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WEDDINGTON CASTLE - An Online History

ARCHIVED UPDATES 2005 - 2010

In this section you can find details of all updates made to the Weddington Castle website; from its establishment in 2005 to the end of 2009. For more recent updates click the "Up" button to the left. To return to this page from any of the links below, simply press the 'Back' button on your browser.

Click on the links below to access the updates from the relevant year:

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

29th December 2010	New article added to "Nuneaton Town": 'Midland Red, 1950s'
24th December 2010	New article added to "Nuneaton Town": 'Winter at Haunchwood Sidings, 1959'
15th December 2010	New article added to "Nuneaton Town": 'Nuneaton Water Sports in the 1910s: Fielding Johnson's Pool'
14th December 2010	3 new articles added to "Nuneaton Town": 'Whitehouse's Bus;' 'Local Coal Wagons in WW2' and 'Church Street in the 1890s.'
19th November 2010	Once again, Weddington Village is under threat from developers: Hallam Land Management have announced plans to build 333 new houses on Church fields next to St James' historic Church in the village. Find out more at this website: www.saveweddington.org.uk
18th November 2010	New article added to "Nuneaton Town". 'Made in Nuneaton'
9th November 2010	New postcard of Tuttle Hill windmill, postmarked 1920, added to "Other Halls and Castles" section.
7th November 2010	4 new articles added to "Nuneaton Town": 'Lawyer Dempster's house;' 'Mr Pettifer's House;' 'A Tour of old Church Street,' and 'The Market Place c1905.'
6th November 2010	New article added to "Nuneaton Town". 'The Smoke Room at the Old Crystal Palace Inn.'
30th October 2010	Undated oil painting of old farm barn by Miles Sharp added to "Key People" section.
26th October 2010	1915 postcard of William Johnson, Nuneaton MP added to "Picture Gallery".
23rd October 2010	5 new articles added to: "Nuneaton Town". This features "The Good Old Days" - a series of articles on Nuneaton's history written by local historian Peter Lee. New articles include: Ye Old Nags Head, Co-op Hall, Haunchwood Colliery, Griff Hollows and Judkins Quarry.
16th October 2010	A new article and a range of previous articles added to: "Nuneaton Town". This features "The Good Old Days" - a series of articles on Nuneaton's history written by local historian Peter Lee.
15th October 2010	During October / November we will be updating the Castle Shop, and adding a new and expanded range of gifts and clothing items. During this upgrade the online payments system will be suspended. You can still purchase items from us, during the upgrade you just need to email us at: shop@weddingtoncastle.co.uk with your item requests. We will then respond to your email with details of how to pay for your items. We apologise for any inconvenience but we hope you will enjoy the new shop and merchandise range when it goes live.
8th October 2010	'Weston Hall' history added to "Other Local Halls" section. This local hall in Bulkington, Nuneaton is now a Best Western Hotel.
7th October 2010	Postcard of Nuneaton street scene postmarked 1911 added to Picture Gallery. Message on card includes "This house is right opposite the one we live in".
5th October 2010	A new section has been added to the website: "Nuneaton Town". This features "The Good Old Days" - a series of articles on Nuneaton's history written by local historian Peter Lee. Early colour photograph of Attleborough Hall's drawing room added to Picture Gallery.
4th October 2010	A 1905 postcard of Nuneaton's Boer War memorial statue (known locally as "Old Bill") added. This was stolen from Riversley Park in 2006. A photo of the replacement statue unveiled in 2008 also added to Picture Gallery.
24th September 2010	Two photographs of Victorian Nuneaton ladies, by the photographer Marie Weale, added to "Picture Gallery"
23rd September 2010	A charming memento of Nuneaton's former "Hippodrome Theatre" has recently been acquired by Weddington Castle online. This is a 1938 programme of a production by the Nuneaton Amateur Operatic Society called "Princess Charming". The society boasted Aldermen Edward Melly and Robert Swinnerton as Vice-presidents - both of whom had links to the Castle and grounds. You can download a scanned copy of the programme here (please note - this PDF is around 6MB in size).
21st September 2010	Etching of St Ives Harbour, c1950, by former local artist Miles Sharp, added to "Key People" section.
20th September 2010	1920s photo of two Nuneaton railwaymen added to "Picture Gallery"
12th September 2010	26 new photos of 'The Grove' development from September 2010 added to the 'Picture Gallery' courtesy of Jenny Brookes.
9th September 2010	A number of new images added: Griff House (1904) Attleborough Church (1907) Postcard of Church Street, Attleborough (1910) South Farm (1910) Historical comedy postcard of Nuneaton (1914)
25th August 2010	4 new historic images of Nuneaton Town added to "Picture Gallery" :- the Scala Theatre, St Mary's Church & Ruins, and a Nuneaton Victorian wedding scene. Also a multi-view postcard featuring Tuttle Hill Windmill added to "Other Local Halls" section.
