Chastleton – Centuries of family life Everywhere you looked, there were echoes of the family who had owned and lived in Chastleton House for four centuries.  Built between 1607-1612, this lovely, highly symmetrical building nestles in a fold of the Cotswolds.  It is arguably one of the most eccentric, but also one of the most […]

The Henley Town honour awarded to longtime member of our Group On 18th March, before an audience of fellow local historians, family, friends and Councillors – the Mayor of Henley, Kellie Hinton, invested Ruth with the Town Medal. It is awarded only rarely and is a real honour. Ruth’s name is now on a board

Viv Greenwood has done it again, when her latest information plaque, this time targeting the Henley Royal Regatta and sited – appropriately – on the river bank opposite the Leander Club. The beautiful plaque was unveiled on 13 January 2024.    Do you think that you know everything about the Regatta? Why did salad leaves

River Maintenance and the Archaeology of the Thames Miles Clifford, a PhD student at the University of Reading, spoke to the Henley Archaeological and Historical Group on 2nd January about his research. His topic was river maintenance and the archaeology of the Thames and the title of his talk refers to a reward paid to workmen

On 5th December 2023, the Henley Archaeological and Historical Group enjoyed seasonal treats and an extensively illustrated presentation by the practising potter Jane White on the work of Alan Caiger-Smith and the studio he established at Aldermaston. Alan founded his studio in 1955, in a former blacksmith’s shop acquired for only £500. His work revived

To All Members and Friends The following books are available to anyone interested in them – in return for a small donation of £2.00 to HA&HG funds. If you are interested, email Chris at:  chriswhiteheadhambleden@gmail.com specifying the book number and part of the title. Books will be delivered at our monthly meetings, or by prior

Stephen Barker, a trustee of the Buckinghamshire Military Museum, gave a fascinating and wide-ranging talk on Oxfordshire in the Second World War to the Henley Archaeological and Historical Group on 7th November. Stephen drew heavily on first-person accounts of the people of the time. Preparations for the War began in 1938, including the construction of

VISIT TO DORCHESTER-ON-THAMES ON 12 OCTOBER 2023 By Liz Toms and Michael Redley   The rendezvous was at the George Hotel in the High Street. Twenty-five of us met there for coffee on 12 October with our Blue Badge guide, Debby Keegan. Her task was to show us first the Abbey; then its museum in

Our autumn talk was given on 15 September by Dr Jonathan Healey who has recently published his book on the seventeenth century –  The Blazing World – the story of a strange but fascinating century, told in sparkling detail. In his book Jonathan describes the lives of ordinary people in ‘vivid technicolour’ and his lecture

Our Autumn Lecture Our autumn talk was given on 15 September by Dr Jonathan Healey who has recently published his book on the seventeenth century – The Blazing World – the story of a strange but fascinating century, told in sparkling detail. In his book Jonathan describes the lives of ordinary people in ‘vivid technicolour’