A WINTER’S TALE IN Warwickshire
WARWICKSHIRE WAS THE county of my birth. While I may proudly claim Yorkshire citizenship, having spent my formative years there, I lived near Leamington Spa until I was seven years old.
I have many vivid memories of long, hot 1970s summers, playing outdoors or visiting Warwick and Leamington. There was no need to go much further. My wonderful world was a circle, radius four miles.
So 40-odd years on, it felt like a good time to head back there. I hitched up the caravan, booked a pitch and planned to spend two days exploring the area.
As I drove into the historic county, the first thing that struck me was how green it all is – there are mature deciduous trees absolutely everywhere.
Down by the river
On my first day, I headed into Warwick, a beautiful and ancient town with one of the country’s finest castles at its heart. I parked in the Pay & Display at St Nicholas Park (CV34 4QY, maximum charge £4.50 for the day). There’s a 2.1m height barrier here.
St Nicholas Park is a perfectly manicured expanse of lawns, dissected by paths and dotted with trees and formal flowerbeds. Best of all, it sits right beside the sedately flowing River Avon, and is the perfect place to base yourself for a relaxed spring or summer visit.
