Dr David Peacock traces the history of Donnington Castle, from its manorial origins in 1287, the licence awarded to Richard Abberbury 'to crenellate and fortify' in 1386, through to the Civil War period and beyond.

“Road by Road books – Inspiration, Research and Publication” Roy Tubb R. B. Tubb is the author of seven local history books, several organised in a road-by-road format, and covering Thatcham, Cold Ash, Greenham, Shaw, Speen and Stockcross, as well as the distinctive publication Newbury Road by Road (2011). Roy Tubb is a retired mathematics […]

“The Craven story” Clive Williams 'This is the rags to riches to rags story of the Craven family. They came from nowhere in the C16th to become one of the richest families in the country in one generation. They then bought up England and then succeeded in losing virtually everything over the next 3 centuries. […]

Camp Hopson was founded in 1921 with the merger of two businesses: a furniture business owned by Joseph Hopson and Camp’s Drapery Bazaar owned by Alfred Camp. The talk will trace the origins of these two family businesses and  their amalgamation, resulting in the cherished department store at 6-12 Northbrook Street.  

The talk will be an introduction to the water industry, how our wastewater is managed and how that interacts with our local waterways. Paul is an ex-geography teacher who has worked at Thames Water for 12 years. He currently works on River Health-related projects as part of Thames Water's strategy and external affairs team.

The talk will include an examination of sundials in Lockinge (which was in Berkshire until 1974), Bucklebury, Stockcross, Reading, Newbury, Avington (near Hungerford) and Crowthorne. Notable local makers include John Blagrave of Reading, David Pawley and John Singleton (all of Newbury) and David Harber of Blewbury. To that list of sundial inventors and makers can […]

The Town and Manor of Hungerford and Liberty of Sanden Fee is a charity (formed in 1908) that protects the local countryside and a wonderful ancient set of rights, for the Commoners and people of Hungerford. The modern estate managed by the Trustees comprises 423 acres (171 hectares) of land including Hungerford Common, Freeman’s Marsh […]

The talk will look at the history of the parish from evidence of early humans in the Palaeolithic, through the birth of the modern town to the present. Important events that shaped the development of Thatcham will be discussed, key buildings will be looked at and the origin of the name. The talk will give […]

Eric Turner will give a brief overview of his career as an art historian, firstly as a porter in Sotheby’s, followed by his career as a curator in the Victoria and Albert Museum. His talk will focus on how both these institutions have responded to changing tastes and markets over the last 50 years. Eric […]