15 Facts About Southam

Southam is a market town and civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon district of Warwickshire, England.

Southam is situated on the River Stowe, which flows from Napton-on-the-Hill and joins Warwickshire's River Itchen at Stoneythorpe, just outside the town.

Southam was a Royal manor until AD 998, when Ethelred the Unready granted it to Earl Leofwine.

Southam developed at the intersection of several roads: the main road between Coventry and Oxford, the main road from Warwick to Northampton via Daventry, and the ancient drovers' road known as Welsh Road.

Southam later received charters to hold three yearly fairs: Medieval fairs were special markets, held only a few times a year, which attracted buyers and sellers from longer distances than the normal weekly market.

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The Battle of Southam is claimed by locals to have been the first battle of the English Civil Wars.

Southam is part of the area known as Silicon Spa: the area around Leamington Spa which is known for its concentration of companies involved in the video game industry: The computer games company, Codemasters, is based in Southam, and was founded by two locals.

Southam has become a commuter town due to its road links and location.

Principal local authorities administering Southam are Warwickshire County Council and Stratford-on-Avon District Council, each responsible for different aspects of local government.

Southam was the seat of the Southam Rural District from 1894 until 1974, when under the Local Government Act 1972 it was made part of Stratford-on-Avon District.

Southam was in the parliamentary constituency of Stratford-on-Avon until the boundary changes approved by Parliament in June 2007 when it became part of the new constituency of Kenilworth and Southam.

Southam United F C is the town's association football club, and Southam has a bowling club, a cricket club and the six pitch Dallas Burston Polo Club which includes conference and events facilities and the Millstone Hare pub and restaurant.

Southam is home to 2028 Squadron Air Training Corps, a Royal Air Force-sponsored youth organisation for 13- to 20-year-olds.

Southam is between Leamington Spa and Daventry on the A425 road and between Coventry and Banbury on the A423 road.

About 8 miles south of Southam is the M40 motorway, though the town is surprisingly not indicated.