ON a lovely warm summer evening George Shiers, former chief guide at Charlecote Park, took members on a tour of the house and its surroundings to illustrate his talk.

He traced its history from the Saxons through to the Normans, then the Regency period to Victorian times until the National Trust took over the running of the house in 1946.

Sir Edmund Lucy now lives there with his wife and sons.

The land comprises some 250 acres in total today.

The famous Gatehouse was built in 1551 and Queen Elizabeth I visited the house in 1565 when she knighted Lucy in his own home.

She came again in 1572 for bed and breakfast on her way to Kenilworth Castle.

George Lucy was a great collector, going to the sale at Fonthill Abbey on all 37 days.

He bought wonderful treasures from there to furnish his own home, including a beautiful late 16th century marble table now on display in the house.

Charlecote has a bust of William Shakespeare, which, when inspected by a medical researcher, it was discovered that Shakespeare suffered from a cancerous eye.

George Lucy went on the Grand Tour in 1840, bringing back with him beautiful china and porcelain, including 72 pieces of Sevres.

There are vases dating from 505BC in the library, with a collection of books from 1640 when Charlecote boasted the largest collection in the country.

It had a noted Tudor garden which was lost when Capability Brown redesigned it but has recently been restored by Sir Edmund.

There is also the brewhouse, a flock of Jacob sheep brought from Portugal in 1756, the first in the country, and also two flocks of deer and peacocks.

The August meeting is on August 16 at 7.30pm in the restaurant when Marjorie Carter will talk on the history of lace.