Blackdown

Settlement in Warwickshire Warwick

England

Blackdown

Space Invader mosaic, Arlington Avenue, Leamington Spa This small mosaic, of 70 tiles, depicts an alien of the pixelated Space Invader type, familiar from the Japanese video game of that name from 1978. It is set into the white painted stucco of a wall outside a large Regency town house. One tile, near the top right, is translucent, suggesting a moon in the night sky. On Space Invaders, see Matt Alt, Pure Invention: How Japan&#039;s Pop Culture conquered the World, Constable, 2020. — Space Invader mosaic, Arlington Avenue, Leamington Spa Credit: A J Paxton

Blackdown is a small village located in the county of Warwickshire, England. Situated on the edge of the Cotswolds, it is surrounded by picturesque countryside, offering residents and visitors a tranquil and scenic setting. The village is positioned just a few miles south of the market town of Leamington Spa and is easily accessible by road.

Blackdown is known for its charming and idyllic atmosphere, with traditional stone-built houses and cottages lining its streets. The village is home to a small but close-knit community, with a population of around 500 people. The residents take great pride in maintaining the village's rural character and preserving its heritage.

Although small in size, Blackdown offers a range of amenities for its residents. These include a village hall, a local pub serving traditional British cuisine, and a primary school, providing education for the younger generation. Outdoor enthusiasts can take advantage of the numerous walking and cycling trails that meander through the surrounding countryside, offering breathtaking views and opportunities for wildlife spotting.

Blackdown is also conveniently located for those seeking further amenities and entertainment. The nearby town of Leamington Spa provides a wider range of shops, restaurants, and leisure facilities, ensuring that residents have easy access to all the necessities of modern life.

Overall, Blackdown offers a peaceful and picturesque rural lifestyle, where residents can enjoy the beauty of the English countryside while still being within reach of larger towns and cities.

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Blackdown Images

Images are sourced within 2km of 52.312496/-1.5391006 or Grid Reference SP3168. Thanks to Geograph Open Source API. All images are credited.

Space Invader mosaic, Arlington Avenue, Leamington Spa

This small mosaic, of 70 tiles, depicts an alien of the pixelated Space Invader type, familiar from the Japanese video game of that name from 1978. It is set into the white painted stucco of a wall outside a large Regency town house. One tile, near the top right, is translucent, suggesting a moon in the night sky. On Space Invaders, see Matt Alt, Pure Invention: How Japan's Pop Culture conquered the World, Constable, 2020.

A J Paxton

Victorian villas, Kenilworth Road, Leamington Spa

Unusually for English houses, some of these have shutters which are not merely decorative but actually work; see the house on the left, which had all three upstairs windows facing the road shuttered (only the right hand one is visible).

A J Paxton

Bericote Lane with Nishan Sahib

This view over Bericote Lane, Blackdown, looking towards Bericote Wood, is framed by a pair of saffron-coloured Nishan Sahib flags, the 'exalted ensign' of the Khalsa Panth of initiated Sikhs. They stand outside the entrance to the Baba Ke gurdwara or Sikh temple on the northern outskirts of Leamington Spa, which is unusual in Britain for its rural setting. For more on the Nishan Sahib see the Sikh Museum website here Link

A J Paxton

Field Path from Hill Wootton Road to Wootton Spinnies

The path along the edge of a ploughed field is indicated by a sign of the distinctive design of the Kenilworth Footpath Preservation Group. In the Spinnies, a linear wood by the River Avon, the path divides, one route continuing to Chesford Bridge over the Avon, the other to Leek Wootton village as indicated on the sign.

A J Paxton

Footpath from Hill Wootton village to Wootton Spinnies and Kenilworth Road

The direction of the path is indicated by a signpost of the distinctive design of the Kenilworth Footpaths Preservation Group. Wootton Spinnies by the River Avon can be seen on the horizon.

A J Paxton

Wall with Virginia creeper, Hill Wootton Road

This well-covered wall, and an unusual mansard roof behind the telegraph pole giving it a rather French appearance, can be seen in Hill Wootton village.

A J Paxton

Path through the maize to Wootton Spinnies

Tall maize plants heavy with cobs frame an oak tree on the edge of Wootton Spinnies, a linear wood which runs along the bank of the River Avon, then continues to the west in a sinuous path towards Leek Wootton village.

A J Paxton

Confluence of the Cattle Brook and the River Avon

The confluence is viewed from a footbridge over the Cattle Brook, a stream which rises on the southern outskirts of Kenilworth and flows eastwards for about two kilometres before flowing into the Avon by Wootton Spinnies.

A J Paxton

Looking across the River Avon towards New Farm, Blackdown

The Warwickshire Avon is here flowing to the south east in a sinuous curve, from left to right in this picture, though its overall course is south westwards towards Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire, where it joins the Severn.

A J Paxton

Entrance to the Ramada Hotel, near Chesford Bridge

The hotel had been designated as an NHS Vaccination Centre for the Covid-19 booster programme. People coming by car were directed to a spacious rear car park, thence to a large but very odd function room. There was a long queue for the shots, which were professionally administered by at least half a dozen vaccinators. The Pfizer vaccine and a flu vaccine were given at the same time (we had had the AstraZeneca vaccine earlier in the year). Anyone attending by bus from the Kenilworth direction had to undertake a hazardous crossing of the A452 to reach the hotel.

Robin Stott

Speed Limit, Sandy Lane, Old Milverton

The car is coming away from Old Milverton, along Sandy Lane towards Blackdown, and has just crossed the bridge over the Leamington-Coventry railway, the parapet of which can be seen behind the car to its right.

A J Paxton

Hill with trig point seen from Sandy Lane, Old Milverton

The trig point, which is 73m above sea level according to the OS map, can be seen on the horizon above the right hand gate.

A J Paxton

Garden of the Ramada Hotel, Chesford Bridge

The lower level is floodplain: the River Avon runs in the shadow of the distant trees. The red car, right, is heading north on the A452 Kenilworth Road. The old bridge is just visible, centre. The view from the queue for the booster.

Robin Stott

Stubble field, northern edge of the Avon valley

Seen from a Coventry-Leamington Spa train. The Avon is to the right. In the distance is the Blackdown area north of Leamington.

Robin Stott

A pond and a ditch in the Avon floodplain north of Leamington

The River Avon runs by the trees on the right. The suburb of Blackdown is in the distance. The view is from a Coventry-Leamington Spa train on a viaduct.

Robin Stott