24th August 2010	Additional detail added to "Shawe Family Tree" - details of will of John Cunliffe Shawe (killed in action in Belgium, 1940), and of the award of the Distinguished Flying Cross to his brother, Derek Shawe.
17th August 2010	New entry for "Nuneaton Hall and the old Abbey" added to "Other Local Halls" section. Entry on Nuneaton from "A History of the County of Warwick, 1947" added to "Appendices" section.
10th August 2010	New computer-generated images of homes for sale on the Grove Park development added to the 'Picture Gallery'. The access road to this development has been named "Lionel Close", after Lionel Place, former owner of Weddington Castle.
2nd August 2010	4 new historic images of Nuneaton Town added to "Picture Gallery". These are listed as: 1) Another pic of the Prince of Wales Theatre; 2) Nuneaton market place c1914; 3) Early postcard of Abbey Street, and 4) A pic of Nuneaton's market place pre-1900.
28th June 2010	The former Caldecote Hall website maintained by its recent developer has now gone offline; with no explanation forthcoming. In order to keep an online presence for this important building, Weddington Castle Online has now launched www.caldecotehall.org.uk which features a comprehensive history, along with a range of images - both old and new. This will maintained and hosted by Weddington Castle Online.
26th June 2010	Image of the former "Prince of Wales Theatre" from 1907 added to "Picture Gallery"
21st June 2010	10 new photos of 'The Grove' development from June 2010 added to the 'Picture Gallery' courtesy of Jenny Brookes.
8th June 2010	Weddington Castle is now on Twitter! Weddington Castle Online has finally joined the 21st century, and you can follow us on Twitter - the new social media tool for keeping updated online. Just click on the "Follow Us On Twitter" icon on the left hand navigation bar to get the latest news, views and developments from Weddington Castle.
6th June 2010	1907 postcard of the Lych-Gate at Congerstone, nr Nuneaton added to "Picture Gallery", and colour postcard of Tuttle Hill Windmill added to "Other Local Halls"
27th May 2010	1911 postcard of Church Avenue, Nuneaton added to "Picture Gallery".
22nd May 2010	Vintage novelty postcard from Nuneaton added to "Picture Gallery".
14th May 2010	A correction made as to the location of Weddington Castle's Ice House. Research by local historian Alan Cook has determined that this was located along Weddington Road not, as previously thought, behind Weddington Social Club. You can access details here.
3rd May 2010	20 photos of 2007 New Year's Eve celebrations at the "Fox & Crane" added to "The Grove" picture gallery.
2nd May 2010	19 photos of the final open evening of the "Fox & Crane" (formerly "The Grove" public house) which took place on 15/01/2008, added to "The Grove" picture gallery, at the "Final night 15/01/08" page.
25th April 2010	14 new photos of 'The Grove' development from April 2010 added to the 'Picture Gallery' courtesy of Jenny Brookes.
24th April 2010	Eight new photos of Fillongley Hall's interior and exterior added to Picture Gallery, along with a floorplan and a 2010 sales brochure. Improvements made to the website to allow it to be viewed using Firefox web browser.
21st April 2010	A new page of images added to the Picture Gallery, showing a scale model of the Castle's North Lodge (demolished in 1967). This model was made and photographed by local historian Alan Cook who visited the building in 1966-67.
14th April 2010	2 photographs of Percy Howe's gravestone in Oaston Road Cemetery added to Castle "Picture Gallery".
3rd April 2010	16 new gallery of photos of building works on the Grove estate added to "The Grove 2010" Picture Gallery. These include the demolition of the rear buildings.
26th March 2010	New picture of the demolition of The Grove outbuildings added to "The Grove 2010" Picture Gallery.
20th March 2010	Pictures of the demolition of The Grove outbuildings added to "The Grove 2010" Picture Gallery. Plan of the Castle's 'Northern Gate house' added to "Picture Gallery".
18th March 2010	The previous weeks' Tribune article has now been refuted, with the developers stating they intend to preserve the buildings' historic features..
11th March 2010	The Nuneaton Tribune today ran a story claiming that the Fox and Crane is due to be demolished - rather than converted into flats. Apparently this has now been refuted and NBBC have confirmed that no planning for demolition has been granted
7th March 2010	New gallery of photos of building works on the Grove estate added to "The Grove 2010" Picture Gallery. Outline Plan of the Weddington Estate c1886 added to Weddington Castle "Picture Gallery".

31st December 2009	New pictures of Weddington Castle (c1890) and the former Southern Gateway (1970) added to "Picture Gallery" sections.
14th December 2009	New reported sighting (and photograph) of Joe Danks' ghost added to "Ghosts of Weddington" and "Joe Danks" pages.
28th August 2009	Image and details of new planning application for The Grove (with an additional house added in the grounds) added to The Grove "Picture Gallery" and "Grove History" pages.
