This page lists past programmes beginning with October 2022.
October “Mapping the mediaeval world: Bristol in 1480” by Bob Jones
September “The creation of the New Assembly Rooms Bath 1771”, Dr. Rupert Goulding
March St. Mary Redcliffe: Patronage, landscape & architecture – Jon Cannon War & piracy in the Bristol Channel – Philip Ashford
May Burgage plots in mediaeval towns – Peter Dawson
June The story of Bath’s lost pleasure gardens- Kirsten Elliott
February Bath & the Work House- Stuart Burroughs
April, 2021 “The Herschels in Bath: Music, science & social climbing” – Dr. Michael McEllin
May ’21 “The Tuckett family of Frenchay” – Alan Freke
June ’21. “The architectural follies of the West Country” – Jonathan Holt
September ’21 Saving Britain’s Art Treasures: The Corsham effect by Nick McCamley
November ’21 The Social Impact of John Wesley in the Bristol area by Gary Best
December ’21 The VCH Project: A history of West Littleton, by Dr. John Chandler & Dr. Simon Draper
2020
January: I.K. Brunel: Man, myth & machines, presented by Dr. Terry Chivers. Terry is a Chartered engineer, who was born and raised in Marshfield. This talk will concentrate upon Brunel the man and some of the myths that have grown around him and his achievements.
February The history of Charmy Down: Part II, presented by Howard Burton. Howard is a retired College Principal, who has made a study of Charmy Down. Part II looks at the community surrounding the former air field.
note: meetings for March, April & May 2020 (shown in red) were cancelled due to Covid lockdown. The talks on St Mary’s Redcliffe and the Burgage Plots have been rearranged for 15th March and 17th May respectively.
March St. Mary Redcliffe: Patronage, landscape& architecture presented by Jon Cannon.
John Cannon is an architectural historian & lecturer at the University of Bristol. Jon Cannon is also a journalist, TV presenter and Keeper of the Fabric at Bristol Cathedral.
April The Cleveland Pools in Bath: New research & restoration progress.
Dr. Watts is a former Trustee to the Cleveland Pools Trust, which has been awarded a £4.7 m grant from the HLF to restore the Georgian Pools, due to re-open in 2021.
May Burgage plots in mediaeval towns, presented by Peter Dawson.
Peter Dawson is a retired teacher and member of the Northleach History Society. Marshfield has many of these narrow plots at the rear of the High Street.
June AGM & From hill forts to pill boxes:
Episodes from Wiltshire’s military past, presented by Nick Baxter. Nick Baxter is a retired history teacher, who now specialises in giving talks and guided walks connected to the history of Wiltshire.
SEPTEMBER “From hill forts to pill boxes: Episodes from Wiltshire’s military past”- Nick Baxter
A comprehensive sweep of all kinds of defensive and military installations, throughout the ages in Wiltshire. Nick Baxter is a former history teacher, with an M.A. in public history. Nick is also an experienced leader on public history walks.
OCTOBER “The industrial heritage of the Cotswolds” – Dr. Ray Wilson (held on zoom)
The physical remains of Gloucestershire industries are examined in this talk by Dr.Ray Wilson, who is Secretary of the Gloucestershire Society for Industrial Archaelogy. (held on zoom)
NOVEMBER “Slavery, public history & the Country house: Dyrham Park” -Dr.Jessica Moody
The title is self explanatory and currently subject to public debate. Dr.Jessica Moody is a Lecturer in Public History at the University of Bristol. (held on zoom)
December ’20 “In comes I”, The History of Mummers Plays – Steve Rowley
2019
2019 September 17th : 1607: The Great Severn Estuary Flood presented by Rose Hewlett.
Rose is undertaking a PhD on this subject at Bristol University. Her talk will include new research about this devastating flood, which reached a height between six or seven feet and which went two to three miles inland to the South Gloucestershire levels.
October 15th: The plasticine people: The Harbutts of Bathampton presented by Stuart Burroughs.
