Current news from Hagley Historical & Field Society
On 5 March we welcome Alan Peace presenting ‘Himley Hall, Past, Present and Future’ For many years, Himley Hall belonged to successive Earls of Dudley. The Hall began as a Hunting Lodge and after many redevelopments it steadily grew into the grand house we see today. Between 1920 and 1936 it was so grand that Edward, Prince of Wales, later to become King Edward VIII, frequently visited the house for weekend shooting parties, he also made use of the indoor swimming pool, which was equipped with a water chute and cocktail bar! Alan will share the stories of the house and park, gathered over 27 years’ experience as a Himley Park Ranger.
On 2 April we welcome the return of Mary Bodfish who will be sharing ‘How we lived then’. History is full of the stories of the rich and powerful, with much less being known about the lives of ‘ordinary’ people. One way we can learn snapshots about the lives and homes of our forebears is through probate inventories. In this talk, Mary will use inventories to take a “time machine” tour round the house of a late 17th-century yeoman - and see in detail how his hard-working family cooked, dined, slept, cleaned, and clothed themselves.
The society’s meetings are held at 8pm in St Saviour’s Hall on the first Tuesday of each month. Visitors are most welcome at all our events.
Welcome to Hagley Historical and Field Society. On our website you will discover something of the history of Hagley and details of our activities. You will find a warm welcome at our meetings which are generally held on the first Tuesday of each month.
We enjoy a wide variety of speakers talking on a range of topics relating to the history of Worcestershire, the West Midlands and beyond. Visitors are also welcome to join the full programme of walks and visits. Whilst the majority of our members are happy to enjoy the meetings and other activities, a small group is engaged in active local research; some of their publications may be viewed our site.