10th August 2009	Details added to "Timelines" and "Castle History" sections of draft proposals to build thousands of new homes on Green Belt land in Nuneaton and Bedworth: with Weddington, Bedworth Woodlands and Keresley being the areas most affected.
7th August 2009	Details of a former resident of Weddington Hall (Martin Leggatt, in 1827) added to "Castle History" section.
6th August 2009	30 new pictures of the 'Fox and Crane' circa 2006/07 added to "Exterior" and "Interior" picture galleries.
5th August 2009	Updated link to the official 'Caldecote Hall' website added to "Links" and "Other Local Halls" pages.
23rd July 2009	The sad news of the death of Pete Simpson, a long-term local campaigner for the preservation of Astley Castle, added to the Astley Castle page.
15th May 2009	Two line drawings of proposed new 4-bed house on The Grove site added to "The Grove" picture gallery. Update on the now defunct Caldecote Hall sales site added to "The Links" section.
13th May 2009	Several new images added: One image of newly-discovered glassware featuring the Adderley family crest added to "Weddington Castle" picture gallery. Two images of a former Weddington orchard added to "Weddington Village" picture gallery. Three images from a recent archaeological excavation of The Grove site added to "The Grove" picture gallery.
5th May 2009	Five updated images of The Grove added to "The Grove" section. These show further preparatory building work, and trenches from a recent archaeological survey by the University of Leicester.
14th February 2009	Two images of signage outside The Grove added to "The Grove" section. This announces: "Grove Park: a development of 2, 3 and 4 Bedroom Houses and 2 Bed Apartments."
2nd February 2009	Two new images of Miles Sharp paintings (1911 and 1925) added to "Key People" section.
22nd January 2009	2007 auctions details and image of a William IV Mahogany Breakfront Secretaire Bookcase owned by Henry Kay whilst at the Castle, added to "Castle Auction" section.
19th January 2009	New image of Bosworth Hall 1906 added to "Other Local Halls" section and image of local Nuneaton peddler 1904 added to "Nuneaton Town" section.
6th January 2009	New page on Bosworth Hall added to "Other Local Halls" section.
3rd January 2009	New page on the Tuttle Hill Windmill added to "Other Local Halls" section.
1st January 2009	HAPPY NEW YEAR to all of our visitors. Thank you to all who have contributed to, and commented on, this site over the past year. We look forward to another year of online updates to the history of this fascinating building.

4th December 2008	Section on the Victorian Servants of Weddington Castle added to "Key People" section.
16th November 2008	Two new images added to Weddington Castle Online: 1: A postally used postcard of Riversley Park (1914) added to "Riversley Park" (5th image in the gallery) 2: An image of Nuneaton Priory (aka: St Mary's Abbey Church 1876) added to "Other Local Halls" (first image in the gallery)
14th November 2008	A Heritage Sign has been erected on Weddington Road, by the Anker Bridge over to the Nuneaton Old Edwardians Rugby Football Ground. It includes some details of Weddington Castle. Images added to "Weddington Village Picture Gallery".
12th November 2008	Early postcards of 'Caldecote Hall' (3rd image listed) and 'Higham Grange' (2nd image listed) added to 'Other Local Halls' section.
8th November 2008	Photograph of Nuneaton flood of 1932 added to "Riversley Park" and "Timelines" sections.
30th October 2008	Local newspaper report on Landmark Trust's repair work on Astley Castle added to 'Other Local Halls' section.
25th October 2008	Old postcard image of Oldbury Hall added to "Other Local Halls" section (sixth image listed)
24th October 2008	Local press article on replacement of stolen Boer War statue added to "Riversley Park" section.
23rd October 2008	Shawe Family Tree added to Henry Cunliffe Shawe entry in of "Key People" section.
21st October 2008	Old postcard image of Caldwell Hall added to "Other Local Halls" section (second image listed)
19th September 2008	Local newspaper report added re: a bid for Lottery Funding to restore Riversley Park to its original layout and usage (added to Riversley Park section).
14th September 2008	Link to the official website of Hijaz College (formerly Higham Hall) added to "Other Local Halls".
10th September 2008	*Local press article on Higham Hall (now Hijaz College) added to "Other Local Halls" ('Sharia law court at Hijaz College')*
9th September 2008	Image of Church Street, Nuneaton, in 1913 added to 'Picture Gallery'.
29th August 2008	New entry added to 'Ghosts' section of the 'Appendices' ("The Severed Head of Astley").
21st August 2008	Submitted plans of The Grove development site, by builders AR Cartwright, added to "The Grove" section.
20th August 2008	New images of the exterior of The Grove development site (August 2008) added to "The Grove" section.
13th August 2008	Old postcard of Riversley Park added to 'Picture Gallery' (4th image in gallery).
22nd July 2008	New section on recent paranormal investigations into Astley Castle added to 'Ghosts' section of the 'Appendices'.
