We continue our summer outings this month
July 21st meet at 6.30pm on the Parish Field, Hampton Lucy CV35 8BE
We will be conducted around historic Hampton Lucy village and church by Ken Cockshull and John Dunkerton. Like many south Warwickshire communities, Hampton experienced depopulation in the 15th and 16th centuries as landowners converted arable farming into pasture for sheep. The hamlets of Hatton and Ingon disappeared by 1500, and the destruction of houses and the eviction of tenants by ecclesiastical landlords is recorded in contemporary documents. In 1557 Queen Mary granted the manor of Bishop’s Hampton to Thomas Lucy of Charlecote, and it became, and remains, Hampton Lucy. Some 17th century buildings remain in the village but in the early 19th century the Lucy family replaced many cottages and rebuilt the church. Four mills once served the village, and the group visited the remaining working one many years ago.
The church of St Peter ad Vincula is an excellent example of early gothic revival and is the masterpiece of Thomas Rickman (tower) and Henry Hutchinson (nave), while the chancel was rebuilt and given an apsidal end by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott.
The history of Hampton Lucy is intimately bound up with Charlecote and the Lucy family, and we look forward to hearing the story of its development.
Meet at 6.30 on the Parish Field.
Directions: passing the entrance to Charlecote on your left, turn left after about 100 metres, continue over the narrow bridge keeping left at the junction and then immediately left into the field where you can park.
The cost is £5 and can be paid in advance (see bank and Treasurer’s details below) or on the day.
Report on June 16th visit to Sibford and Burdrop.
Our visit coincided with a fine evening, and we had a good turnout of 25 members and friends. The Sibfords are off the beaten track and before our visit I knew virtually nothing about these nearby villages. Our leader Maureen Hicks revealed a cornucopia of unexpected but fascinating sites and sights. After gathering at the Village Hall we made a short-cut down and up the first of several valleys we encountered, to arrive at Burdrop.
The name means the “hamlet near a burgh” – a fortified place. It is indeed situated in a commanding position at the end of a ridge with the land falling away on all sides, and overlooking a steep valley (which we later negotiated). It is a compact oval hamlet, possibly following the form of the original fortifications. The Blaze Inn Saddles just below the summit, now a bikers’ watering hole, was until recently the Blaize Inn, reputedly near the site of a holy well dedicated to St Blaize, the patron saint of throat disorders. After a perambulation of Burdrop we descended the aforementioned steep valley and ascended again through meadows owned by the village, the first of several community-owned properties we traversed. We learnt how the Sibfords were, until the 19th century, part of the parish of Swalecliffe, so the church dates from1840, built to serve the newly separated parish. A decayed church is mentioned in a survey of 1547, but no trace of it remains.
From the Village Hall, where several members peeled off to recuperate from the stiff climb out of the valley, we headed west to Sibford Gower to see the primary school, then to dive into another valley and through a pleasant plantation, gifted to the village by a recent resident. We emerged at the venerable Wykeham Arms, and thence opposite to the Quaker meeting house, with its burial ground of identical, modest headstones. With swifts wheeling above us we admired some more of the village’s 28 listed buildings while making our way back to the Village Hall where copious refreshments provided by the WI awaited us.
The general opinion was that the Sibfords are a well-kept secret, with a wealth of charm and history keenly nurtured by residents with an enviable community spirit. Our thanks to Maureen Hickman whose information was encyclopaedic, to Diana Hughes and helpers who organised the refreshments, and to Rosemary Collier for arranging the visit.
Just a reminder that we have a full programme of talks scheduled for 2023-4, thanks to Claire’s efforts
| Date | Speaker | Title |
| 21 July (eve) | John Dunkerton & Ken Cockshull | Hampton Lucy village walk |
| 17 Aug. (afternoon) | Sean Callery | Broadway town tour |
| 15 September | Martin Sinot-Smith | Sulgrave Manor & the Washington Family. |
| 20 October | John Miles | Charlecote & the Lucy Family |
| 17 November | Paul Grigsby | Roman Warwickshire |
| 8 December | Various | Members’ Christmas Treats |
| 19 January 2024 | Peter Walters | A Little History of Coventry |
| 16 February | Stephen Barker | The Battle of Edgehill 1642 |
| 15 March AGM | Vanessa Morgan | Local Rogues & Villains of the 19th century |
Local history books
Capturing Kineton’s Past by Peter Ashley-Smith, edited by our President Robert Bearman .
Members are encouraged tobecome evangelical about this publication, in order to promote the group, and foster an interest in the history of our village and its surroundings. This book would make an ideal birthday present. Peter’s encyclopaedic knowledge and years of research are here distilled into little nuggets – anecdotes, characters, and vignettes of past village life here presented to give a comprehensive picture of all aspects of Kineton’s colourful past.
Price £9.99 contact kinetonhistory@yahoo.co.uk
or purchase at meetings
Our book Kineton: the Village and its History published in 1999 is now out of print but it is available to read on-line on our website at a cost of £5.00 via PayPal, go to:
Kineton and District Local History Group (kinetonhistory.co.uk)
From the Homepage click <Publications> on the left-hand menu, and click the cover illustration to see inside or click the Buy button to download the full publication.
The book gives a well-researched summary of the history of the village from earliest times to the recent past. Five walks to different parts of the village explore notable places and buildings. Further chapters describe the community’s institutions, organisations, and characters. The volume is indexed, and a section gives guidance to other sources of information
Peter Johnson has updated and substantially revised and enlarged his biography of Joe Gerring, who worked around the area in Lighthorne, Compton Verney, Chesterton and Kineton. The book is a model of local history research and presentation, and is accompanied by a CD of Joe talking about his experiences. There has been a limited print run of only 100 copies of the book and CD and Peter Johnson has kindly donated a copy of both to the archive of the Kineton & District Local History Group.
Peter Johnson has a limited number of both the book and CD for sale. The book is £14 and the CD is £6. Postage rates on application. Home delivery available in Lighthorne and Kineton. Please email: colinjamessuch@gmail.com
British Association for Local History. The Kineton Group is a Member of BALH and they run lectures and talks which are open to our members. www.balh.org.uk for upcoming talks available virtually.
Don’t forget to check our own website at: Kineton and District Local History Group
Alec Hitchman,
The Hills Farm,
Pillerton Hersey,
WARKS, CV35 0QQ,
With our bank now charging for payments by cheque or cash, we would urge those who can to please pay by BACS to our bank business account:
name: Kineton and District Local History Group,
sort code: 40-43-19;
acc. no. 71281992. Please include your full name so we can correctly attribute your payment.
For queries contact Alec on alec.hitchman@btinternet.com You can also join at any talk.
2023-24 KDLHG Committee
President: Dr Robert Bearman MBE
Chairman David Freke
Vice-Chairman Roger Gaunt
Secretary Vacant
Treasurer Alec Hitchman
Outings Secretary Rosemary Collier
Programme Secretary Claire Roberts
Other committee members:
Isobel Gill
Ilona Sekacz
Catherine Petrie (PR)
Pamela Redgrave (Membership)
Contact David Freke tel. 01295 670516 mob. 07876 290044 email: djfreke@gmail.com
DF 16.07.23