WARWICKSHIRE, an inland county of England, and nearly in the centre of the kingdom. It is bounded on the western side, from north to south, by Staffordshire, Worcestershire, and Gloucestershire; and on the eastern side by Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, and Oxfordshire. Its greatest length, from north to south, is about forty-eight, and its breadth across the middle thirty-two miles. It contains 902 square miles, or 577,280 statute acres. It is divided into four hundreds, besides the city of Coventry, which, with its liberties, extends over about 18,000 acres. These hundreds are subdivided into eighteen portions, for convenience in the execution of the laws.
By the census of 1821, it appeared that the number of inhabited houses was 55,082, occupied by 60,123 families: of these 16,779 were chiefly employed in agriculture; 39,189 in trade, manufactures, or handicraft; and 4155 were comprised in neither of those classes. The whole number of persons was 274,392; of whom 133,827 were males, and 140,565 females. The increase of population between the years 1811 and 1821 appears to be about 20 per cent.
Although Warwickshire is an elevated district, it is in general level; the rivers are of languid course, and the undulations of the surface are rare and gentle. It is generally inclosed, and the fields are of moderate extent. The fences are for the most part high and umbrageous, being thickly planted with forest trees, so that, though woods are rare, the face of the country seems, at a distance, to be one continued track of woodland. There are but few common fields, and very little waste or barren land. The extent of pasture land is greater than in most parts of England, and is estimated to be more than half of the whole. The pasture land, calculated at 300,000 acres, may be said wholly to be appropriated to the sustenance of the different species of animals. 100,000 acres are annually mowed for hay, and the other two-thirds are used for feeding. The agriculture of the county is well conducted. The cultivation of turnips is practised to a great extent, with much skill, and with very productive effects. The crops of wheat, barley, oats, pease, beans, and tares, are
quite as luxuriant as in any portion of England. The cows are generally of the long-horned kind, but there are amongst them many varieties. The ancient race of Warwickshire sheep has been crossed with the Leicester breed, and this mixture has produced a kind adapted to the land, and equal to any race in the kingdom.
The streams of this county are numerous, but Rivers and with the exception of the Avon, are inconsiderable; Canals. though, by the means of irrigation which they furnish, they are of great value to its rural economy. The whole of them run directly or indirectly to the Severn. The Avon alone is navigable for barges from Stratford to its junction with that river near Tewkesbury. The intercourse of the county is much facilitated by the numerous canals that intersect and connect it with every part of England; supply every part with cheap fuel; and serve to convey its heavy productions to the exporting towns, London, Liverpool, and Bristol. These canals are the Birmingham Old Canal, the Birmingham and Fazeley, the Warwick and Birmingham, the Worcester and Birmingham, the Coventry, the Warwick and Napton, the Stratford, the Ashby de la Zouch, and, above all, the Grand Junction.
The minerals and fossils of this county are coal, Minerals iron, limestone, and freestone. At Leamington and Mineral Springs. Priors are mineral springs, whose celebrity have made that place one of the resorts of fashionable company as well as invalids. The waters contain neutral and sulphureous salts, with carbonate of iron. At Newham Regis is a chalybeate bath, whose renown was formerly much greater than it is at present.
This county possesses considerable manufactories; Manufactures. of these, the greatest are those in metals of all kinds, tures. conducted upon a stupendous scale at Birmingham, and the towns and villages in its vicinity. The minute divisions and subdivisions of labour, the various mechanical inventions, the discoveries in chemistry, and the industrious and economical habits of the people, have rendered this part of the country the principal reservoir from whence the world is supplied with domestic utensils, ornaments, and a thousand minute articles which add much to the comfort of civilized life.
The city of Coventry has long been celebrated for its manufactures of ribbons, and other goods of silk, which now give occupation, in that place and its vicinity, to more than 15,000 persons. There are also at Coventry large undertakings for making watches; a trade that has of late been much extended. Mills for spinning cotton and wool have been erected at Warwick, and to them is attributed a great increase, which has lately taken place in the population of that town. At Tamworth, very large works are constructed for printing calicoes. At Alcester, several hundred persons are employed in making needles. In several parts of the county much linen yarn is spun.
The most remarkable objects in the county are Kenilworth Castle, now in a dilapidated state; Max-stoke Castle, a most extensive pile; Comb Abbey, a Cistercian Convent; the school-house at Rugby; and the house at Stratford in which Shakespeare was born.
The titles derived from this county are,—Earls of Coventry and Warwick, and Baron Arden. Two members are returned to Parliament for the county, and two each for Coventry and Warwick. Two are also returned for Tamworth, a part only of which borough is in this county.
The largest places and their population are as follows:—Birmingham, 106,722; Coventry, 29,380; Warwick, 8235; Nuneaton, 6610; Sutton Cold-field, 3466; Atherstone, 3434; and Stratford, 3069.
The most remarkable, among a great number of noblemen and gentlemen's seats, are Warwick Castle, Earl of Warwick; Ragley Hall, Marquis of Hertford; Walton Hall, Sir C. Mordaunt; Compton Verney, Lord Willoughby; Guys Cliff, B. Great-head; Great Packington, Lord Aylesford; Compton Wyngate, Marquis of Northampton; Astley Castle; Newdigate; Hewill Grange, Earl of Plymouth; and Merevale, D. S. Dugdale.
See Dugdale's Antiquities of Warwickshire; Marshall's Rural Economy; Hutton's History of Birmingham; Beauties of England and Wales. (w. w.)