Dunchurch

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"Guy Fawkes House"

Map sources for Dunchurch at grid reference SP485712

Dunchurch is a historic village and civil parish on the south-western outskirts of Rugby in Warwickshire, England. The 2001 census recorded a population of 2,842 in the village.

The core of 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 staging post on the coaching roads between London and Holyhead (now the A45 road) (classified as B4429 through the village) and Oxford and Leicester (now the A426 road). At one point 40 stagecoaches every day would stop at Dunchurch. Many coaching inns were built in Dunchurch to accommodate these visitors, and many of which 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 (reputed to be the private residence now called 'Guy Fawkes House') in Dunchurch awaiting news of Guy Fawkes's success at blowing up the Houses of Parliament. If he had been successful they planned to kidnap the King's daughter Elizabeth of Bohemia from nearby Coombe Abbey. Other famous people having stayed there include a young Queen Victoria (before she became Queen), the Duke of Wellington. Robert Stephenson stayed at Dunchurch whilst the Kilsby Tunnel was constructed.

Dunchurch was the birthplace of the eighteenth-century hymnwriter William Tans'ur. It was also the birthplace of the athlete Katharine Merry, and was the home for England cricketer Ian Bell for many years.

The earliest historical reference to Dunchurch was in the Domesday Book in the 11th century which mentioned a settlement called Doncerce.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.

In the centre of Dunchurch is a statue of Lord John Douglas Montagu Scott (1809-1860) a 19th century landlord, Scottish M.P. and younger brother to the Duke of Buccleugh. At New Year an annual tradition in Dunchurch is to dress up the statue in the garb of a cartoon or TV character.