19th July 2008	Update on the sad state of the now derelict Grove added to 'The Grove' section. Website of 'The West Midlands Ghost Club' added to 'Links' section
25th June 2008	Astley Castle is one step closer to being saved following the news that the Heritage Lottery Fund has given a pledge of support for a grant of £1.47million to the Landmark Trust - read more here.
13th June 2008	New early postcard of Astley Castle added to "Other Local Halls" section (the new image is the fifth one listed)
12th June 2008	Two entries on Weddington Castle added to "Appendices" section: (1) an ancestral history of the Astley family (former owners of the Castle) 1336 - 1531; and (2) an entry on Weddington manor from the "History, gazetteer, and directory, of Warwickshire", 1850.
11th June 2008	New page on Witherley Hall added to "Other Local Halls" section.
28th May 2008	Images of the 1598 memorial plaques dedicated to Humphrey Adderley, located inside St James Church, added to 'Key People' section and 'St James' Church' picture gallery.
25th May 2008	An entry on local historian Alan F Cook added to the 'Key People' section of this website. Without Alan's efforts to record and research Weddington's heritage over the past few decades, this website would not exist.
13th May 2008	Four new images of the exterior of The Grove development site (May 2008) added to "The Grove" section.
12th May 2008	Latest reports on the fate of The Grove from the local press added to "The Grove" section.
7th May 2008	Details of developer's planning application to convert The Grove (Fox & Crane) into apartments - along with 18 new dwellings and demolition of annex buildings - added to "The Grove" and "Appendices" section.
6th May 2008	Contemporary article on the conversation of Caldecote Hall in 1926 into a 'home for inebriates' and two related photos from that year (one interior, one exterior) added to Caldecote Hall entry of the "Other Local Halls" section.
4th May 2008	Leaflet on North Warwickshire Heritage added to "Links" section.
24th April 2008	Update on press coverage of Landmark Trust bid to develop Astley Castle added to "Other Local Halls" section.
18th April 2008	Page on The King's Lodge added to "Other Local Halls" section. Additional information / photos on Higham Grange added to "Other Local Halls" section.
15th April 2008	Page on Horestone Grange added to "Other Local Halls" section.
12th April 2008	New link to The Landmark Trust added to the "Links" page. The Trust is currently attempting to purchase the derelict Astley Castle for renovation.
11th April 2008	Two new photographs added, courtesy of Helen Green: one undated postcard of Weddington Castle and one of The Grove (aka Weddington Hotel) in 1938.
10th April 2008	New photos of Astley Castle in March 2007, along with further details of The Landmark Trust's renovation proposal, added to "Other Local Halls"
8th April 2008	Updated information on Lindley Hall added to "Other Local Halls" Update on new proposal to regenerate Astley Castle added to "Other Local Halls"
3rd April 2008	Details of Jane White, housemaid at The Grove in 1871, added to "Timelines" section.
28th March 2008	Early colour postcard of Riversley Park, published by E.W.Starmer, added to Riversley Park section of the 'Picture Gallery'.
24th March 2008	Coat of arms of Nuneaton Priory added to "Other Local Halls" section. Image of Queen's Road c.1910 added to Nuneaton Town section of "Picture Gallery".
22nd March 2008	Odstone Hall: new entry for a recently refurbished local historic building added to "Other Local Halls" section.
18th March 2008	New photo of The Grove with developer's signage outside added to "The Grove" picture gallery.
4th March 2008	Two new photos of The Grove added to "The Grove" picture gallery: one from 2003 and one from 1981.
16th February 2008	Three new local residents' stories about The Fox & Crane (formerly The Grove) added to the Ghosts section of Appendices.
13th February 2008	Four more external photos of The Grove added to "The Grove" picture gallery.
8th February 2008	Some beautiful external photos of The Grove added to "The Grove" picture gallery. These include the trees in the grounds which have now been chopped down.
2nd February 2008	Latest reports on the fate of The Grove from the local press added to "The Grove" section.
2nd February 2008	Latest reports on the fate of The Grove from the local press added to "The Grove" section.
1st February 2008	New images of the felled trees outside the fenced-off Grove added to "The Grove" section.
31st January 2008	New images of the Grove when it was The Fox and Crane added to "Photo Gallery".
30th January 2008	New images of this added to "The Grove" section.
29th January 2008	Two new images of the Fox and Crane post-closure, added to "The Grove" section.
25th January 2008	"The Grove 2008" picture gallery added to "The Grove" section. This features current pictures of the building and will chart future developments of this site.
24th January 2008	Image of The Fox and Crane, now closed to the public, fenced off and awaiting development, added to "The Grove" section.
19th January 2008	Higher resolution images of the photos found under the floorboards of The Grove, possibly of Henry N P Shawe, added to "The Grove" section. Images of remnants of the Deserted Medieval Village of Weddington, added to "Castle History" section.
15th January 2008	The Fox & Crane (aka The Grove) has closed. After over 70 years of forming the centre of the Weddington community as a public house, this historic building - a rare surviving part of the Weddington Castle estate - served its last pint tonight. The building and lands are earmarked for residential development, and updates to any planning proposals will be added here. In the meantime you can learn about the long history of this important building here.