The manufacture of plasticine began in 1897 and continued until 1983. Stuart Burroughs is Director of the Museum of Bath at Work.
November 19th: The GWR Badminton line, presented by Alan Freke.
The line ran from Wootton Bassett to Patchway from 1903 until its closure in 1968. Alan Freke is the Curator of Frenchay Village Museum
December 17th: A Tudor Christmas, presented by Cherry Hubbard.
A physical representation of period food items and interpretation of domestic economy, culture & traditions.
Cherry Hubbard is a local social historian and period interpreter.
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2018
January 16th: Charmy Down: The history of a World War II Airfield -Howard Burton
February 20th: Tying the knot: Marriage in 16th& 17thC Wiltshire- Steve Hobbs
March 20th: J.S. Fry: A family business- Alan Freke
April 17th: Ugly mugs: Great gargoyles of Gloucestershire -John Putley
May 15th: The story of Bath- Dr. Cathryn Spence
June 19th: AGM & Sweeps to slaves: Working children in the past -Prof. Jennifer Tann
September 18th: Prisoner of war camps in the West Country during World War I. Colin Chapman
October 16th: Fanny Murray: Bath’s famous courtesan: – Dr. Barbara White
November 20th: Fore & aft: The Purton ships grave yard – Paul Barnett
December 18th: Communicating Christmas – John Penny
2017
January 17th: Redstreak to winter scale: The history of west country cider & Perry Making- Dr. Richard Stone
February 21st: Wiltshire’s forgotten water ways: A history of the Wiltshire & Berkshire Canal- Ray Alder
March 21st: The elusive Lady Apsley – Dr. Madge Dresser
April 18th: Life in the back yard: Craft industry in mediaeval towns – Bob Jones
May 16th: Trouble at the mill: Bath & textile machine breaking- Stuart Burroughs
June 20th: Wandering & begging: The vagrant children of Bristol – Shirley Hodgson
September 19th: Wreckers tales: Ship breakers of the Severn – Paul Barnett
October 17th: Benjamin Milgrove: Musical toy man of Bath- Dr Matthew Spring
November 21ST: The architecture, sculpture & symbolism of a Victorian garden- Alan Bambury
December 19th: The history of pantomime – Prof. Jim Davis
2016
January 19th: Recent excavations in prehistoric Wiltshire – Bob Clarke
February 16th: Who’d be a magistrate: Dealing with food riots in 19thC Bristol. Steve Poole
March 15th: The history of mining in South Gloucestershire- David Hardwick
April 19th: The Beau Street hoard – Stephen Clews
May 17th: Historic farm buildings of Gloucestershire – Dr. Jeremy Lake
June 21st: AGM & Highways and way markers of the south west – Jan Skrine
Sept. 20th: The World War I Project in South Gloucestershire- Jane Marley
Oct. 18th: HOSTS to ALHA AGM: The limits of authority (etc) – Dr. Alex Craven
November 15th: Caribbean slaves in north Wiltshire – Nigel Pocock
December 20th: Christmas with the Georgians – Dr. Cathryn Spence
2015
January 20th: In the footsteps of Maud Heath: Along her Causeway to Chippenham. Kay Taylor
February 17th: A plague of blue locusts: The police in Victorian Bath. Graham Davis
March 17th: Gloucestershire Almshouses- John Loosley
April 21st: The clay tobacco pipe making industry of Marshfield – Marek Lewcun
May 19th: Dame Florence Hancock (Chippenham) 1893-1974 – Melissa Barnett
June 16th: AGM & Pictures & places: The Gloucestershire woollen industry (etc.). Jennifer Tann
September 19th: The Bristol region in the age of the Magna Carta- Prof. Peter Fleming
October 20th: From trenches to trams: The life of a Bristol Tommy—Clive Burlton
November 17th: The rise & fall of the Spa Doctor – Dr. Roger Rolls
