The Object of the Society is to provide a common meeting ground for the study and discussion of, and research into, history in general, and of the local area in particular.

President - The Lord Remnant
Chairman - Peter Halman
Vice Chairman - (Vacant)
Treasurer/Membership Secretary -
Secretary - Tel: 0118 940 3121
Programme Secretary - Helen Perry
Committee members:-
- David Ball
- Sarah Houghton
- Mary Owen
- Wendy Smith

We are happy to try and respond (in our own good time!) to requests for information about people and places in the history of Wargrave parish. Please email us at:

Please send any queries regarding this website to Email :

The Society supports the work of the Wargrave Heritage Trust

The Society is affiliated to the Berkshire Local History Association. and is a member of the British Association for Local History.

For more British History background, explore the BBC's Web Pages by clicking here:

Search the reports of meetings for particular topics of interest

Click this image for information about the wartime crash of a USAAF B-17 Flying Fortress and the Dedication of the Memorial to its crew on 13th Nov 2014

The Society's third book was published on Saturday 25th June 2011
Price £9.95
Read about and order our books here.

The Harriette Cooke Smith Photo Albums
In 2009, we acquired three albums of photographs which feature (inter alia) scenes of Wargrave from the 1870s belonging to Harriette Cooke Smith - see some images here.

We are always interested in adding to our collection of pictures, documents, books, maps etc relating to Wargrave, so if you have anything that you think may be of interest, please contact us.

Reports of Recent Meetings:

January 2018 February 2018

March 2018 April 2018

Reports of previous meetings are held in an Archive

Meetings take place at 8 p.m. in
The Pavilion on the Recreation Ground
(Click for a map)

Subscriptions: Individual £9 ; Family £12 ; Concessions £8 ; Visitors are welcome - £3 per meeting

2018
April 10	Clive Williams	Shire Hall Remembered Clive was the County Secretary and County Solicitor for the Berkshire County Council, and explained some of its history, operation and personalities.
May 8	Dr Margaret Simons	Reading in World War 1 Margaret, a noted local historian, has made a special study of Reading during World War 1, and will share some of her discoveries with us.
June 12	Ian Wheeler	Fairmile Hospital - a Victorian Asylum Ian is the author of the recent book on Fairmile Hospital, at Cholsey, which from 1870 until 2003 provided for Berkshire patients with mental health issues.
July 11	Local History Visit	Dorney Court This year we will visit the Tudor mansion at Dorney Court, parts dating from 1440, and home to the Palmer family for well over 450 years.
September 11	Joe and Joy Haynes	Wargrave Theatre Workshop Joe and Joy will tell us about this now well established part of the village community, founded in 1975, along with the first Village Festival.
October 9	Paul Lacey	Smith's of Reading Smith's distinctive blue and orange coaches will be remembered by many, and local historian and author Paul Lacey will tell us of their history.
November 13	David Lewis	Old Windsor David Lewis will reveal the history of Old Windsor - the longer established neighbour of better-known New Windsor with its castle.
December 11	Christmas Party	Christmas Party.
2019
January 8	Audrey Curtis	Twyford and Ruscombe Audrey, secretary of the Twyford and Ruscombe Local History Society, is author of the recent book about these two neighbouring villages, and will tell us of the people, places and events associated with them.
February 12	Graham Horn	History and Restoration of the Kennet and Avon Canal The Kennet and Avon Canal was a busy means of transport, linking Reading to Bath, and Graham will tell us of its history, from its inception to its heyday, its decline, and subsequent restoration.
March 12	A G M	The Annual General Meeting.