Kenilworth is located in southwest Warwickshire.
The town has its origins in the period immediately following the Norman conquest of England when around 1100 William Fitz Osbern established a new borough within his manor of Kenilworth. The borough was distinct from the manor and hundred of Kenilworth, which lay nearby.
In 1149, Henry of Essex granted freedoms and a fair at his manor to the burgesses of the town as a reward for their assistance in putting down a rebellion against him
Henry’s charter explicitly states that he does this because ‘town had been destroyed by fire’ meaning that it must have suffered some kind of devastation since its foundation around 200 years before.
The reigns of Henry II and Richard I saw a period of prosperity during which an extensive castle, churches and priories were built following the usual Norman pattern. Richard also founded two royal free chapels – one at Kenilworth, dedicated to St. Mary – as well as confirming the liberties of the borough of ‘Keneleve’ (Kenilworth).