# Historic Rugby

> Rugby, on the Cumberland Plateau, was founded in 1880 by Thomas Hughes, the author of "Tom Brown's School Days".

Source: https://camping-spirit.com/places/historic-rugby/

A preserved Victorian-era English colony on the Cumberland Plateau, with a library, church and homes among the trees. Visit the heritage centre first, then walk the nearby trails toward the gorge of the Clear Fork river.

Rugby, on the Cumberland Plateau, was founded in 1880 by Thomas Hughes, the author of "Tom Brown's School Days". The settlement was meant to give younger English sons a future. The historic district covers about 525 acres (roughly 210 hectares); at the "Meeting of the Waters", Clear Fork and White Oak Creek come together, and Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area lies nearby. Surviving are the Thomas Hughes Library of 1882, with about 7,000 volumes, largely unchanged, and Christ Church Episcopal of 1887, in the Carpenter Gothic style.

The colony failed, owing among other things to a typhoid epidemic in 1881, disputes over land titles and poor soil; by 1887 most settlers had left. Historic Rugby, active since 1966, restored the surviving buildings and rebuilt others from original plans. The historic district has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1972. Allow two to three hours for the buildings and a walk.

- **Nearest town:** Rugby, TN
- **Category:** History & culture
- **GPS:** 36.3620, -84.6919

## Good to know

**Best time to go:** The most pleasant months are usually April–May and September–October. Still fine, with some compromises, in June and November. (Estimate from long-term temperature averages, terrain and pass seasons)

## Sources

- [Rugby, Tennessee – Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rugby,_Tennessee)

## Nearby

- [Cumberland Falls State Resort Park](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b19-cumberland-falls/) – 38 mi
- [Cummins Falls State Park](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b9-cummins-falls/) – 50 mi
- [Burgess Falls State Park](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b9-burgess-falls/) – 55 mi
- [Cumberland Gap National Historical Park](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b19-cumberland-gap-nhp/) – 58 mi

## FAQs

### Where is Historic Rugby?

Historic Rugby is in Rugby, TN, at GPS 36.3620, -84.6919. It is about 47 mi from Cookeville.

### Can you camp near Historic Rugby?

Yes. The nearest campsite listed in OpenStreetMap is Brooks Corner Campground, about 2 mi away; within 25 mi there are 29 campsites and motorhome stopovers.

### What is there to see near Historic Rugby?

Places worth a stop nearby: Cumberland Falls State Resort Park (38 mi), Cummins Falls State Park (50 mi), Burgess Falls State Park (55 mi) and Cumberland Gap National Historical Park (58 mi).

### When is the best time to visit Historic Rugby?

The most pleasant months are usually April–May and September–October. Still fine, with some compromises, in June and November. (Estimate from long-term temperature averages, terrain and pass seasons)