History of Ufton

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I've found a site I wasn't aware of...14 photos and 28 historic sites...see:

ourwarwickshire.org.uk/content/location/ufton

JT, October 2020

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Ufton is a small village situated 2.5 miles west of Southam and approximately 5 miles from Leamington Spa on the main Northampton to Warwick Road (A425).  

On the southern edge of the parish the ground is approximately 400 ft above sea level; the great glaciers that covered Warwickshire formed this escarpment.  When the glaciers melted a great lake called Lake Harrison was formed.  Ufton being in an elevated position looks out across what was the Forest of Arden.  Some people believe that there are earthworks along the edge of the hill that were formed by the Romans, perhaps they were linked to the Fosse Way as a Roman coin dated 350 AD was found on the Glebe land allotments in 1958.

Ufton is a difficult name to explain, it is mentioned in the Long Itchington Charter as `wulluht graf` meaning Ufton Wood.  In the Doomsday Book it is recorded as `Ulchtune` but since then has undergone many changes.  Some think it stems from the Danish chief `Ulla` and `Tun` meaning fortified place.

Two charities are recorded for Ufton, the first being in 1768 when 8 shillings a year was paid to the poor of Ufton, the monies were the interest paid on rents in Bascote.  Unfortunately there are no records to show what happened to the charity or who the donors were.  The second is the Thomas Horley Trust that was set up in 1877 when £200 was settled in trust.  The interest earned from the money was to purchase coal or warm clothing for the needy of the village.  It still operates to this day.

Ufton also once had a windmill; this is mentioned in the Doomsday Book and was situated in the Mill Field in front of Flax House.  A man in Middlesex owned it in 1696.

Ufton has undergone many owners from the Earl of Leofric (Lady Godiva`s husband 1043) to the Spencer family in 1674 when it was sold to one John Snell.  Upon his death (1679) he bequeathed the manor and lands to Balliol College Oxford to set up a Snell Exhibition for Scottish students and it still operates today.  One of the Snell Exhibitioners was Adam Smith, the economist who can be seen on some £20 notes!