Warwickshire Map by C & J Greenwood - Framed Print - 16"H x 20"W

Warwickshire Map by C & J Greenwood - Framed Print - 16"H x 20"W

Warwickshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands. The county town is Warwick. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare.

Much of northwestern Warwickshire, was covered by the ancient Forest of Arden which was still the case at the time of the Domesday Book. Thus the names of a number of places in the northwestern part of Warwickshire end with either the Old English "ley" or "leah" meaning a clearing in a forest or latterly the phrase "-in-Arden", such as Henley-in-Arden, Hampton-in-Arden and Tanworth-in-Arden.

The first recorded use of the name Warwickshire, named after Warwick (meaning "dwellings by the weir").

The first few decades following the Roman invasion of Britain in AD 43, Warwickshire  found itself at the frontier of Roman rule. The Watling Street and Fosse Way were constructed, the Fosse Way marking the western frontier of Roman rule in Britain for several decades. The area was heavily fortified during this period and several military settlements were founded to defend the roads. Ryknild Street was constructed across Warwickshire and a fort was established in what is now Birmingham.

Following the revolt in AD60/1 of the Iceni under their Queen Boudica, after burning Colchester and London, Boudica followed Suetonius up Watling Street as he headed for his supply bases and lines of communication near to the milItary frontier.

After the Romans left Britain, Warwickshire became part of the kingdom of Mercia. Following the decline of the Mercian kingdom, large parts of Mercia to the east of Warwickshire were ceded in 878 to Viking invaders by King Alfred's Treaty of Wedmore with the Danish leader Guthrum. Watling Street, became the boundary between the Danelaw and Mercia.

Warwickshire (Mercia) needed to establish defences against the threat of Danish invasion. Between, 911 and 918 this task was undertaken by the "Lady of the Mercians" Æthelflæd, who was responsible for defences against the Danes at Tamworth Castle  in 914 and the building of the first parts of Warwick Castle in 916. 

The Norman conquest introduced the most active period of castle building resulting in the building of much of Warwick Castle and the castles at Kenilworth, Maxstoke, Tamworth, Anesley, Aston Cantlow, Baginton, Beaudesert, Bickenhill, Birmingham, Brandon, Brinklow, Caludon, Castle Bromwich, Coleshill, Fillongley, Fulbrooke, Hartshill, Rugby and Studley.

The Gunpowder Plot was a Warwickshire conspiracy.  Robert Catesby, and John Grant was of Warwickshire. Other conspirators who rented houses in the neighbourhood include, Ambrose Rokewood, Everard Digby, John and Cristopher Wright, Thomas Percy, Hernry Ferrers and Anne Vaux

During the Civil War in the 17th century the county was generally on the Parliamentarian side, the Battle of Edgehill was fought in Warwickshire.