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 | Towns of Warwickshire - Southam |
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Southam is a small historic coaching and market town situated in the heart of rural Warwickshire close to the old Roman road, the Fosse Way.
It is the home of Warwickshire Polo with the superb Dallas Burston Polo Grounds just on the edge of town.
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Places of interest
The town is first mentioned at the end of the tenth century, although there were probably earlier Anglo Saxon and Roman settlements. It was a stopping place on the route of the Welsh Drovers and later coaching routes to London. Today the town retains many interesting historical buildings and has been designated as a conservation area.
In medieval times, Southam minted its own local currency as the local people found ordinary coins too high in value for everyday use. Charles I is said to also have minted coins here for his troops after the battle of Edgehill in 1642. The Old Mint 14th century stone building still stands and is now a popular pub.
The water that flowed from the ancient Holy Well was said to have healing properties, with the well considered to be of such importance to the people of the town that it was excluded from the Enclosure Act of 1761.
There is also an accessible trail leading to the historic Holy Well in the outstanding beauty of the Stowe valley. The path starts at the end of Wattons Lane (bottom corner of the Recreation Ground by the bridge and runs parallel to the Stowe river).
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