Leek Wootton

Leek Wootton is a village in Warwickshire, England, roughly one mile from Kenilworth and two miles from Warwick. It lies in the triangle created by Kenilworth, Warwick and Leamington Spa.

The civil parish of Leek Wootton and Guy's Cliffe, including the hamlets of Hill Wootton, Chesford, Goodrest, North and Middle Woodloes, has a population of approximately 1,100. The parish church is All Saints'. All Saints' is an Anglican church centred in the middle of the village. The current vicar of the church is Rev. Jim Perryman. The village is adjacent to the A46 dual-carriageway trunk road. The nearest railway station is Warwick town with Warwick Parkway further away. The nearest airport is Birmingham Airport (11.8 miles).

The War Memorial Recreation Ground is to the north-west of the village and is home to The Village Hall and Leek Wootton Sports Club. "The Rec" as it is known locally is also home to a children's playground. The Leek Wootton Sports Club has formed a recreational cricket team with local members and members from neighbouring villages. Every year there is a fair at the Village hall consisting of competitions from miniature gardens to digital art, also there is locally made items sold such as jams and cakes.

There are numerous public footpaths and walks in the village, including the Tink-a-Tank, several across the golf courses, a woodland walk between the Coventry Road (B4115), which crosses the A46 and comes out at the north end of the village on the Warwick Road, and a small area of woodland to the north west of the village (accessed from Waller Close and the recreation ground).

To the north of Leek Wootton is the Cattle Brook and just north of Hill Wootton this meets the much larger River Avon, which forms the south-eastern boundary of the Parish.

The monument Gaveston's Cross is located on a site south of Leek Wootton. It marks the point where Piers Gaveston, 1st Earl of Cornwall was murdered. In 1308 Edward II travelled to Boulogne to marry Isabella, leaving Piers Gaveston, a Gascon knight to act as regent. Resentment against Edward's rule and Gaveston's position of power grew, some barons began to insist Gaveston be banished. Edward could do little to prevent Gaveston being captured in 1312 under the orders of the Earl of Lancaster and his allies. He was captured first by the Earl of Warwick, whom he was seen to have offended, and handed over to two Welshmen. They took him to Blacklow Hill and murdered him; one ran him through the heart with his sword and the other beheaded him.

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