Population 1,304 (2011) Civil parish Clifton-upon-Dunsmore Country England Shire county Warwickshire District Borough of Rugby UK parliament constituency Rugby and Kenilworth | OS grid reference SP529764 Region West Midlands Sovereign state United Kingdom Local time Tuesday 6:28 AM Dialling code 01788 | |
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Weather 2°C, Wind W at 13 km/h, 97% Humidity | ||
Clifton-upon-Dunsmore is a village and civil parish in the Rugby borough of Warwickshire in England. The population taken at the 2011 census was 1,304.
Contents
Map of Clifton upon Dunsmore, Rugby, UK
Location
Clifton bears the distinction of being the most easterly village in Warwickshire (and of the entire West Midlands region). It is located roughly two miles east of Rugby. The village is located upon a hill, and the Oxford Canal runs past at the foot of the hill. To the north of the village is the River Avon.
Three-quarters of a mile east of Clifton is Dow Bridge - the point at which the A5 road (Watling Street) crosses over the River Avon, and the counties of Warwickshire, Northamptonshire and Leicestershire meet. Clifton once had a railway station on the former Rugby to Market Harborough railway line, which opened in 1864. The station was closed in 1953, and the line in 1966.
History
The village has its origins in pre-Roman times as an agricultural settlement. Roman remains have been found in the parish, unsurprising given its proximity to Tripontium. Clifton is recorded in the Domesday Book as possessing a church dedicated to St. Mary. That church no longer exists, though the present one (of the same name) dates back to the 13th century.
The village was once home to Rugby Racecourse, which is still used annually for point-to-point races. The National Hunt Cup, now part of the Cheltenham Festival, was held nearby in 1862
Commerce
In the centre of the village are a number of small shops, a post office, St Mary's Church, the registers for which date back to 1594, and the Bull Inn public house. The latter building was originally a farmhouse, and according to a plaque on the entrance it was built in 1598 and became a public house in 1825. There were rooms for travellers and stables for their horses, some evidence of which still survives. There was formerly a second public house, the Red Lion, which was converted to cottages and the Townsend Memorial Hall in the late 19th century. The post office is no longer there.
Education
The village also supports a primary school, Clifton-upon-Dunsmore Church Of England Primary School. Secondary-age pupils attend schools in Rugby.