Ancient Origins and Archaeological Significance
Baginton has a remarkable history spanning over two millennia, with evidence of continuous human habitation from prehistoric times through to the present day. Archaeological excavations have revealed that the area was populated since at least the Iron Age, with significant discoveries demonstrating the village’s strategic importance throughout different periods.
The most dramatic recent archaeological discovery occurred in December 2019 when researchers led by Nigel Page unearthed Roman and Anglo-Saxon artifacts from burial grounds. The team identified what they believed to be graves belonging to a high-status Roman officer and a Roman girl aged 6-12 years old. The burial site of the young girl yielded four brooches, a ring featuring an image of a cicada, and a hair pin.
Earlier excavations revealed evidence of Neolithic settlement dating back approximately 7,000 years, including flint tools and a stake-built structure found on discrete islands in the formerly braided River Avon. Bronze Age activity is evidenced by a ceremonial circular ditched site from which an exceptionally well-executed flint dagger was recovered. A Bronze Age beaker discovered in 1931 near Coventry Road, decorated with incised lines and found with flint implements, provides further evidence of early occupation.
Roman Period and the Lunt Fort
The most significant Roman feature in Baginton is the Lunt Roman Fort, built around AD 60-61 to deal with Boudica’s revolt and its aftermath. Archaeological excavations identified four distinct periods of occupation at this military site. The fort served as a supply depot and headquarters during the final campaign against Boudica, later becoming a training facility for Roman cavalry, complete with a unique circular training ground called a gyrus.
The Roman cremation cemetery contained over 60 burials with offering pots, personal items, and cremation urns, likely associated with the Lunt Roman Fort. These discoveries included numerous complete pots, mirrors, glass bottles, brooches, coins (including one of Vespasian), pins, and copper-bound boxes.
Medieval Development
The Domesday Book of 1086 records Baginton under the name “Badechitone,” listing 15 households and a mill. The entry states that Alwin held 4 hides in Baginton with land for 4 ploughs, 7 villagers and 8 smallholders, plus a mill valued at 10 shillings 8 pence and 27 acres of meadow.
Although the Domesday Book doesn’t mention a church, there is an indirect reference in a grant of land around 1150. The church is first specifically mentioned during Henry II’s reign (1154-1189) as a chapel attached to Stoneleigh church when it was given to Kenilworth Priory. The present St John the Baptist Church was built or reconstructed in the 13th century.
The Three Great Families
The history of Baginton revolves around three prominent families: the Ensors and Herthills, the Bagots, and the Bromleys. In 1285, when Thomas de Edensor died, his lands were divided between his sister Amice and grand nephew Richard de Herthill, with Amice taking Baginton manor. That same year, the first recorded parish priest, Thomas de Dunton, was appointed by the Prior of Kenilworth.
The Bagot Era
Sir William Bagot acquired the site around 1381 and constructed the stone castle in 1397. Bagot was a distinguished courtier to King Richard II and one of his “continual councillors” alongside Sir John Bussy and Sir Henry Green. He appears as a character in Shakespeare’s “Richard II”. When Henry Bolingbroke (later Henry IV) seized the throne in 1399, Bagot escaped to Ireland but was eventually captured and imprisoned for a year. He returned to live quietly at his castle until his death in 1407.
The castle subsequently passed through various hands, including Richard de Beauchamp, 13th Earl of Warwick (1417), and the Collegiate Church of St Mary, Warwick (1471). By 1540, the castle was described as “desolate,” and Francis Goodere purchased it in 1544, likely using its stone for other properties.
The Bromley Dynasty
In 1618, Sir William Bromley purchased the castle site and surrounding land, establishing Baginton Hall as the family seat. The Bromley family would dominate Baginton’s history for over two centuries. The most distinguished member was William Bromley (1663-1732), who served as Speaker of the House of Commons from 1710-1713 and Secretary of State for the Northern Department from 1713-1714.
Queen Anne visited Baginton Hall during the early 18th century and reportedly planted a cedar tree on the east lawn. The hall became a center of political and social activity, hosting important figures of the day.
Tragedies and Decline
Baginton Hall suffered two devastating fires. The first occurred in 1706, consuming the manor house, furniture, library, and family documents. Sir William Bromley rebuilt “an elegant pile of a building” in similar style.
The second and final fire struck on October 9, 1889, when a paraffin lamp explosion in the basement spread rapidly throughout the building. Despite efforts by the Coventry Fire Brigade, the mansion was completely destroyed. Contemporary reports described it as “one of the most destructive fires that has occurred for a considerable period in a building of the solidity and massive proportions of the Hall”.
Lucy Price, the last of the Bromley family, died in 1822, ending the family’s 204-year association with Baginton. After her death, the hall had various tenants, including William Yates Peel, younger brother of Prime Minister Sir Robert Peel.
Industrial and Modern Era
Following the 1889 fire, Baginton lost its focal point and main employer. By the late 19th century, only the church and corn mill remained as evidence of the village’s distinguished past. The population declined from 300 in 1801 to just 174 people a century later as residents sought better wages in industrial Coventry.
In 1918, the hall’s remains and estate were sold, with much purchased by Coventry Corporation. The grounds were later used for sand and gravel quarrying.
The 20th century brought new developments, including Coventry Airport (originally Baginton Aerodrome), built in 1936. During World War II, it served as RAF Baginton.
Medieval Mill and Industrial Heritage
Baginton Mill, recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, continued operating until the late 1920s. In 1545, Francis Goodere owned a mill called ‘overcorne myll’ on the site. A 1656 document mentions an ‘edge tole mill,’ suggesting it may have been used for tool sharpening in the 17th century. The mill building now houses a restaurant and hotel called The Old Mill, with the original undershot waterwheel still turning.
Archaeological Preservation and Heritage
Today, Baginton preserves its rich heritage through several important sites. The partially reconstructed Lunt Roman Fort offers visitors insight into Roman military life. Bagot’s Castle ruins, consolidated through English Heritage grants in 2011, provide a glimpse into medieval aristocratic life. The village church of St John the Baptist contains monuments to Sir William Bagot and his wife, as well as the Bromley family vault dated 1677.
The village’s archaeological importance extends beyond these visible remains, with evidence of continuous occupation spanning from Mesolithic hunter-gatherers through Roman soldiers to medieval nobles and modern residents, making Baginton one of Warwickshire’s most historically significant communities.
