Rugby's birthplace

On a business visit to Rugby, a small town in England, I had not even the slightest idea that I could see a rich variety of history and scenery that was presented in the region. The visit in fact turned out to be very enjoyable, rewarding and memorable.
Rugby, a town of Warwickshire county in the centre of the Midlands - better known as the Heart of England - enjoys world-wide fame for the game of football that originated from here and acquired the name after the town.
It is also famous for its most exclusive and high standard public schools. Historically, Rugby dates back to about 500 BC or even earlier, rising from an iron-age settlement to a market town, and emerging now as an industrial and commercial town having an important communication network.
The landscape of Rugby reflects vast plains, sloping fields, lush green pastures, winding country lanes and splendid waterways. Nearby are the charming towns of Warwick and Stratford-upon-Avon and so many other interesting places like the most famous university in English-speaking world, in Oxford, the most magnificent castle of England, now in ruins, in Kenilwork, and well-known mineral springs in Royal Leamington Spa.
Warwick, one of the most popular tourist destinations in England, relives part of historical and royal connections over a millennium year, as reflected in its ancient buildings, notably the castle that dominates the town.
Warwick Castle stands majestically atop the hill, recapitulating the glory of an empire upon which the sun never set. It is the finest mediaeval castle in England; well preserved and well publicised.
Originally an earthen rampart or defensive wall, it was founded in the year 914 by the daughter of King Alfred the Great to protect the town from the Danish invaders.
It was King William I of England (William the Conqueror) who established it, in 1086, as a wooden mote and bailey fortress. Evolved through the centuries, it has grown into a large castle as stone replaced wood and most of its buildings were reinforced or restructured. The castle in its present-day condition thus dates from the middle of the 14th century.
Pathway leads to the main entrance that is gatehouse and barbican, the outer defence to castle. Various towers, which are connected by massive walls, are mainstays of the castle's defence system. On the right to the gatehouse is located the main tower namely Guy's tower.
This 12-sided tower has five levels or storeys, the first four of which are vaulted chambers whereas the fifth is the guardroom. The tower is named after the Guy of Warwick, a legendary Anglo-Saxon mystic warrior to whom there is a reference in Geoffrey Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales". Spiralling narrow staircase takes to the top of the tower at a height of 39-metre, which offers panoramic view of the town and countryside.
Archers used curtain walls leading to Guy's tower to target the enemies below. On passing through the Guy's tower, in anti-clockwise direction, are the adjacent Bear and Clarence towers, shadowed by the Ghost tower.
Legend has it that the ghost of Sir Fulke Greville still haunts the tower where once he lived.
The Earl, who is known for transforming the semi-derelict castle into a stately residence during his times, was stabbed by one of his servants. Walking onwards, the next section of the castle begins, which consists of the Chapel, Great Hall and Staterooms or royal apartments. A wide range of arms and armour is displayed in the Great Hall that was once considered the heart of the castle.
On the extreme left corner to the gatehouse is Caesar's tower, 45 metre high above the river, which is a masterpiece of the 14th century military architecture. A three-storey structure of irregular shape, it is topped by a platform with a projecting parapet.
Steps inside the castle below Caesar's tower lead to the dungeon and the torture chambers displaying several instruments of torture, the inner ring of the castle coming full circle. The caretakers aptly named torture chambers that remain an integral part of any castle as the Death or Glory section of the Warwick castle.
The castle is surrounded by courtyards and gardens, such as Victorian rose garden and Peacock garden. Some of the trees in the castle are centuries old. The castle is of great archaeological, historical and cultural interest.
Many of the rooms in the castle are magnificently maintained in their original condition. A few of the rooms are decorated with large paintings that are the works of the artists of different periods. It provides a fascinating insight into the British history since the declaration of the first Earl of Warwick.
It was of great interest to know that the residents of Warwick were innovative and aware of waterpower that was used 600 years ago to grind grains. The enterprising royal family later installed electricity generating equipment and utilised waterpower, almost a century ago, to generate electricity for lighting and household of the castle.
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE'S BIRTHPLACE:
Stratford-upon-Avon, another market town dating back to medieval times, is located at a distance of 11 kilometres from Warwick, on the right bank of River Avon. The claim to fame of this town is the birthplace of William Shakespeare, the acclaimed writer of all times, who was voted as 'Man of the Millennium' through a BBC conducted national poll.
The house where he was born, in the year 1564, is situated in main street of the town lined with old shops and houses. The most famous literary landmark in Britain, his birthplace has been converted into a historic monument comprehensively exhibiting about Shakespeare's life. It is an attractive building with courtyards, flanked by gardens and trees. Eight rooms of the house hold some 400 treasures including documents, portraits, pictures and old coins.
There are various historic properties in the town and surrounding areas associated with Shakespeare and his family that are visited by hundreds of thousands every year. These include Marry Arden's House, home of Shakespeare's mother, Anne Hathaway's Cottage, pre-marital home of his wife, Hall's Croft, home of Shakespeare's daughter, and New Place or Nash's House, his final retirement home.
The Shakespearean history and connections mark the town, located in the environs of rural calm. Old Grammar School where Shakespeare was educated and where foundation for his great work was laid, is now part of King Edward VI Grammar School. Practically every establishment in the town is named after the renowned poet and playwright; the Shakespeare Book Shop located directly opposite the birthplace, Shakespeare Hotel, Shakespeare School, Shakespeare Library and all that.
The red-bricked Shakespeare Memorial Theatre, a largely attended theatre, also houses a picture gallery, museum and library. His plays are regularly staged here drawing huge crowds from all over the world, particularly during his birthday celebrations that are held, in a festive manner, every year, on 23rd April (that incidentally is also the date Shakespeare died).
In later days Shakespeare retired from writing and returned to Stratford-upon-Avon, where he spent the last six years of his life until the year 1616. He is buried in the Holy Trinity Church, a beautiful structure mainly built of Warwick stone, having stained glass windows. Gower Memorial, cast in bronze, was erected in 1888 in honour of this most celebrated personality of the literature world.