Our latest local history article comes courtesy of Carol Pearce of Llanwddyn Local History Group.
It tells the story of George Mason and his tragically early death whilst part of the labouring team building a dam across the River Vyrnwy to create a reservoir. You can read the full story here:
Further articles and publications may be found on our Local History Group page.
The AGM of the Friends of St John’s Church will be held on 27 July 2026 at 7 pm in the Reading Room.
All welcome.
The agenda and statement of accounts are here:
Avon Dassett Open Gardens which was held on 12 July has raised a fantastic £1,589.88 for the National Garden Scheme Charities.
Huge congratulations to all the gardeners who opened and to villagers who helped out and baked cakes for the teas.
The Government has announced that the existing six councils in Warwickshire will be replaced by two larger single-tier authorities – one covering the north and the other the south in 2028.
Under the decision, one unitary council will cover the north of Warwickshire, including North Warwickshire, Nuneaton and Bedworth, and Rugby. A second unitary council will cover the south of Warwickshire, including Stratford-on-Avon and Warwick. Avon Dassett will be in the South Warwickshire council.
The six councils said:
“Our shared priority is to make sure residents, businesses and communities continue to receive the services they rely on, and that the move to the new councils is managed carefully and in the best interests of Warwickshire.
“There is now important work to do.We will work closely with Government, partners, our staff and councillors to support a smooth transition and to help shape the best possible future for local services.”
Elections for the newly formed councils are due to be held in 2027.
At that point shadow operations will be in place until the new authorities take full control in 2028, when the existing councils will be wound up.
The new South Warwickshire council will deliver all local services including waste collection, planning applications and street cleaning, education, transport and libraries.
Warwickshire will take centre stage in the 2026 Lloyds Tour of Britain Women, with the newly announced final stage starting and finishing in Leamington Spa on Sunday 23 August. The cyclists will tackle the Burton Dassett Hills and skirt round the top end of the village. Please note there maybe traffic restrictions in place during the race. For more information and a full route map see: https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/tour-britain-women
From the start in Leamington, the 77-mile (123.8km) route will head north to Kenilworth, before heading through Stoneleigh towards Princethorpe, where it will follow the Fosse Way southwards, passing over the M40 through Wellesbourne and Shipston-on-Stour, before turning north. The peleton will then take in a succession of climbs, including Sun Rising Hill (900m at 10% average gradient) and the ascent of Burton Dassett Hills Country Park (700m at 9% average gradient), which was a summit finish in last year’s men’s race.
The cyclists will turn left at the Avon Dassett crossroads towards Fenny Compton, Knightcote and Southam before returning to Leamington via Radford Semele and the finish near Jephson Gardens.
Changes are coming to Warwickshire Recycling Centres From Monday 20 July 2026.
A new tailored, hybrid booking system is being introduced across Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs). To stop long queues on busy days and at weekends while keeping things flexible, whether you have to book and when will now depend entirely on which site you are planning to visit. The goal is to make recycling as smooth, quick, and safe as possible for everyone.
For details on the changes, operational hours, and if you have to book a slot, go to: https://orlo.uk/7DxIo
Our latest local history article has been published!
Phil Hill, journalist and author has written a fascinating book: The Lives of England Rugby Players 1871–1899 (available on Amazon) which features tales of the lives of those 337 men on and off the rugby pitch, with photographs accompanying each character. There are stories of a murder mystery, spies, wild cat attacks, a fighting vicar, Queen Victoria amused and not amused, Sherlock Holmes, Peter Pan and Jack the Ripper, and much more.
One of the entries is on Cecil Boyle of Avon Carrow, and Phil has allowed us to republish his entry here:
Further articles and publications may be found on our Local History Group page.
Avon Dassett Community Benefit Society which own The Yew Tree for the community has secured loan financing from Co-operative & Community Finance. The pub was brought under community ownership in 2017.
In recent years, Avon Dassett Community Benefit Society – the locally owned committee overseeing the pub – has helped lead a number of refurbishments to the pub, including the installation of double glazing, upgraded drainage, extensions to the patio area, accessibility features, and more. It also continues to support community events and activities at the pub, such as a walking group, a monthly quiz, community noticeboard and a bridge club.
To support its growth as a financial asset for the community, the Yew Tree has secured the loan from CCF, which says it will enable “withdrawal of some shareholder investment to help improve the mix of debt and equity”.
Tim Coomer, Business Development Manager at CCF, said: “As the community pub sector becomes more established, we are receiving an increasing number of enquiries from pioneer groups and those supported through the original More than a Pub project.’
Avon Dassett Community Benefit Society Management Committee added: “The Avon Dassett Community Benefit Society is grateful to Co-operative & Community Finance for supporting us through the process of restructuring our balance sheet.
“They showed a genuine interest in, and understanding of the issues we were facing and guided us through the application process. We are now on a more secure and stable footing going forward due to the loan package provided.”
The loan follows a period of change for the tenant who manages The Yew Tree on behalf of the Avon Dassett Community Benefit Society. The Happy Wolf Pub Company Ltd went into liquidation earlier this year, owing over £390,000 to HMRC alone. The business then restructured and reopened under the company name, The Wolf Cub Collective Ltd.
The results are in! Jake Beavan of the Liberal Democrats has been elected for the ward that includes Avon Dassett. He joins Cllr Natalie Gist as the second representative for the village.
The full results are listed below. The turnout was 49.4%.
