2026
Next event
July 15th (Wed) The English Village Dr Jill Eyers
Discover when, where and why villages emerged in the English landscape. This talk will provide many interesting insights and dispel some common myths.
Dr Eyers is a geologist and lives in the Chilterns. She has lectured for several UK universities and her career has taken her to projects in the Caribbean, Brazil and Turkey. Jill moved into the archaeological world when she set up Chiltern Archaeology in 2006.
Upcoming events
2026
9 June 2026 (Tuesday) 7pm MIKRON Theatre Company perform Wensleydale Whey
20th June (Saturday,12 noon) 50th Anniversary Party and BBQ White Horse Hedgerley – £15
1st July (Wed) Guided Tour of Luton Hoo Walled Garden (Self Drive) 11am £7.50
The Walled Garden at Luton Hoo Estate was designed by Capability Brown in the late 1760’s for John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute, noted Botanist and Prime Minister under George III.The Garden changed and evolved under owners and management to match the fashion of horticulture in the 19th and 20th centuries, with each owner leaving their mark on the garden’s rich history.
8th July (Wed) 6.30pm A Summer Evening at Bekonscot Free
Bekonscot Model Village & Railway is the world’s oldest and original model village, opening for the first time in 1929.
In 1927, Mr Roland Callingham, a London accountant, instructed gardeners to dig a swimming pool at his home in Beaconsfield. The pool and tennis courts were used for garden parties, attended by politicians, royals, aristocrats and the movers and shakers of the era, they would come out for a breath of country air. In 1928, Mrs Callingham made a short but moving speech which suggested that either the indoor model railway went, or she did. The model railway moved outdoors.
Local buildings and personal favourites of the staff provided much of the village’s inspiration, for all were constructed from memory, photos or imagination. Bekonscot’s founder was never concerned with precision: it was, and always will be, eccentric, fun and full of character – Bekonscot was never meant to be taken too seriously.
Bekonscot has been through many changes in its history. The biggest change came in 1992, when it went from being a modern reflection of rural England featuring all of the latest cars, trains and planes, to reverting back to capturing a snapshot in time of the 1930s.
July 15th (Wed) The English Village Dr Jill Eyers
Discover when, where and why villages emerged in the English landscape. This talk will provide many interesting insights and dispel some common myths.
Dr Eyers is a geologist and lives in the Chilterns. She has lectured for several UK universities and her career has taken her to projects in the Caribbean, Brazil and Turkey. Jill moved into the archaeological world when she set up Chiltern Archaeology in 2006.
5th August (Wed) Coach Outing to Canterbury (from Hedgerley Premier SL2 3RP 8.30am) £30 Join us as we head east for a visit to the historic city of Canterbury where you will have the opportunity to visit a UNESCO World Heritage Site – Canterbury Cathedral which dates back to 597AD when St Augustine became the first Archbishop, the ruins of St Augustine’s Abbey and St Martin’s Church where St Augustine first worshipped in England’s oldest working Parish Church.
If you like Museums you can visit the Roman Museum, Beaney House of Art and Knowledge and Kent Museum of Freemasonry. A perfect way to discover interesting facts and hidden gems of the city is by taking a river boat tour or for the more adventurous punts can be hired. Guided (or self guided) walking tours are available and you can relax in Dane John and Westgate Gardens. There are plenty of cafes and restaurants plus retail therapy in the extensive shopping area.
6th September (Sun) Fawley Hill Railway and Museum Invitation Running Day £15
Bookings close 1st July
Fawley Museum is a private museum established in the 1960s by the late Sir William McAlpine at his estate near Henley on Thames. It hosts a fine collection of memorabilia and models relating to railways and other forms of transport together with a working standard gauge railway operating on the steepest gradient in the country.
16 September (Wed) Elizabethan and Jacobean Playhouses of London Paul McGarrity
23rd September (Wednesday) Guided Tour of Cumberland Lodge Windsor Great Park £15
The Lodge was built in the 17th century by John Byfield, a captain in Oliver Cromwell’s army, and was originally known as Byfield House. It was taken over by Charles II following the restoration of the monarchy, and for much of its subsequent history it was the official residence of the Rangers of Windsor Great Park. The first to reside at the Lodge was Baptist May, Keeper of the Privy Purse. Other rangers to reside at the Lodge include Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough, and William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, the third son of King George II and from whom the building takes its name.
21 October (Wed) A Story of Henley-on-Thames Graham Horn
31 October 2026 (Sat) Autumn Lunch and Titan of the Thames Peter Williams
18 November (Wed) “For people who hate dates: the dates in English history which really matter, and some that don’t” Peter Phippen
28 November (Sat) The Really Great Escape Bernard Foot
9 December (Wed) Windsor and Shakespeare Dr David Lewis
20 January 2027 (Wed) The History of British Gardens Lindsey Engers
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