Situated on the River Avon there has been a settlement here since the early Iron Age. Known as Tripontium in Roman times it is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Rocheberie but what really puts Rugby on the world map is that it is known as the birthplace of Rugby football.
Essentially a small market town until recent times the centre still has a mix of old and new buildings and you can see how rapid expansion in recent years has changed the town considerably. Most of the older buildings in the town are Victorian. With a population of 70,000 this is the second largest town in the county of Warwickshire.
The Rugby Cement works on the outskirts of the town is now part of the Cemex Company and is one of the largest cement works of its type in Europe. Residents near the large complex are used to waking up in the morning to find their cars covered in a fine layer of cement dust. Some would argue that this blights the landscape on what would otherwise have been a pleasant location to live.
Once in the town though you have wide pedestrian walkways and an abundance of places to eat from small cafes to all manner of world cuisine. There are also a fair number of good pubs in the vicinity. Tourism plays an ever important role in the economy of the town and a good deal of time and effort has been spent making the centre of town more appealing to visitors.
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