WARWICK, the county town of Warwickshire, a market-town, municipal and parliamentary borough, and the seat of a Poor-Law Union, is situated chiefly on tho right bank of the river Avon, in 52° 17' N. lat., 1° 33' W. long., distant 90 miles from London by road, and 105 miles by the London and North-Western railway. The population of the borough in 1851 was 10,973. The borough is governed by 6 aldermen and 18 councillors, of whom one is mayor ; and returns two members to the Imperial Parliament. The living ie a vicarage in the arclideacom7 and diocese of Worcester. Warwick Poor-Law Union contains 34 parishes and townships, with an area of 66,639 acres, aud a population in 1851 of 41,934.
Warwick is a place of considerable antiquity. It was ruined in the early wars of the Danes, and restored by the Lady Ethelfieda, daughter of Alfred the Great, and governor of Mercia, who built a fort here in 913. In the time of Philip and Mary the town received its first regular charter of incorporation.
The principal part of the town is separated from the Avon by 'Warwick Castle and the castle grounds. Its site is a solid rock, in which the cellars are excavated. Above the castle the Avon ie crossed by a stone bridge of one arch 100 feet in span. The streets are spacious, well paved, lighted with gas, and in general lined with modern well-built houses. The castle is one of the finest specimens of the ancient residences of our feudal nobles in the kingdom. One of the towers in the castle, known as Cmsar's Tower, which is 147 feet high, is the moat ancient part of the whole building, and is of uncertain date; another, known as Guy's Tower, 129 feet high, is of the latter part of the 14th century and is of decorated English character. The length of the entire suite of apartments is 333 feet. The great hall of the castle, a noble room, 62 by 37 feet, retains, in its appearance and furniture, much of its ancient character. The other apartments contain a number of portraits and other paintings by the old masters, and a valuable collection of ancient and modern armour. The grounds
are extensive and beautiful, and one of the greenhouses contains the capacious and beautiful ancient vase brought to England by the late Earl of Warwick, known as the 'Warwick Vase.' St. Mary's church is a cruciform edifice, of which the choir and its adjuncts, especially the chapel of St. Mary, usually termed Beauchamp Chapel, are ancient ; the nave and transept are modern, and are of barbarous architecture, with a mixture of different styles. The chancel is a beautiful speci men of perpendicular architecture, and the east front is remarkably fine. The tower, which is 130 feet high, is surmounted at the angles with lofty pinnacles. In the centre of the chapel is a very rich altar tomb, with the figure, in latten, of Richard Beauchamp, Earl of War wick, who died in 1439. St.-Nicholas's church is a small modern building. There aro places of worship for Wesleyan Methodists, Independents, Baptists, Quakers, Roman Catholics, and Unitarians. There are the King's school, founded by Henry V IIL, National, British, and Infant schools; an Industrial school for girls ; an Endowed school for boys and girls; a savings bank, and a dispensary. The public buildings include a spacious and handsome county-hall ; a neat court house; a large modern jail ; a county house of correction ; a town hall ; and a substantial market-house. ' Leicester Hospital,' or alms house, is fur a master and 20 brethren, impotent or infirm men. An ancient place of worship, called St. Peter's church, over the east gate of the town, is used as a free-school. Ou the west side of the town is a race-COU An extensive hat manufactory and some large flour-mills afford considerable employment. There are malt-houses, rope-walks, and lime-, timber-, and coal-wharfs on the bank of the Warwick and Napton CanaL Tho market is held on Saturday. There are 12 yearly fairs, some of which are considerable cattle-fairs. The assizes and quarter sessions for the county, quarter sessions for the borough, and a county court, are held at Warwick.