A taste of local life
Getting around
Warwick Gates is just off the A452 to Leamington Spa, less than three miles away. Junction 14 of the M40 is four miles away, linking the area with the M42 and Birmingham to the north and Banbury, Oxford and London to the south. Southbound Junction 14 is about three miles away and northbound Junction 13, just over two miles away The A46 Warwick by-pass leads to Coventry, the M6 and the East Midlands, and to the M5 in the west. Trains from Warwick Railway Station, two miles away, run to London Marylebone (reached in about 90 minutes), Birmingham and Stratford-upon-Avon. For air travel Birmingham airport is 20 miles away.
A trip to the shops
Warwick has an array of independent shops, several antique centres and hosts regular outdoor markets. For supermarket shopping there's M&S, Sainsbury's and Tesco. At nearby Leamington Spa there's specialist shops and boutiques as well as major High Street stores and designer brands. Royal Priors Shopping Centre has more than 60 stores including M&S, Cath Kidston and Waterstones and the pedestrianised Regent Court is known for its luxury goods. Leamington Shopping Park has retail giants such as Boots, Argos, Sainsbury's and Debenhams.
Taking time out
Warwick has a wealth of quality attractions and great places to eat and drink. Warwick Castle is billed as one of Britain's greatest medieval experiences, while the racecourse is one of the oldest in the country. At St Nicholas Park Leisure Centre there are swimming, sports and fitness facilities and St Nicholas Park alongside the River Avon offers boating, golf, children's play areas and a bikes, blades and boards' park. Shakespeare's birthplace, Stratford-upon-Avon, is 10 miles away and the National Trust's Charlecote Park is only 8 miles away.
Education
Primary schools in the Heathcote area include St Joseph's Catholic Primary, Briar Hill Infant School and Kingsway Community Priory, all within two miles of Warwick Gates. For senior students there's Aylesford School and Sixth Form College just outside Warwick, and at Leamington Spa the Campion School and Sixth Form and Trinity Catholic School, also a mixed secondary school with a sixth form. King's High School is an independent day school for girls aged 11 - 18 and Warwick School is one of the oldest boys' schools in the country, and a leading independent for boys aged 7 - 18. For further education the Warwick Trident College and Royal Leamington Spa College are part of the Warwickshire College Group.
