Recently digitised census data from 1961 has revealed a range of lifestyle changes over the past 60 years in Kenilworth.

Hygiene

According to the Office for National Statistics, as many as 12.3 per cent of Kenilworth homes did not have a 'fixed bath' in 1961 - i.e. a bath inside a house that had waste water plumbing (showers were less common at the time).

Instead, these households would have used a standalone bath that had to be filled with hot water using a bucket.

Also, in England and Wales, around 7 per cent of homes did not have an indoor toilet. Kenilworth was above average in this regard however, with only 4.7 per cent of homes without a flushing lavatory.

Home ownership

Comparing tenure in 1961 to 2011, there has been a rise in home ownership and a decrease in renting.

In Kenilworth in 1961, 58.5 per cent of homes were owned, 20 per cent were rented, and 17 per cent were owned by the council.

Whereas In 2011, 79 per cent were owned, 11 per cent were rented, and 5 per cent were owned by the council.

(NB. Percentages do not sum to 100% as some housing categories not included.)

Population

In 1961, Kenilworth was home to 14,449 people. In 2011, the population increased to 22,773.

The number of elderly people in the area also increased. In 1961 there were just 76 people over the age of 85, compared to 820 in 2011.

Divorce

These statistics are not localised to Kenilworth, but they do give us a broader picture of social change.

In 1961, 68 per cent of people aged 16 and over were married, and 0.8 per cent were divorced.

In 2011, 49 per cent of people aged 16 and over were married or in a same-sex civil partnership, and 9 per cent were divorced or in a legally dissolved civil partnership.