14th January 2008	"The Grove" section completely redesigned and expanded, with history and picture gallery featuring brand new pictures of the interior, exterior and photos found under the floorboards possibly of Henry N P Shawe.
3rd January 2008	Local news reports on the fate of The Grove (i.e: 'The Fox & Crane') added to "The Grove" section

28th December 2007	New artwork of the 'Fox & Crane' restaurant (formerly 'The Grove') added to 'Picture Gallery' of The Grove... This building - probably the oldest significant surviving historical building in Weddington after St James' Church - was purchased by AR Cartwright Ltd builders in December 2007. It is scheduled to close as a restaurant on 17th January 2008, and it is rumoured that the building is to be either converted to flats or turned into a retirement home. Please check back here for updates on this.
13th December 2007	Updates to the history of Weddington Castle relating to the tenant William Cooper in the 1860s, added
11th November 2007	CASTLE SHOP: following a recent refresh of the Castle Shop, one or two items are showing the error message "Please enter an amount greater than zero" when the 'Buy Now' button is pressed. These items are still available, this is just a glitch which our technical team are working on to resolve. To purchase these items in the meantime, simply email: shop@weddingtoncastle.co.uk with your requirements. Postage on these items will be free to make up for any inconvenience. Please bear with us whilst we update the Shop: this update will ultimately lead to a wider range of better quality products, and a wider choice of items. Thank you!
23rd October 2007	CASTLE SHOP: unfortunately the "Canvas Bag" item is no longer available for purchase, as this has been discontinued by our supplier
9th October 2007	Pictures of Bond Gate Theatre (1904) and Abbey Street (1918) added to 'Picture Gallery', of Nuneaton Town
8th October 2007	New image added to 'Picture Gallery' of Weddington Hall: colour 'framed' postcard Picture of Bridge Street c.1908, added to 'Picture Gallery', of Nuneaton Town
6th October 2007	Photo of a fancy dress ball, 1906, added to 'Picture Gallery', of Nuneaton Town Five interior photograph of Arbury Hall added to "Other Local Halls"
5th October 2007	Information booklet on Hartshill Castle added to "Other Local Halls"
4th October 2007	Early Postcard of Nuneaton Market Place added to 'Picture Gallery'
3rd October 2007	New image added to 'Key People' of Alderman Edward Melly with his ceremonial chain
1st October 2007	New image added to 'Picture Gallery' of Nuneaton Market Place, from a 19th century drawing
30th September 2007	Additional information on the 1832 murder in Weddington, of Polly Button by Joe Danks added to 'Appendices' section, including more details of the crime and of local legends such as the 'Polly Button stone' and 'skipping rhymes'.
26th September 2007	New image added to 'Picture Gallery' of Nuneaton Edwardian limerick postcard
24th September 2007	Letter from William Seymour, Gardener to Lionel Place, Esq, dated 21st January 1826, added to "Castle History" section. Link to local poet Michael Drayton's poem, Poly-olbion (1613), added to "Hartshill Castle" and "Humphrey Adderley" pages.
23rd September 2007	New section on the Manor Court, Nuneaton, added to the "Other Local Halls" section.
12th September 2007	Three new paintings added to Miles Sharp section of "Key People": 'Oil on Canvas', 'Oil on Canvas: verso' and 'Ploughed Field and Trees'.
7th September 2007	New image added to 'Picture Gallery' of Weddington Castle: colour postcard c.1910
4th September 2007	*New image added to 'Picture Gallery' of a Nuneaton Girl and Jack Russell, c.1910-1915.*
3rd September 2007	Article on fire at Astley Castle added to "Other Local Halls" and "Ghosts" sections.
2nd September 2007	Update on risk register status of Hartshill Castle added to "Other Local Halls".
29th August 2007	Broken picture links in "The Parts of a Manor House" section fixed
28th August 2007	New image added to 'Picture Gallery' of Weddington Castle: "Photo of the Castle, by Mr Young, printed in the Nuneaton Evening Tribune 22/04/87"
22nd August 2007	Nuneaton & Warwickshire report detailing Astley Castle status as a building "at extreme risk" added to Astley Castle section of "Other Local Halls".
14th August 2007	Page added to 'Appendices' section, relating to the trial of Joe Danks for the murder of Polly Button in Weddington in 1832.
13th August 2007	Details of local murder in 1832 of Polly Button by Joe Danks in Weddington Meadows added to 'Post-Adderley History' page of 'Timelines' section.
27th July 2007	Early colour postcard, 1905, added to St James' Church section of "Picture Gallery".
23rd July 2007	Update added to 'Henry Cunliffe Shawe' entry in Key People section, regarding Office of High Sheriff of Warwickshire.
14th June 2007	New image added to 'Picture Gallery' of "Nuneaton Market Place, original photograph from pre-1909".
