March 2022,

Notable residents

Born in Rugby

Chris Adams (1955â€“2001), wrestler
Neil Adams (born 1958), judoka
Junade Ali (born 1996),WEB, Computer scientist from Rugby named the youngest ever Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology,weblink Rugby Advertiser, 28 March 2024, computer scientist, youngest ever fellow of a professional engineering institution on record and inventor of Compromised Credential Checking amongst other technologies
Melanie Astles, (born 1982) French aerobatic champion
David Barby (1943â€“2012),NEWS, 30 celebrities you probably didn't know were from Warwickshire,weblink Coventry Telegraph, 5 March 2019, 17 March 2014, antiques expert
Ian Bell (born 1982), cricketer
Laura Bettinson (born 1987), singer-songwriter
Andrew Bloxam (1801â€“1878), clergyman and naturalist
Matthew Bloxam (1805â€“1888), antiquarian and archaeologist
Arthur Bostrom (born 1955), actor, best known for his role as Officer Crabtree in the BBC TV sitcom 'Allo 'Allo!
Rupert Brooke (1887â€“1915), poet
Richard Cockerill (born 1970), rugby union coach and former player
Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw (born 1983), comedic writer
Jim Dewes (born 1957), cricketer
Maud Russell England (1863â€“1956), New Zealand teacher, feminist, educationalist and art dealer
Walter Gilbert (1871â€“1946), sculptor
Herbert Haddock (1861â€“1946),WEB, CAPTAIN HERBERT JAMES HADDOCK, SHIP CAPTAIN FROM RUGBY,weblink Our Warwickshire, 9 August 2020, ship captain, the first person to captain Titanic
Michael John Harrison (born 1945), writer
Peter Kember (born 1965), musician (Spacemen 3, Spectrum)
Jeremy R. Knowles (1935â€“2007), organic chemist and enzymologist at Oxford and Harvard
Richard Lindon (1816â€“1887),WEB, Richard Lindon: Rugby's forgotten innovator,weblink Our Warwickshire, 1 January 2023, leatherworker, inventor
Norman Lockyer (1836â€“1920), scientist, discovered the gas helium
Rose Macaulay (1881â€“1958), writer
Ray Mawby (1922â€“1990) - Conservative politician and Member of Parliament - later revealed to have been a spy for Communist Czechoslovakia.NEWS, Former Rugby councillor sold secrets to Communist spies,weblink Coventry Telegraph, 25 November 2022, 29 June 2012,
Katharine Merry (born 1974), former sprinter
James Morrison (born 1984), singer-songwriter
James Petiver (1665â€“1718), botanist
Jason Pierce (born 1965), musician (Spiritualized, Spacemen 3)
Tim Pigott-Smith (1946â€“2017), actor
Marjorie Pollard (1899â€“1982), field hockey and cricket player, film maker and writer, and the first woman to commentate on sport for the BBC
Carole Quinton (born 1936) former track and field athlete
Peter Rogers (1947-2020), businessman
Sam Ruddock (born 1990), track and field athlete
Lawrence Sheriff (c. 1510â€“1567), grocer, philanthropist
Barbara Stocking (born 1951), public servant
Vikki Stone, (born 1985),WEB, Rugby comedian Vikki Stone who found fame over Phillip Schofield song reveals latest act,weblink Birmingham Mail, 22 April 2023, 23 November 2014, comedienne
Lauren Taylor (born 1994), golfer
Chris Wakelin (born 1992), snooker player
Peter Whalley (1722â€“1791), clergyman, academic and schoolmaster
Mona Wilson (1872â€“1954), civil servant and author
Arnold Wolfendale (1927â€“2020), Astronomer Royal
Albert Wratislaw (1822â€“1892), clergyman and scholar

{{Div col end}}File:London_2012_-_Neil_Adams_crop.jpg|Neil Adams, Judoka, multiple Olympic medal winnerFile:Rupert_Brooke.jpg|Rupert Brooke, poetFile:Lockyer-Norman.jpg|Norman Lockyer, scientist, discovered heliumFile:Richard_Lindon_(1816-1887).jpg|Richard Lindon, leatherworker, inventor of rugby ballFile:Spir2.jpg|Jason Pierce, musician, (Spacemen 3, Spiritualized)File:Barbara_Stocking_-_World_Economic_Forum_Annual_Meeting_2012.jpg|Barbara Stocking, former head of Oxfam GB

