On your doorstep: Amanda Chalmers shines the spotlight on Leamington.
Looking for ideas for a weekend getaway? There are some great short breaks that don’t involve a long journey: and what’s more, you’ll be doing your bit to support local businesses. So ditch the Sat Nav and take a look at some close-to-home destinations you may previously have just driven through or visited for the day.
Our latest suggestion is the delightful regency town of Leamington Spa in Warwickshire, just half an hour’s drive from Solihull…
Often described as ‘the best bits of London within a ten-minute walk,’ stunning architecture and beautiful parks create the backdrop to this much-loved and sophisticated spa town.
Eat & Drink
Leamington Spa’s food scene is a culinary delight, with a wide range of restaurants, cafes, and pubs. For a delightful cream tea experience with a difference, head to Le Keux. This vintage-inspired salon and tearoom offers a nostalgic ambience: great for makeovers, photo shoots and hen parties.
The Enchanted Tea Room meanwhile provides tailored children’s entertainment for parties and events as well as adult live-entertainment cocktail parties. It also includes a beautiful Enchanted Forest venue and Princess Pamper room for the ultimate fairytale tea party and ticketed events.
Promenade amongst the immaculate Victorian Jephson Gardens with its subtropical glasshouse, boating lake and sensory garden; stroll across to the Green Flag-awarded Mill Gardens; or enjoy sporting activities at Newbold Comyn. And with Bowls England HQ located at Victoria Park, you might even fancy giving flat-green bowling a go.
For a more chilled vibe, one of the town’s newest establishments is creating an all-day buzz. 44 Café Bar & Bistro in Clarendon Street has curated a menu to complement the Windmill Hill ales brewed by its owners just a mile down the road. As well as a tempting selection of Small Plates, visitors can also enjoy freshly-cooked pizzas, burgers, bar snacks and crowd-pleasing desserts. And as of last month, they’ve added a series of live music and comedy nights to their menu, whilst their first Drinks Festival weekend, from 17-20 August, involves local distilleries, breweries and wine merchants.
Craft ale fans might want to head slightly away from the town centre to seek out The Old Town Railway Arches in Neilston Street where there are not one but two brewery tours on offer, courtesy of Windmill Hill and BRUBL Beer.
The Arches is also home to the Warwickshire Gin Company. Take a tour of the distillery and learn about the process of creating artisanal gins: you can even participate in tasting sessions to sample their exceptional range of handcrafted tipples.
Leamington is also the home of the nationally-famous Libertine Burger, which started life as a street food van from a pimped-up Renault Master in 2017 and has since gone on to become one of the best-known burger brands in the country. Enjoy their full range of signature beef, chicken and vegan-friendly burgers, along with fries and sides, plus monthly specials and a drinks menu that includes shakes, softs and alcoholic drinks, including the new Libertine Burger beer.
For South American-inspired food, say ‘hola’ to Bodega Cantina: not a one-off but hardly a chain either, with just three branches, all in the Midlands. And just outside town, the Newbold Comyn Arms boasts one of the area’s best pub gardens.
Leamington also has a thriving nightlife scene. Options include The Fizzy Moon Brewhouse & Grill microbrewery – voted the best bar in Warwickshire four years running and host to live music every Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Or check out Clink Cellar Bar, a subterranean oasis, perfect for pre-club cocktails, spirited celebrations and late-night parties.
Sleep
The epitome of a quintessential English country house hotel, Mallory Court Country House Hotel and Spa is the perfect choice for some pampering, with its 3 AA Rosette restaurant and the county’s newest luxury spa. A couple of miles out of town, tucked among the trees in Mallory’s glorious 10 acres of lush grounds, you’ll definitely discover a peaceful retreat in which to successfully destress.
For a town centre stay, the Jephson Hotel is centrally located so you can enjoy all the sights and attractions of Leamington within a short stroll.
Things To Do
As well as a plethora of shopping options, from designer brands in The Royal Priors arcade to the renowned butcher and deli Aubrey Allen (where foodies can also book a place at their butchery school), Leamington loves to celebrate its abundance of local creative talent, not least through regular festivals and workshops. Highlights of the creative calendar include Art In The Park, the Leamington Food & Drink Festival, and open-air theatre courtesy of Heartbreak Productions.
Art enthusiasts will also get their fix at the Leamington Spa Art Gallery and Museum, which showcases a diverse collection of artworks and historical artefacts. There’s a chance to explore the exhibits that highlight the town’s rich cultural heritage and admire the talent of local artists. Keep an eye out too for the regular events and exhibitions hosted by the museum. The town’s fascinating heritage meanwhile is best enjoyed on one of Leamington History Group’s many themed walks.
For a true Leamington ‘escape’ you can head to one of two escape room locations in the town centre. At Escape Room Adventures in Bedford Street and Escape Leamington in Dormer Place, you’ll be challenged to solve puzzles in specially-themed rooms – the perfect team-building activity for friends, family or work colleagues. Or catch a show at The Royal Spa Centre, which maintains a busy and varied year-round events programme, or a movie at the incredibly reasonably-priced Vue Cinema, where you can watch a new release for just £4.99.
So whether you’re seeking a touch of luxury, a top-notch foodie experience, pulsating nightlife, family fun or simply soaking up the sights and scenes of the area, this beautiful spa town has plenty to offer.
• Amanda Chalmers is the former Editor of the Stratford-upon-Avon Herald, and now runs her own PR company chalmersnewspr.co.uk
PHOTOS: James Baldwin/Unsplash, BID Leamington