12th June 2007	Link to "Castles on the Web" website added to "Links" section.
11th June 2007	New image added to 'Picture Gallery' of "Nuneaton Borough Band: Army Recruitment Poster 1914".
9th June 2007	Updates made to www.weddingtoncastle.co.uk between 2005 and 2006 are now listed in 'Archived Updates 2005 - 2006' page. Higher quality image of Weddington Castle postcard, 1906 added to 'Picture Gallery'.
5th June 2007	*New image added to 'Picture Gallery' of Weddington Castle: "Weddington Castle from the Garden", a drawing by early Victorian artist Ann Mowbray, 1831.*
4th June 2007	Local resident's account of sightings of a local ghost from the Castle (Joe Danks) added to "Ghosts of Weddington" section.
3rd June 2007	Two new images added to 'Picture Gallery', of Weddington Village: "Weddington's new Church Hall", and "Swinnerton's Heritage".
29th May 2007	Link to "Lost Heritage" website added to "Links" section.
28th May 2007	Updated history on Weddington Castle as a WWI Red Cross Hospital added to "Castle History" section. Updated information on nurses in a photograph of Weddington Castle as a WWI Red Cross Hospital added to 'Picture Gallery'
27th May 2007	One new painting image added to the 'Miles Sharp' entry in the Key People section: "Woodland Landscape".
24th May 2007	Early colour postcard added to Caldecote Hall section of "Other Local Halls".
18th May 2007	An 1893 watercolour image of Griff House by Patty Townsend, and a Guided Tour leaflet of George Eliot country, added to Griff House (George Eliot) section of "Other Local Halls".
17th May 2007	Various new images added to Photo Galleries: Astley Castle: Early Postcard Early postcard of Old Nuneaton, c.1910 Bridge Street, Nuneaton Town c.1911 Riversley Park 1920s Camp Hill Hall, 1928
15th May 2007	Three new images added to 'Picture Gallery', of Nuneaton Town: 'The Elms', 'St Nicholas Church' and 'St Mary's Abbey & Ruins'.
14th May 2007	Due to technical problems, all images and link buttons recently disappeared from the section 'The Parts of a Manor House'. These have now been restored. If you encounter any more technical problems with this website, please let us know by emailing: help@weddingtoncastle.co.uk
12th May 2007	Three new early images added to 'Picture Gallery', of images of Nuneaton Town. One new image added to Riversley Park section of the 'Picture Gallery'.
9th May 2007	New section added to 'Picture Gallery', of images of Nuneaton Town during the Castle's era.
7th May 2007	Update on Eleanor Grace Shawe added to 'Henry Cunliffe Shawe' entry in the Key People section.
26th January 2007	Two new painting images added to the 'Miles Sharp' entry in the Key People section, both being "A Warwickshire Village Scene, 1941".
15th January 2007	Weddington Castle brings in the New Year by becoming top of the pile! www.weddingtoncastle.co.uk is now the top listing for keyword searches on "weddington" or "weddington castle" in the UK and International versions of reknowned search engine www.google.com...

15th December 2006	Rare early photograph of The Old Rectory, Caldecote, added to 'Other Local Halls' section. Caldecote Hall is visible in the background.
9th December 2006	Early colour postcard of Riversley Park (oval design) added to 'Picture Gallery'.
9th November 2006	Several new houses have been built behind the new Church Hall off Church Lane. The access road has been named "Swinnerton's Heritage". The Swinnerton family were major farmers in the area. Robert Swinnerton lived at The Grove in the C19th and there is an impressive memorial for the Swinnertons in St. James Churchyard. It is heartening (to a degree) that even modern housing developments in Weddington seek to recognise the heritage of the area in their road naming schemes.
31st October 2006	Scene from Riversley Park bandstand in the 1920s, added to 'Picture Gallery'.
10th October 2006	Two rare line drawings of Weddington Castle ("Front Entrance" & "Garden Facade") added to 'Picture Gallery'.
9th September 2006	Additional images added to the 'Miles Sharp' entry in the Key People section, relating to the painting "A Warwickshire Farmyard".
28th August 2006	Links to the Weddington Castle website added to the 'Nuneaton' entry on Wikipedia - the premier online encyclopaedia.
23rd August 2006	Undated postcard of Riversley Park added to 'Picture Gallery'.
2nd August 2006	Pictures of King Edward I coin as found in Weddington, added to 'Castle History: 1100 - 1300AD'.
14th July 2006	Postcard of Arbury Hall added to 'Picture Gallery'.
13th July 2006	Colour postcard of Riversley Park (1913) added to 'Picture Gallery'.
29th June 2006	Property documents relating to the sale of Weddington Castle and Castle estate lands to Percy Howe, builder, have kindly been lent to Weddington Castle Online by Kevin Purchase, a local resident. These have been added to the 'Appendices' section ('Sale Deeds'). Scan of Percy Howe's signature, early plan of Castle Road and a map (dated from the 1920s, featuring the Castle grounds and outbuildings, including the Summer House) added to 'Picture Gallery'. Scan of Arbury Priory added to 'Other Halls & Castles' section.
