Tyla Fergusson-Platt, Leamington local, reveals the best things to do in Leamington Spa.

Leamington is famed for its Spa town past and beautiful white Georgian townhouses. However, there is more to the town than its historical past. Its art scene has always been impressive, with bands like The Specials living and recording their hit ‘Ghost Town’ here, abstract painter Sir Terry Frost was born and worked in Leamington and eccentric writer Aleister Crowley grew up here. Today that continues with live music being at the forefront of what makes Leamington a special place to visit.

Along with this, Leamington has a great food scene. In this guide I will reveal a locals perspective on the best things to do for new visitors.

Best place to see live music – Temperance Bar

Temperance is more than just a music venue. It also serves as the creative hub of the town, with artists and musicians alike congregating here to socialise and discuss the latest goings on. There are numerous meet-up groups that use the bar as a venue including philosophy societies, writing groups and even at one time Chinese calligraphy classes. It is an essential part of the fabric of Leamington.

One of the things I love about this place is how it champions up and coming musicians, especially local musicians. Great local Leamington bands such as The Swaps and Green Hands regularly play here, helping to connect audiences with the towns thriving music scene. It was also recently shortlisted for best blues venue in the UK, so if the Blues is your bag Temperance is the bar for you.

Best place to get a burger – Libertine Burger

Proud winners of the 2019 UK burger awards and finalist three times, Libertine Burger are not just any old local eatery. Personally, it’s the best burger I’ve had, even eclipsing the burgers I had in New York. The secret behind the taste is the exceptional quality of the ingredients. The beef is locally sourced from award-winning butcher Aubrey Allen who use grass-fed cows for their meat.

The cuts are matured for a minimum of 28 days ensuring a high standard of product. The milkshakes are also worth a try, especially the one on the specials menu which at the moment is the heavenly Ferrero Roche shake. The price point for the fries are a little expensive for the portion size, but you can likely skip them as the burgers are enough on their own.

Best place to get breakfast – Warwick Street Kitchen

Although there are a number of great cafes to choose from, Warwick Street Kitchen tops the lot for its unique, healthy and tasty menu with a wide variety of options. Everything is fresh and homemade, even the cakes and sourdough bread, with the latter being available to buy per loaf. It’s the breakfasts though that make this place special.

A personal favourite of mine is the Shakshuka, a dish originating from the Middle East and North Africa, that poaches eggs in a tomato base. It uses a spice mix called Dukka, consisting of sesame, coriander, cumin and black pepper and uses ras-el-hanout oil, cooking the dish in the traditional way. The eggs ooze a beautifully consistency of yolk that combines well with the sweetness of the sauce, and the nutty crunch of the seeded garnish offering a great texture to the dish. Its a perfect, nutritious way to start your day.

Best place to go for a walk – Chesterton Windmill

The windmill is an emblem that is proudly adorned on Leamington Football Clubs shirts and just down the road from the teams stadium sits the famous Warwickshire landmark. It dates from the 1600’s and is one of the earliest tower mills that has preserved its working parts. It is an ideal time to see the Windmill with new sails being installed recently, after a hiatus of nearly four years without them.

It offers one of the most picturesque views in the whole of Leamington and is a must-see during a sunset. The open expanse gives a beautiful panoramic view of the Warwickshire countryside, making it an ideal dog-walking location. The walk is completely free and well-worth a visit if you’re new to the town.

Best Museum – Royal Pump Rooms 

A visit to Leamington isn’t complete without setting eyes on the last remaining spa baths. The town was so famous for it’s spa water that in 1838 Queen Victoria gave it royal ascent, with the prefix Royal being added to its name. At one time there were seven baths in the town, but with the gradual decline of the fashion-ability of ‘taking the waters’ this eventually reduced to just one, the Royal Pump Rooms.

Luckily though, the Pump Rooms was the most lavish of the lot. It now serves as a cultural museum for the history of the town which includes an art gallery and the local library. It is a fascinating walk down memory lane that offers glimpses into the lost world of its spa town past.

My favourite part is the restored Hammam (Turkish) baths which I always find incredible that they were being used in England as early as the Victorian era. They contain original tiles in earthly hues of red and yellow, complete with stained glass and architecture in the Arabic style. If you want to see how the baths looked before they closed down in the 1990’s, check out Mick Jagger’s 1992 music video for his song ‘Sweet Thing’.