Our focus in 2017 is to show off our progress!

The Walled Garden project began in 2001. We now have an excellent team of over a hundred volunteers working in different groups depending on their interests, including assisting at our Summer Open Days, research, gardening & building conservation. There are now over 650 different plants in the garden!

Our research volunteers have provided extensive material for a number of talks for groups; including The History of the Walled Garden from the 18th to the 21st Century. See our website for full information.

In 2017 the garden will be open each Wednesday from May 3rd to  September 27th 10.30-4.30, entrance is only £5 including a tour.

Groups can pre-book a private Talk, Tour & Tea of the Walled Garden and enjoy tea, coffee and biscuits with an illustrated talk on a subject of your choice, followed by a tour of the garden including the garden, glasshouses, back sheds, and Dairy.

A talk by Professor David Bates
At The Old Hall, Berkhamsted School
On Friday 7^th April at 7.30pm

A new insight into the Norman Conquest and the English surrender at Berkhamsted will be given in a talk by an eminent historian in the town in April.

Following his unveiling of a bronze bust of William, commemorating the 950^th anniversary of the Battle of Hastings, Professor David Bates is making good his offer to return and speak about this historic event in greater detail.

Professor Bates, who holds the chair of medieval studies at the University of East Anglia, has just published a new biography, William the Conqueror. In his talk he will describe how there are still lessons to be learned from the event which changed English history forever.

After the talk Professor Bates will invite questions from the audience and sign copies of his book, which will be on sale.

There will also be another chance to see the bust, which will be exhibited at the school.

Tickets for the event are priced £5 for adults and free of charge to students, to include refreshments.

To reserve your place book online here

It’s time to vote on the Design competition organised by the Friends of St Peter’s for “A Seat to Remember” in Rectory Lane Cemetery. The competition attracted over 50 entries.

To see the designs and vote for a 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the single bench competition and for one of the composite schemes for the whole of the Cemetery seating visit here

Our fifth talk of the season is on Wed 11 Jan, by Stephen Lally, Society member: “Your ancestors in Ireland 1818-1848: a dreadful life leading up to the Great Famine.”

Society meetings take place at 8:00pm in the Wellcome Great Hall, Town Hall, Berkhamsted. Visitors are always welcome @ £3 at the door.

On Wed 7 Dec, the Society’s fourth talk of the season is by Alex Thompson: ‘Archaeology along the Bulbourne Valley: Roman excavations at Bridgewater School, Northchurch and Cow Roast’. This will be followed by Christmas drinks. Society meetings take place at 8:00pm in the Wellcome Great Hall, Town Hall, Berkhamsted. Visitors are always welcome @ £2.50 at the door.

“Held on the 3rd Wednesday of each month in a central Hertfordshire location, these talks will bring together some of the foremost military historians from throughout the United Kingdom for a series covering a wide range of subjects relating to the Great War. As with all our talks, the Herts at War 2016/17 series will be FREE to attend, although as a non-profit organisation your donations are welcome. All talks will commence at 7.30pm with arrival from 7pm.”

Dates for your diary:

Wed 16 Nov 2016 – Andy Robertshaw – The attack on Beaumont Hamel
Wed 14 Dec 2016 – Jeremy Banning – La Boiselle – Underground War
Wed 18 Jan 2017 – Peter Barton – The Somme – From both sides of the wire
Wed 15 Feb 2017 – Clive Harris – TBC
Wed 15 Mar 2017 – Richard Van Emden – Meeting the Enemy
Wed 19 April 2017 – Peter Hart – Air War over Arras
Wed 17 May 2017 – Mike St Maur Sheil – Fields of Battle – Lands of Peace
Wed 21 Jun 2017 – Professor Gary Sheffield – Gallipoli & Western Front compared
Wed 19 Jul 2017 – Gordon Corrigan – 3rd Battle of Ypres
Wed 16 Aug 2017 – Dan Hill – The Hertfordshire Regiment in 1917

More information here

On Wed 9 Nov, our third talk of the season is by Jelena Belvac, Museum of London: ‘Human Osteology; the wonderful world of archaeological bones and skeletons’. Society meetings take place at 8:00pm in the Wellcome Great Hall, Town Hall, Berkhamsted. Visitors are always welcome @ £2.50 at the door. Photo of skeleton with disarticulated skull, found at the old Royal Mail sorting office in St John’s Well Lane during Pre-Construct Archaeology dig in 2012-2013 (Janice Boakes, Chronicle, vol XII, Mar 2015, p.73).

It’s time for our first talk of the season! Louise Gent will tell us about ‘Berkhamsted School for Girls: an Edwardian Snapshot’ on Wed, 14 Sep 2016.

Society meetings take place at 8:00 pm in the Wellcome Great Hall, Town Hall, Berkhamsted. Visitors are always welcome @ £2.50 at the door.

Here’s our packed programme of events for the 8-11 Sep 2016: Heritage Open Days

Be sure to book your place on the tours of Berkhamsted Place, “Garrison Town Berkhamsted” (follow in the footsteps of the Inns of Court Officers Training Corps), Ashlyns School Foundling Hospital, St Peter’s Church and the Court House, Rectory Lane Cemetery, Old Hall and the Chapel at Berkhamsted School, DHT Museum Store, the Town Hall and Berkhamsted Castle.

Don’t miss this opportunity to see something of Berkhamsted’s hidden history!