Lived or lives in Rugby

Joseph Addison (1672-1719),WEB, Parishes: Bilton,weblink British History Online, writer and politician
Matthew Arnold (1822â€“1888), poet
Thomas Arnold (1795â€“1842), educator
Emily Burns (born 1994), singer-songwriter
Lewis Carroll (1832â€“1898), writer
Will Carruthers (born 1967), musician
Neville Chamberlain (1869â€“1940), politician
Paul Dirac (1902-1984), physicist
William Webb Ellis (1806â€“1872), clergyman, claimed inventor of rugby football
Reginald Foort (1893â€“1980), organist
Dennis Gabor (1900â€“1979), physicist
William Gilbert (1799â€“1877) established Gilbert company sports equipment manufacturer.
Thomas Hughes (1822â€“1896), writer
Billy J. Kramer (born 1943),NEWS, LOOKING BACK - March 12, 2020 edition By John Phillpott,weblink Rugby Advertiser, 21 February 2021, singer
Unity Mitford (1914â€“1948),NEWS, The truth behind Hitler's spurned lover,weblink Rugby Advertiser, 18 May 2017,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20171005000423weblink">weblink 5 October 2017, dead, socialite
John Moultrie (1799â€“1874), clergyman and poet
Kevin Painter (born 1967), darts player
Louise Porton (born 1996), double murderer who killed her own two children in Rugby in January 2018
Peter Purves (born 1939), television presenter
Yvonne Ruddock (1965-1981),WEB, Rugby family and friends reclaim the story of the New Cross fire - the 16th birthday party which ended in tragedy,weblink Warwickshire World, 23 January 2023, 23 December 2022, victim of the New Cross house fire in London.
Salman Rushdie (born 1947), novelist
Judy Simpson (born 1960), athlete
Lesley Souter (1917â€“1981) first female electrical engineering student at the University of Glasgow
Franco Wanyama (1968â€“2019), boxer
Frank Whittle (1907â€“1996), inventor
Clem Wilson (1875â€“1944), cricketer
Johnny Williams (1926â€“2007), boxer, one time both the British and Empire heavyweight champion
Richard Henry Wood (1820â€“1908),WEB, WOOD, Richard Henry,weblink Rugby Local History Research Group, 3 March 2022, antiquary and philanthropist

Education

Primary

State schools

Abbots Farm Junior School
Abbots Farm Infant School
Bawnmore Infant School
Bilton Infant School
Bilton CE Junior School
Boughton Leigh Infant
Boughton Leigh Junior
Brownsover Community Infant School
Cawston Grange Primary School
Clifton-upon-Dunsmore Primary School
Eastlands Primary School
English Martyrs Catholic Primary School
Henry Hinde Infant School
Henry Hinde Junior School
Hillmorton Primary School
Northlands Primary School
Oakfield Primary Academy
Paddox Primary School
Riverside Academy
Rokeby Infant School
Rokeby Junior School
Rugby Free Primary School
St Andrew's Benn CE Primary School
St Gabriels's CofE Academy
St Maries RC Infant School
St Maries RC Junior School
St Matthews Bloxham CE Primary School

Independent

Crescent School

Secondary

Comprehensive Schools

Partially selective schools

Ashlawn School

Grammar schools

Independent schools

Further education

Rugby College â€“ which is a part of the Warwickshire College Group.
Percival Guildhouse - Independent adult education charity.

Former schools and colleges

Bishop Wulstan School
Hillbrow School
William Temple College (1954â€“71): an Anglican theological college.

Local media

Radio

The local radio stations are:

BBC CWR: 104.0 FM
Hits Radio Coventry & Warwickshire (formally known as Free Radio Coventry and Warwickshire): 97.0FM
Capital Mid-Counties: 107.1 FM

Written media

The main local newspapers are:

The Rugby Advertiser
The Rugby Observer
The Warwickshire Telegraph; a localised sub-edition of the Coventry Telegraph.

Television news

The Rugby area is covered on regional TV News by:

Twin towns

{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in the United Kingdom}}Rugby is twinned with:

{{flagicon|FRA}} Ã‰vreux, France (since 1959)
{{flagicon|GER}} RÃ¼sselsheim, Germany (since 1977)WEB,weblink Statistischer Bericht 2013,

References

External links

{{Sister project links|wikt=no|commons=Category:Rugby, Warwickshire|b=no|n=no|q=no|s=no|v=no|voy=Rugby (England)|species=no|d=Q623765}}

Rugby Borough Council

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Rugby, Warwickshire

History

Ancient history

Medieval

17th century

Influence of Rugby School

Railway town

Growth of industry

Civic history

Modern history

Fame

Rugby today

Town centre

Geography

Climate

Demographics

Politics and governance

National representation

Local government

Public services

Culture and recreation

Sport

Economy

Engineering and manufacturing

Cement

Logistics

Organisations based in Rugby

Tourism and other

Notable buildings and landmarks

Places of interest

Transport

Railways

Roads

Buses

Air

Canal

Cycling

Notable residents

Born in Rugby

Lived or lives in Rugby

Education

Primary

Secondary

Further education

Former schools and colleges

Local media

Radio

Written media

Television news

Twin towns

See also

References

Further reading

External links