Newbold Comyn

The first mention of Newbold Comyn in history was in the Domesday Book of 1086, which lists one of Leamington's two mills as being situated there. The name Comyn is derived from the Norman Comyn family who owned the land between 1160 and 1200. In 1539 Richard Willes and William Morcote jointly purchased the land that was now a farm. When Richard Willes died in 1564 his son inherited the whole estate as Richard had married Morcote's daughter. At the end of the 18th century the Revd. Edward Willes built a new house on the estate in addition to the existing farm house. The Revd. Edward Willes died in 1820, and his son, also Edward, began to sell parts of the estate for building in 1823 as Leamington grew into a spa town. In all the Willes family held Newbold Comyn for over 400 years, until they sold most of the remaining estate to Leamington Corporation after the end of the Second World War. The Willes family moved to Honington in South Warwickshire, and sold the mansion house to a subsidiary of AC Lloyd in 1964. The main house, which stood where now the junction of Newbold Terrace East and Fernhill Drive is, was demolished in 1965, leaving only the farm and outbuildings. During the Second World War the Luftwaffe dumped two bombs on the park whilst returning to base from Coventry. The craters can still be seen. The Corporation laid out the leisure park in the 1970s and the land usage has remained the same ever since although it is now run by Warwick District Council. There used to be an old steam engine on which young people could climb and play, but this had to be removed due to health and safety regulations.

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