From Wikitravel

Leamington Spa [1] is a large town in the West Midlands region of England, close to the cities of Coventry and Birmingham, part of the United Kingdom.

[edit] Understand

Leamington Spa is an attractive town which grew up rapidly as a new town in the early to mid nineteenth century. This method of town development is unusual in England, where most towns have grown organically over a much longer period of time. This has lead to 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.

[edit] Get in

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.

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.

[edit] Get around

[edit][add listing] See

• The Pump Rooms, [2]. 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, [3]. Entertainment venue featuring various shows, from concerts to wrestling.
• Jephson Gardens

[edit][add listing] 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.

[edit][add listing] Buy

[edit][add listing] Eat

• Kismet, 11 Spencer St.. Very good Indian food at reasonable prices. The "buffet" is really a prix-fixe, but recommended. edit

• Alastairs Bistro, 40 Warwick +01926-Street West, 422550.
• Ali Curry House, 21 Bath Street, +01926-429405.
• Amors Restaurant, 15 Dormer Place, +01926-774744.
• Bistrot 39, 39 Chandos Street, +01926-452807.
• Bombay Tandoori, 38 Regent Street West, +01926-420521.
• Cafe Rouge, 95 Regent Street East, +01926-330565. International chain of "continental" cafes
• Phoenix Chinese Restaurant, 11 Euston Place, +01926-424479.[4]
• Oxford Restaurant, 21 Clarendon Avenue, +01926-424748.
• Paprika Club, 22 Regent Street West, +01926-428272.
• Raj Bhuj Indian Cuisine, 58 Bath Street, +01926-888869.
• Royal Buffet, 16 High Street, +01926-772222.
• The Pulse, 65 Bath Street.
• Wildes Restaurant, 7 Parade, +01926-336732.
• The Restaurant In The Park In Jephsons Gardens
• Leamington Bar & Grill, on the Parade. Far classier than the name suggests, with attendant prices.

[edit][add listing] Drink

• Bar 44, 126 Warwick Street East, +01926-888444.
• Hogshead, 41 Warkwick 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
• Robin's Well, Student pub opposite the Parish Church at the bottom of town, overlooking the river.
• Satchwells the local Weatherspoons, in the centre of the parade

[edit][add listing] Sleep

• Best Western Falstaff Hotel, 16 Warwick New Road, +01926-312044, fax 450574, [5]. Rates between £60 and £105.
• The Adams Hotel, Avenue Road, +01926-450742, fax +01926-313110, [6]. 14 en-suite rooms. £66 - £85.
• Courtyard Hotel, Olympus Avenue, Tachbrook Park, +01926-425522, fax 881322, [7]. 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,[8] . pick-up from local airports. £60 - £120.

[edit] 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

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