Warwickshire
A ceremonial county in the West Midlands of England, known for its rural landscapes and historic towns.
According to the 2021 census, the largest towns include Nuneaton (88,815), Rugby (78,120), and Leamington Spa (51,310).[1] Warwickshire's area is 1,975 km², and its north-to-south length is about 56 miles, making it a county of average size for England.[2]
Quick Facts
- Region
- West Midlands
- Founded
- Ancient
- Lord lieutenant office
- Lord Lieutenant of Warwickshire
- Lord lieutenant name
- Timothy Cox
- High sheriff office
- High Sheriff of Warwickshire
- Area (km²)
- 1975
- Area total rank
- 31st
- Ethnicity
- 92.8% White
- 4.6% Asian
- 1.5% Mixed
- 0.8% Black
- 0.4% Other
Facts from the source article.
Geography and history
Much of western Warwickshire was once covered by the ancient Forest of Arden.[3] The south of the county is largely rural and sparsely populated, with Shipston-on-Stour as its only town.[4] Leicestershire lies to the northeast of Warwickshire, Staffordshire to the northwest, and Worcestershire and the West Midlands to the west.[2] The Derbyshire border is only 3 miles from the northernmost point of the county.[2]
Although the West Midlands County Council was abolished in 1986, the West Midlands county name continues to be used for ceremonial purposes.[5] A flag for the historic county, which displays a bear and ragged staff on a red background, was officially registered in October 2016.[6]
What the cited sources add
The Avon Navigation Trust states that the River Avon forms part of a navigable ‘ring’ including the Worcester and Birmingham Canal.[7] A 2019 Stratford-upon-Avon Herald article reports that district council members agreed to no further work on the Avon navigation scheme beyond footpath improvements.[8] Warwickshire County Council’s 11+ test guidance explains that eligibility is based solely on a child's date of birth, not residence.[9] The same guidance notes the test is a shared test between Warwickshire, Birmingham, Walsall, Wolverhampton, and Shropshire grammar schools.[9]
A BBC News article from July 2026 states that elections for the new unitary councils are due in 2027, with full control in 2028.[10] The BBC article also notes that the new authorities will take over services currently delivered by Warwickshire County Council, such as education, transport, and libraries.[10]
References
- Wikipedia, "Warwickshire" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Towns and cities, characteristics of built-up areas, England and Wales: Census 2021 – Office for National Statistics", www.ons.gov.uk (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Warwickshire" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Warwickshire county, England, United Kingdom", Encyclopedia Britannica (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Warwickshire" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Where was Shakespeare's Forest of Arden?", National Trust (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Warwickshire" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Proceedings of the Cotteswold Naturalists' Field Club, v.14, (1903), p.217 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Warwickshire" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Warwickshire County Cricket Club", Our Warwickshire (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Warwickshire" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "UK Flag Registry- Warwickshire", Flag Institute, 2016; "British County Flags – Warwickshire", British County Flags, 2016 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- "Avon Navigation Trust". facts only, no text reused. avonnavigationtrust.org
- "Avon Navigation Scheme fails to win district council support", Stratford-upon-Avon Herald, 11 February 2019. facts only, no text reused. stratford-herald.com
- Tuckwell, "About the 11+ test", Warwickshire County Council. facts only, no text reused. warwickshire.gov.uk
- "Two-council plan for Warwickshire gets government go-ahead", BBC News, 2026-07-16. facts only, no text reused. bbc.co.uk
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Warwickshire (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
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