28th June 2006	'Tags' added to all images in website (i.e. a brief description of the picture will appear when you hover your mouse pointer over it). Section on Hinckley Castle added to 'Other Local Halls' section.
21st June 2006	Tamworth Castle added to 'Other Local Halls' section. Picture of Mary Bagot, wife of Sir Richard Newdigate added to 'Other Local Halls' section. Postcard and 1940s drawing of 'South Farm' added to 'Other Local Halls' section.
14th June 2006	Sepia postcard of Arbury Towers (postmarked 1941) added to 'Other Local Halls' section. Annoying glitch on Homepage 'Enter' button finally sorted out!
13th June 2006	Several illustrations from 'The Graphic Illustrated' 1881, added, featuring Arbury Hall, Arbury Lodge, Astley Church, Griff House, and Nuneaton Market Place.
12th June 2006	Colour postcard of Attleborough Road (circa 1920) added to 'Other Local Halls' section. Colour postcard of Arbury Hall added to 'Other Local Halls' section. Engraving of Astley Castle (1814) added to 'Other Local Halls' section.
11th June 2006	*Colour postcard of "The Old Nullat, Arbury"* added to 'Other Local Halls' section.**
19th May 2006	Postcard of Weddington Castle (1912) added to 'Picture Gallery' section. Colour postcard of Griff House (1911) added to 'Other Local Halls' section.
31st April 2006	Colour postcard of Arbury Hall (1908) added to 'Other Local Halls' section (3rd picture in gallery).
28th April 2006	Self portrait of Arthur Devis added to the 'Key People' section.
27th April 2006	New image of Miles Sharp oil colour added to the 'Key People' section.
23rd April 2006	PDF document of 'Nuneaton's Gold Belt Project' in Riversley Park added to the 'Links' section.
22nd April 2006	Old postcard of Arbury Hall added to 'Other Local Halls' section (8th picture in gallery).
21st April 2006	Entry on local artist Miles Sharp added to 'Key People' section. Section on Fillongley Hall added to 'Other Local Halls' section. Colour postcard of Riversley Park bandstand, picture of Edward Melly, photo of Melly on the bandstand and multiview postcard of the Park added to 'Picture Gallery'. Picture of old Nuneaton Railway station added to 'Old Attleborough - An Imaginary Trip'.
20th April 2006	Photograph of the Atherstone Hunt (9/11/1908) at Caldecote Hall added to 'Other Local Halls' section. New photograph of Maxstoke Castle added to 'Other Local Halls' section.
10th April 2006	*Excerpt on Weddington from Kelly's Directory of Warwickshire, 1896* added to 'Appendices' section.**
9th April 2006	'Weddington Walk' section completed. This details walks around Weddington and Caldecote, taking in many features of the former Castle estate.
5th April 2006	*Excerpt on Weddington from A History of the County of Warwick, 1947* added to 'Appendices' section.**
4th April 2006	Old photograph of Weddington Farm added to 'Other Buildings' picture gallery. Multiview postcard featuring Riversley Park & Arbury Lodge added to 'Riversley Park' picture gallery.
3rd April 2006	Images added to 'Weddington Castle', 'Riversley Park' and 'Arbury Hall' picture galleries.
23rd March 2006	Colour postcards of Arbury Lodge and South Farm added to 'Other Local Halls' section.
20th March 2006	Astley and Adderley family crests added to 'Picture Gallery'. Postcard of Griff House added to 'Other Local Halls' section. Postcard of Arbury Park (Summer's Bridge) added to 'Other Local Halls' section. Links to Someries Castle and Tamworth Castle added to 'Links' section.
4th February - 19th March 2006	Two watercolours of Weddington Hall by local artist Miles Sharp (1897 - 1973), were featured in an exhibition at Nuneaton Museum and Art Gallery ('Moments in Time'). Whilst these paintings are in the ownership of the Museum, copyright issues mean unfortunately we cannot feature images of them on this website. This exhibition also featured a painting of Arbury Farm.
20th February 2006	Postcard of Oldbury Hall added to 'Other Local Halls' section.
18th January 2006	Weddington Castle has now been recognised by English Heritage and an entry added on their Pastscape web site. This also contains an updated entry for Weddington Village and cites www.weddingtoncastle.co.uk as its source. To read the Castle's entry click here.
12th January 2006	Postcard of Riversley Park Museum and War Memorial added to 'Picture Gallery' section.
6th January 2006	Postcard of Riversley Park in the 1950s added to 'Picture Gallery' section. 'Other Halls & Castles' section moved from Picture Gallery to Main Menu.
