In England Villages developed mainly from private chapels or land owned by manorial lords, and by the end of the 12^th century by and large parish boundaries had been established. The earliest notable feature in the Parish of Ratley and Upton is Nadbury, the earthworks of an Iron age hill fort built between 800BC and 42 AD. During the Roman occupation of Britain, under Emperor Claudius's General Aulus Plautius, a series of garrisons were established along the line of hills, overlooking much of Warwickshire, all within signalling distance of each other. By the time of the Domesday survey in 1086, the manor or estate of Ratley (then Rotelei) was a fief under Turchil de Arden, and the population was then about 145. King William 11 who succeeded his father, William the Conquerer in 1087 created a large domain which centred around Warwick, and included Ratley. Agriculture and the quarry provided the main sources of employment. The remains of Ratley Castle to the west of the village, and north of the Manor House (the earth works of a motte and bailey) are still in evidence today - one of a number of strongholds that sprang up after the Norman conquest. But by the 13^th century it was abandoned.

The Rose and Crown is the much loved village pub where our guests can go for dinner among the locals. It was originally a farmhouse, not becoming a public house until 1775. In its earlier days this may well have been the site of the vicarage. The building of Ratley Church of St Peter ad Vinicular was started in about 1250, and the first vicar, Philip de Stapleton was appointed in 1251. In the church there are many things of interest,  including an list of all subsequent vicars. Outside the church is a preaching cross, surrounded by a stone circle. In 1347, the Black Death held up progress because so many labourers and stonemasons perished.

The rest of the village is built on the side of the hill, up little winding roads, and considering the number of skilled stonemasons who lived here at one time or another, there is not much in the way of decorative ornamentation to the cottages. But Ratley, as it has evolved, has real charm and a sense of local cohesion and today it boasts a wine society, bridge club, tennis circle and many other activities.

Up the hill at Upton, John de  Upton (formerly known as Hoptone) is mentioned in 1315 as Lord of the Manor. In 1688 the original Upton was sold to Sir Rushout Cullen who built his new classical style house from local stone, and it was completed in 1695. After him came William Bumpstead, followed by the banker Francis Child, and then the Upton and Ratley property was inherited by Lady Sarah Fane, wife of George Villiers, 5^th Earl of Jersey in the early part of the 19^th Century. Their son, also George Villiers, the 6^th Earl inherited in 1859, and in the same year he married Julia Peel, daughter of Sir Robert Peel, the Prime Minister. It was this family who built Uplands House, on the other side of the road from Upton House. Using the stone from old Ratley Manor - a 12^th century house so dilapidated that it had to be pulled down - they had it dragged up the one and a half miles from the village using horses and carts. The old manor was thus reconstructed in its present form in 1875 for the  intended use of Victor, 7^th Earl, who married Margaret Leigh in 1872. It was a 12 bedroom house with a groom's cottage, and farm buildings. This intention however was shortlived.

Between 1894 and 1897 Upton House and its 1182 acre estate was owned by the 7^th Earl of Chesham, he sold it to Andrew Motion, and in 1927 Walter Samuel, 2^nd Viscount Bearsted, one of the great philanthropists of the 20^th century purchased the property. In it he displayed his two wonderful collections of paintings and porcelain, and they remain the principal visitor attraction  today in what is now a National Trust property.

Source -  The Story of a Warwickshire Parish by John Ashby and Dan Batchelor 2006