SANHS Local History Committee
WHAT’S ON
WHAT’S ON 2026
Join us live at the newly refurbished Wyndham Hall or on-line for one of our entertaining local history talks or come on an enjoyable local history walk.
Past webinars
If you missed our Zoom talks some are available as recordings just click on the title that interests you
John Page: LOCATING THE BURH IN AXBRIDGE and David Victor: LORD ASHBURTON
Watch David Victor’s webinars on ‘The twin manors of Preston Bowyer‘ and ‘The Turbervilles of Gaulden Manor‘.
We are planing a full programme of talks, walks and webinars for 2026. Scroll down to see what’s coming up in the next few months.
Taunton castle in spring
Events you missed!
In April members enjoyed a walk around the art and culture of Watchet and visited the Museum or East Quay. In June On the 16 June John Page gave enjoyed an informative and entertaining account of the life of Hannah More
Our visit to the Hydrographic Office proved a fascinating and informative experience among their many archive treasures. Not only did we see charts from the late 17th to late 20th centuries but also objects such as an early effort at roller charts for air navigation and a copper engraver’s tool chest. Our hosts were able to point out some of the more amusing and idiosyncratic work of surveyors and charts linked to the journeys of Captain Cook, HMS Beagle 1835 and ill-fated HMS Terror and HMS Erebus 1845. There were finely detailed charts of the Bristol Channel coast, the preparations for the D Day landings and Operation Neptune and a long painting of ships off the French Coast including the brig Sylph captained by Charles Dashwood of Vellow Wood, Stogumber.
FUTURE EVENTS: webinars and talks
As the nights draw in why not sample a webinar or a talk at the Wyndham Hall with tea and cake! 2027 events are being planned so watch this space!
THE LIGHT OF HEAVEN: STAINED GLASS IN SOMERSET’S PARISH CHURCHES
A Webinar by Tom Mayberry who will speak about the window treasures to be found in Somerset churches.
Thursday 24 September 2026 7.30 pm
Venue:on-line Book @ sanhschair@sanhs.org Suggested donation £5
GREY, RED AND VIOLET, POWDER BLUE AND SEAWATER GREEN: a multi-coloured industry
Mary Siraut will speak about the west Somerset coloured cloth industries from dyeing the wool to selling cloth, from medieval tauntons and dunsters to serges, duroys and sagathies.
Tuesday 13 October 2026 7.30 pm
Venue: Wyndham Hall
Book with SANHS office@sanhs.org by 12 October Suggested donation £5
Looking ahead to 2027 and beyond can you offer a tour or visit to somewhere of interest perhaps in your own community? If you have any ideas and suggestions then please let us know at office@sanhs.org.
Our Committee
The local history committee is one of the society’s newer committees. It was designed to showcase events illustrating the history of Somerset and its unique localities.
Like the society as a whole the committee exists to promote the history of the historic County of Somerset.
Although a very small group, we are committed to providing a wide range of talks, walks and other events throughout the year for Society members and the wider community.
What we do
Aiming to brighten dull evenings especially in the darker months we aim to provide talks on a wide variety of topics. Tea and cake follow after talks with a chance to talk to the speaker. In the warmer months we also like to get out on walks and visits to historic corners of Somerset and sometimes further afield. By way of contrast symposia bring together a wide range of people and specialist speakers in a relaxed way to enjoy a day of presentations, exhibitions and food where possible.
Our Events
These have included a symposium on the work of Harold St George Gray, looking at the work of one of the leading 19th-century Somerset archaeologists. Others featured sickness and health and Roman Somerset. We have enjoyed guided visits to Dunster, Minehead, the Royal Naval College at Dartmouth, the SS Great Britain and medieval Exeter. Moreover, we have looked at places, people, events and objects, known and relatively unknown, the good, the bad and the downright ugly! Reports on events appear in the SANHS newsletters and on this page.
If you would like to get involved
The committee is always open to new members. If you have an interest in local history and would like to see more events in your area let us know or contact the SANHS office. Also if you have been engaged in some interesting research that you would like to talk about. Perhaps you live in a place of interest you would like to share with other enthusiasts. We are always happy to hear from you.
LOCAL HISTORY NEWS
Our 2019 symposium on “Victorian Architects and Architecture” attracted a wide range of people. They heard distinguished speakers like Julian Orbach, the late Jerry Sampson and John Crockford-Hawley. We also visited the beautiful St Andrew’s Church, Taunton.
Our 2022 programme was full of talks and live events. We had a talk in Castle House in Taunton in March and visited a new museum in Watchet in April. In June a small group enjoyed a guided tour of historic Exeter. Our first post-Covid symposium in May was a successful joint event with the archaeological committee on “Roman Somerset“.
In March 2024 we had our first talk for many years in the Wyndham Hall, which is being renovated followed by more in 2025 with a tour of Taunton castle and a walk around Dunster.
The committee is now planning events for 2026 and beyond.
EARLY SANHS EVENTS
Few people today have the leisure for the days of outings enjoyed by the original members of SANHS! The Somerset Archaeological and Natural History was born in Taunton on 26 Sep 1849. Sir Walter Calverley Trevelyan of Nettlecombe took the chair. There was from the start a strong social side to the society. Members came from the aristocracy, clergy and gentry and their wives as well as professional men.
July 1850
In July 1850 nearly a hundred people met at Nunney to visit the castle before proceeding to the Roman villa at Whatley. There they partook of a cold collation before proceeding to Orchardleigh. Frome members had opened their houses and loaned their carriages to visiting members. ‘So that no visitor incurred any expense in the two days beyond that of going thither and returning’.
The First AGM
In September the AGM was at Wells with talks on the Cathedral as well as the usual reports by the treasurer and others. A further three papers on various subjects were not given as there was insufficient time. The members had been invited to tour the cathedral before dinner. Dinner for 120 was provided at the Judges chambers but up to 60 more had to be turned away. This was still a male dominated society but we are told that many ladies graced the table. Ladies were allowed to join without being approved by ballot as the men had to be. More papers occupied the evening and the following day the bishop’s palace and gardens were visited. Then the members proceeded to Glastonbury abbey and eventually returned home after two days of much gratification and enjoyment!