30th December 2005	New photographs added to 'Picture Gallery' section. These include new images of Sandon Park, Cleaver Walk & Gardens, Castle Road and the site of the Castle Icehouse. New layout added to 'Picture Gallery' section. Weddington Village split into 2 sections and section added for Riversley Park images.
23rd December 2005	Rare colour print of Weddington Castle added to 'Picture Gallery'. This lithograph is by an unknown artist and dated 1840.
22nd December 2005	100MB extra webspace added to Weddington Castle website - this will allow us to continue to expand throughout 2006! "Old Attleborough - An Imaginary Trip", by Peter Lee, added to 'Other Halls and Castles' section. "The Grove" page added to 'Picture Gallery'.
21st December 2005	Additonal interior and exterior photographs of the Fox & Crane added to the 'Picture Gallery'.
18th December 2005	Colour image of Weddington Castle added to the 'Picture Gallery'. Interior and new exterior photographs of the Grove / Fox & Crane added to the 'Picture Gallery'.
15th December 2005	Holding page for 'Weddington Walk' section added (due for completion early 2006). Minor updates added to 'Castle History: 1928 - present day'. New picture of Hereward the Wake added to 'Key People' section.
17th November 2005	New pictures from the archives of local historian Alan Cook added to the 'Picture Gallery' section (The Grove, Grove Cottages, Weddington Village and Weddington Gardens). Pictures of 'Griff House' and 'South Farm' added to 'Other Halls and Castles' section.
16th November 2005	New pictures and updated history for 'Higham Hall' added to 'Other Halls and Castles' section.
14th November 2005	'Castle Plans' section added to website, featuring Robert Lugar's architectural plans of the Castle. Castle floor plans added to 'Picture Gallery'. 'Nuneaton Priory' page added to 'Other Halls and Castle' section. 'St James' Church Archaeological Evaluation 2000' added to 'Appendices' section.
13th November 2005	New pictures added to 'Other Halls and Castles' section (Arbury Hall, Astley Castle, Griff House and Maxstoke Castle). Postcard of Riversley Park added to 'Picture Gallery'.
30th October 2005	Oil painting of Maxstoke Castle added to 'Other Halls and Castles' section.
28th October 2005	'A Short History of Maxstoke Castle' microsite added.
27th October 2005	New pictures added to 'Other Halls and Castles' section (Griff House and Maxstoke Castle). Postcards of St James' Church and Riversley Park added to 'Picture Gallery'.
23rd October 2005	"Weddington Castle - a history" is now available to buy on a CD-ROM. Click here for details.
22nd October 2005	New pictures added to 'Other Halls and Castles' section (Attleborough Hall, Arbury Hall, Caldecote Hall and Griff House). Colour postcard of Weddington Road in 1900s added to 'Picture Gallery'.
9th October 2005	New pictures added to 'Other Halls and Castles' section (Astley Castle, South Farm and Arbury Hall). New picture of St James' Church added to 'Picture Gallery'. Scan of the signature of Henry Dewes of Weddington Castle added to 'Picture Gallery'.
7th October 2005	English Heritage have contacted Weddington Castle to inform us that they shall be updating their online database records Weddington, St James Church and the Castle in the next couple of months. This update will be based upon the information and research contained within this site. A link to the English Heritage site will be added as soon as the update is completed.
1st October 2005	Link to www.ecastles.co.uk added to 'Links' section.
25th September 2005	The official Caldecote Hall website (www.caldecotehall.co.uk) now features a 360° 'virtual tour' of the Hall and grounds.
3rd September 2005	Additional historical text added to 'Oldbury Castle' in 'Other Halls and Castles' section.
1st September 2005	New pictures added to 'Other Halls and Castles' section (Caldecote, Griff House, Camp Hill Hall and Arbury Hall). Cover of 1644 sermon added to 'Richard Vines' history.
12th August 2005	Scan of original entry of Weddington/'Watitune' in Domesday Book, along with modern English transcript, added to 'Castle History' section.
11th August 2005	Will of Humphrey Aderley, 1598, added to Appendices section.
10th August 2005	New photographs and updated historical text added to 'Other Halls & Castles' section. Various typographical and grammatical errors corrected.
8th August 2005	Caldecote Hall microsite added.
1st August 2005	Weddington Castle makes the press! www.weddingtoncastle.co.uk is featured in small article in "Heartland Evening News", Nuneaton's local paper. Click here to read the article.
2nd July 2005	'Updates' section added.
1st July 2005	Scans of Castle Owners' wills added to 'Appendices' section.
3rd June 2005	Hosting changed to LCN.
16th May 2005	New Castle postcard image added to 'Picture Gallery'.
9th April 2005	Link added to Caldecote Hall website.
5th March 2005	'Parts of a Manor House' website added to 'Appendices'.
17th March 2005	'Other Halls and Castles' section added to 'Picture Gallery'.
15th March 2005	BTDesign Award awarded to www.weddingtoncastle.co.uk.
3rd January 2005	www.weddingtoncastle.co.uk launched.