Rugby celebrates English Tourism Week

All the guides feature 'The Rugby Town' marketing brand and include the new 2018/2019 Rugby Visitor Guide, packed with information about the town's history, attractions and places to explore.

Other guides now available at Rugby Visitor Centre include the Rugby Pathway of Fame, the trail of bronze plaques honouring legends of the game which also takes visitors on a tour of the town centre, and The Rugby Real Ale Trail, a new guide devised in association with the Rugby branch of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) which pinpoints pubs which serve a perfect pint of beer.

And visitors can also pick up the new Town Guide Programme for 2018, which begins tomorrow (Saturday) - the start of English Tourism Week.

The free guided walking tours of the town centre take place every Wednesday and Saturday, starting at the Visitor Centre and taking in landmarks such as the statue of William Webb Ellis and The Close at Rugby School.

Cllr Heather Timms, Rugby Borough Council portfolio holder for growth and investment, said: "The Rugby Town marketing brand was launched by the council and Rugby First as part of our Town Centre Action Plan, which aims to boost the town centre economy by attracting visitors into the heart of Rugby.

"The new guides celebrate all Rugby town centre has to offer, from attractions such as the World Rugby Hall of Fame and Rugby Art Gallery and Museum to the fantastic range of shops, pubs and restaurants.

"And while the guides have been designed with tourists in mind, I'm sure residents can also discover new places and pieces of Rugby's history by popping into Rugby Visitor Centre and picking up the guides."

Rugby's English Tourism Week celebrations also include free admission to the World Rugby Hall of Fame on Sunday 25 March. The Hall of Fame opens from 10am to 4pm.

English Tourism Week, the brainchild of VisitEngland, celebrates the country's tourism industry, which generates more than £100 billion a year.

Last year Rugby Visitor Centre was shortlisted for VisitEngland's prestigious Visitor Information Provider of the Year Award, while four years ago Rugby's status as the birthplace of the game secured it a gold award in VisitEngland's Hall of Fame, which honoured the country's leading tourist destinations.

For more information about The Rugby Town guides, visit www.therugbytown.co.uk/rugbyguides

Photo caption: Tour guides Rhona Milner and Ken Waugh joined Cllr Heather Timms, Rugby Borough Council portfolio holder for growth and investment, for the launch of the new guides.