Our first talk of the autumn session takes place this Friday 15th
Our Friday 15th talk in the Village Hall at 7.30 will be given by Simon Sinot-Smith. He will describe Sulgrave Manor and the Washington Family. The original manor was built by 1540 by Laurence Washington, soon after Queen Elizabeth ascended the throne, and her coat of arms, made in plaster, can still be seen on the gable over the porch. The Washington arms (three stars and two stripes – remind you of anything?) are above the door. The Washington fortunes declined and in 1659 the family emigrated to the American colonies where they became prosperous land owners.
A century later George Washington was in the military, before the American Revolution propelled him into political activity The ancestral manor in Sulgrave also had its downs and ups. The west wing (left of the porch) was demolished in the 17th century but was rebuilt in the early 1900s after periods when the manor suffered of near ruin and financial hardship. It is now administered by the Sulgrave manor Trust.
Report on August 17th visit to Broadway. Our group of 14 members was led by Sean Callery, a Blue Guide, familiar from our tour of Chipping Norton last year. He regaled us with tales of artists and actors in the early 20th century as he showed us the houses and converted barns where they lived and amused themselves. The origin of the town’s name is obvious – the old coach road through the town widens to an enormous green. The striking War Memorial on the green was designed by the local arts and crafts architect F. L. Griggs.
The famous American actress Mary Anderson lived on the steep hill out of the town and hosted kings, queens, prime ministers, artists and writers in the early 20th century. She became a major benefactor of the community. On the same hill a milestone bears two inscriptions, the expected chiselled distances to destinations, and a small brass plaque stating the inscription had been erased in 1939 to confuse German invaders and restored in 1953 to commemorate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. A stone at the bottom of the hill has the cryptic message “Shut off two horses here”. This probably relates to the stagecoach period when the steep hill sometimes required passengers to get out and push, and extra horsepower may have been provided at times. Situated at the bottom of the hill it would appear to mark the place where the extra animals were stationed ready for the task. The Lygon Arms, a coaching inn for at least three centuries and now an upmarket hotel, is a few yards away. A similar service was in operation on the Stratford Road in Tysoe, linked to the coaching inn at the top of Sunrising Hill. We saw the museum devoted to furniture designer Gordon Russell, and decided to return to give it the attention it deserves. Some intrepid members continued up the old coach road for a few hundred yards after we bid farewell to Sean Callery to see some remarkable topiary. Another reason to return for a longer look at a fascinating town. Our thanks to Sean for a reliably entertaining tour, and to Rosemary for arranging it.
Just a reminder that we have a full programme of talks scheduled for 2023-4, thanks to Claire’s efforts
Please note changes to the October and January talks, which have been swapped
| Date | Speaker | Title |
| 15 September | Martin Sinot-Smith | Sulgrave Manor & the Washington Family. |
| 20 October | John Miles | A Little History of Coventry |
| 17 November | Paul Grigsby | Roman Warwickshire |
| 8 December | Various | Members’ Christmas Treats |
| 19 January 2024 | Peter Walters | Charlecote & the Lucy Family |
| 16 February | Stephen Barker | The Battle of Edgehill 1642 |
| 15 March AGM | Vanessa Morgan | Local Rogues & Villains of the 19th century |
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
Membership. If you are, or would like to become, a Member of the group, your 2023 subscription (still
£10pa!) is due NOW. Our Treasurer Alec Hitchman awaits! You can pay by cheque made payable to
Kineton and District Local History Group, sent or delivered to:
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 12.09.23