Dunchurch

Dunchurch is a historic village on the outskirts of Rugby in Warwickshire, England, with a population of about 2,500.

The village has been declared a conservation area because it has many buildings of historical interest. Some of the buildings date from as far back as the 15th century and still have traditional thatch roofs.

For centuries Dunchurch was an important stopping place on the coaching road between London and Holyhead (now the A45 road). At one point 40 stagecoaches every day would stop at Dunchurch. Many inns and hotels were built in Dunchurch to accommodate these visitors, and many of the inns can still be seen today.

Many famous people throughout history stayed at Dunchurch. Most notably in 1605 the Gunpowder Plotters stayed at the Red Lion Inn (now a private residence called 'Guy Fawkes House') in Dunchurch awaiting news of Guy Fawkes's success at blowing up the Houses of Parliament. Other famous people having stayed there include a young Queen Victoria (before she became Queen) and the Duke of Wellington.

The earliest historical reference to Dunchurch was in the Domesday Book in the 11th century which mentioned a settlement called Doncerce. Dunchurch was for many centuries more important than neighboring Rugby, however with the coming of the railways (to Rugby) and the decline of the coaching trade, Rugby grew into a large town and eclipsed Dunchurch.

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