History of Kenilworth

In 1884 St Nicholas' Parish Church established a mission room in an upstairs room above the Co-Op in Park Road. It attracted a congregation of 150 people and in 1885 moved to new premises. In 1905 the congregation moved to new a "tin tabernacle" iron building that had been newly erected in Albion Street and consecrated as Saint Barnabas' Mission Church, a daughter church of St. Nicholas'.

The railway boosted Kenilworth's market gardening. There were reputedly 40 nurseries growing market garden produce in Kenilworth but all have now been reveloped for housing. The last was Guest's Nursery, which was developed as 23 houses in 2002. The railway took the produce to London where Kenilworth tomatoes had a reputation for quality. The Victorian era saw a large expansion of the town to the west of Abbey Fields and on land around Warwick Road. Most of the buildings along Warwick Road date from this period and later but a few earlier cottages also survive.

The former mansion on Forrest Road, built around 1901, still stands. It is believed that a William Forrest bought the surrounding land, except that of the terrace to the north of Abbey End, and built the house, either for himself or for his family. The house was split into three separate residential lots in the 1970s, the main part of the house forming 'Hillcrest', the west wing of the house with the main grand staircase and gardens forming 'Max Gate', and the billiards room forming the bungalow 'South Brent'. The former landscaped gardens to the east and west of the property have been built on for residential purposes, but the south and north gardens still belong to the house. Some main features have been lost during the transition internally, but externally the house still keeps its grand bay windows, tiled walls, high chimney stacks