December 15th: Let us be merry: Traditional Glos. Carols & wassails -Gwilym & Carol Davies
2014
January 21st: The geology of Dyrham Park – Elizabeth Devon
February 18th: The Cleveland pools- Dr. Linda Watts
March 18th: Family history: Fact or fiction? – Pat Hase
April 15th: A recent history of Marshfield medicine – Dr. Peter Brunyate
May 20th: Village witchcraft- Prof. Ronald Hutton
June 17th: AGM & Highlights of Marshfield records – David Smith
September 16th: Secret underground city: What the Government did at Corsham during World War II – Nick McCamley
October 21st: The Bristol Royal Infirmary & the poor 1757-1856 (etc.) – Dr. Annsofie Witkin
November 18th: The Cotswold Way: 100 miles of history- Dr.Steven Blake
December 16th: The role of the Royal Mail Guard – Martin Horler
2013
January 15th: The Box Tunnel Navvies – Dinah Starkey
February 20th: Time keeping & the clocks of Marshfield – Peter Frankland
March 19th: The stately homes of Roman Britain – Gerry Gowans
April15th: Folk tales of Wiltshire – Kirsty Hartsiotis
May 21st: Researching village archives and maps – Liz Mildner
June 17th: AGM (No talk) & visit to Wiltshire & Swindon Archives
September 17th: Bigwigs to bloomers: Sayings of Bath – Alan Williams
October 15th: Lawrence of Arabia & his motor bikes – Steven Ratcliffe
November 19th: The vindolanda tablets: Life on Hadrian’s Wall – Garry Gowans
December 17th: Paintings & prints in Dyrham Park- Dr. Rupert Goulding
2012
January 16th: Brunel, brotherhood & the early railways in N Wiltshire – Mike Stone
February 20th: Rocks around the Marshfield area – Elizabeth Devon
March 19th: The Tormarton Dig- Richard Osgood
April 16th: The Dutch water gardens of Dyrham Park- Christine Cole
May 21st: The Codringtons of Doddington – David Smith
June 18th: AGM (No talk) & guided walk around Frampton Cotterell- Merle Summers
September 17th: The history of pubs and alehouses – Michael Marshman
October 15th: The history of the Severn Estuary – Simon Haslett
November 19th: yesterday’s run ways: Airfields of Oxon, Wilts., Glos. & the Cotswolds- William King
December 3rd: The importance of dance in the days of Jane Austen- The Jane Austen dancers
2011
January 17th: The peacock male – Barbara Gilmour
February 21st” The history of the Beachley to Aust River Severn ferry (etc.) Tim Ryan
March 21st: The prehistoric landscape from Avebury to Stonehenge (etc.) – Isobel Geddes
April 18th: The pilgrim route to Glastonbury – Dinah Starkey
May 16th: William Tyndale & the origins of the English Bible – David Smith
June 16th: AGM (No talk) & guided walk around West Kington
September 19th: Feisty females of Bath – Audrey Woods
October 17th: The history of deer parks in the area- John Stowers & John Cotton
November 21st: Arts & crafts in the Cotswolds – Kirsty Hartsiosis
December 5th: The history of bell ringing/bells of Marshfield-Terry Chivers/D.Colbourne
2010
January 18th: The murder of Edward II in Berkeley Castle – David Smith
February 15th: Mankind’s greatest blessing: the history of anaesthesia – Dr. Tim Smith
March 15th: The lost ports of the River Severn & the Bristol Channel- Roy Gallop
April 19th: Marianne North: A Victorian artist- Gina Merrett-Smith
May 17th: Strata Smith puts Bath on the map- Elizabeth Devon
June 14th: AGM (No talk) Guided tour of historic sites in Chippenham
September 20th: The history of farming in the Cotswolds – Mark Connelly
October 18th: Chew Valley before the flood – Lesley Ross
November 15th: The Severn Valley tsunami – Simon Haslett
December 6th: Seasonal customs – Prof. Ronald Hutton