About Us
Lighthorne is located in the triangle formed by Warwick, Stratford-on-Avon and Banbury, being 8 miles south of Warwick and 8 miles east of Stratford.
Lighthorne History Society was formed in January 2006 by the late Peter Hinman and other residents. The aims of the society are to promote an interest in and record the pre-history and the history of the village and to make the records available to the general public.
Every year the society organises 4 or 5 talks and presentations by visiting speakers and occasional visits. Details of the current programme.
Interested in joining us?
Future Events
Save these dates! More future events will be added in due course.
“The Upton House Treasures” by Tony Mawbey, Friday 8th May 2026, 7.30 pm, Lighthorne village hall
“The Upton Treasures” talk will highlight the two men, Marcus and Walter Samuel, who were responsible for the collection and cover some of the most celebrated pieces of fine 17th century Dutch masters, Flemish tapestries, medieval religious art and 18th century porcelain. Masterpieces range from Bruegel and Guardi to Hogarth, Stubbs, El Greco and Bosch. Tony Mawbey has been a volunteer house guide at Upton for over 10 years covering all aspects of the property but his speciality is the art collection. He has a second role visiting organisations giving talks about Upton and, hopefully, inspiring those who have never visited Upton to come and view one of the National Trust’s finest collections.
June / July 2026
Visit to Broughton Castle, Oxfordshire
Date to be confirmed.
"Ralph Sheldon and his Wonderful Tapestry" by Maggie Wood, Friday 11th September 2026, 7.30 pm, Lighthorne village hall
The Sheldon Tapestry Map is one of Warwickshire’s treasures. It’s the only complete surviving map from a set of four commissioned by Ralph Sheldon in the 1580’s for his newly built house at Weston, near Long Compton, in the south of the county. Parts of the other maps (Oxfordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire) are held by the Bodleian Library in Oxford. The huge tapestry is a rare and wonderful pictorial representation of Elizabethan Warwickshire, and gives a tantalising glimpse of Shakespeare’s county at a time when map-making was in its infancy. Maggie’s talk explores the Elizabethan landscape as depicted on the tapestry, as well as the story of how it was created and what‘s happened to it more recently – from its travels to Belgium, Bristol and the British Museum in London, before coming safely home to the Warwickshire Museum. Whatever your interest – maps, textiles, tapestry conservation, Shakespeare, the Elizabethan landscape…. this subject has something for everyone! Maggie Wood has a degree in history, and a postgraduate degree in museum studies. For much of her working life she was a museum curator, including being Curator of Social History for the Warwickshire Museum Service. The Sheldon tapestry map was one of the many objects in her care – and was certainly the biggest!
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Capturing Moments in Time
Join Us
We invite you to join the Lighthorne History Society. Annual membership costs £10 and commences on 1 January each year. Membership is free of charge for those in full time education.
If you would like to join, or are renewing membership, please make payment to our bank account, quoting your name as a reference.
Name of bank account: Lighthorne History Society
Sort code: 30-94-93
Account number: 03010220
The society is a group member of Warwickshire Local History Society ('WLHS') and members of Lighthorne History Society can attend any of the lectures organised by WLHS free of charge or take part in their visits for a small charge. WLHS publishes its journal "Warwickshire History" twice a year and copies are available for members to borrow via our contact form.