From 2017 Takeley Local History Society meetings are now held in the hall at Roseacres Primary School, CM22 6QY. The meetings start at 7.30pm and are open to all - members free, non members £3 for evening membership. 

Future Events

2020

ALL FUTURE EVENTS ARE CURRENTLY ON HOLD IN LINE WITH GOVERNMENT RESTRICTIONS DUE TO THE COVID-19 VIRUS. PLEASE CHECK THIS PAGE FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS.

Tuesday 5th May 2020, Speaker Ivan Cooper, WWll P.O.W. camp at Hatfield Heath, history and plans for future development of site. CANCELLED MAY BE HELD IN 2021.

Tuesday 15th September 2020, Speaker Andy Robertshaw, Feeding Tommy - rations and cooking on the Western Front

Tuesday 10th November 2020, AGM and Speaker Ken McDonald, "The Hundred Parishes: An Introduction."

Previous Events

2020

Tuesday 11th February 2020, Speaker Bill Hardy, The History of The Bishop’s Stortford Union Workhouse

2019

12th February 2019 Britain on Film: Coast and Sea

14 May 2019: Speaker David Simmonds. Hatfield Forest and it's History

Saturday 1st June, 10am-3.30pm 12th Century Live! Join us as the Museum and Castle ground and help support this Uttlesford event.

10th September 2019: Speaker, Geoff Winckles,  “Seeing the light”- a brief history of how gas lit up Victorian Britain,

12th November 2019: AGM and Speaker, Keith Lovell, History through smuggling in Essex .

2018

6th February 2018 Britain on Film: Rural Life Introduced by: Jemma Buckley | Britain on Film on Tour - Project Manager.

15th May 2018 Speaker Andy Robertshaw, consultant to Steven Speilberg, "Filming War Horse the Movie, Andy Robertshaw's webpage

11th September 2018 Speaker Richard Thomas, "The Royal Gunpowder Mills".

12th September 2018 Visit to the Saffron Walden Museum Shire Hill Store Led by: Carolyn Wingfield, Museum Curator

20th November 2018 AGM and Speaker Bob Ogley - The Great Storm of 1987 Bob Ogley's Website Please note the change of date, originally quoted as 13th Nov now moved to 20th Nov.

2017

7th February Speaker Terry Ward, Station to Station, A guide to the West Anglia Main Line Railway Cambridge to London

16th May Speaker Martyn Lockwood, Heroes and Villains

12th September Speaker Heather Falvey, A recipe book compiled in the late 18th century by Baroness Dimsdale

30th September Visit to Cressing Temple Barns with a guided tour led by Hilary Mynott

14th November Speaker David Gunn, His career in the army, modern military communications and recent events in Afghanistan.

2016

2nd February AGM (resceduled from Nov 15) and Speaker Alf Wright, Local Villages, People and Places

17th May Speaker Andy Robertshaw - Digging the Trenches: the archaeology of the Western Front. Andy is a freelance Military Historian, author and broadcaster and will be familiar to all from his frequent TV appearances.

20th August Walking tour of Bush End Church and activity in Hatfield Forest during WW2, led by John Monk. Click here to view the presentation

11th September Outing to Pleshey Castle 11.15 am at the Castle Mound. Guided tour by Nick Wickenden, Chelmsford Museums Manager

13th September Speaker Tony Carter, Metal Detectorist

15th November AGM and Speaker Kate Cole - The Witches of Elizabethan England

2015

3rd February, Speaker Carolyn Wingfield, "Saffron Walden Museum".

5th May, Speaker Pete Jennings,  “The Anglo Saxon”

1st August, Guided Tour of Takeley Holy Trinity Church, Trevor Allen

15th September , The Local Area Captured on Film and Newsreel, a video presentation by Steve Hazon

17th November , Speaker Dr L J F Ashdown-Hill, FSA, FRHistS
Leader of Genealogical Research and Historical Adviser, 'LOOKING FOR RICHARD' Project.

2014

4th February speaker Jess Jephcott "Iron Age and Roman Colchester"

6th May speaker Sarah Turner, Curator Bishop's Stortford Museum "Recent Event at the Museum"

4th September Summer Outing to Essex Police Museum - Ticket Only - SOLD OUT

23rd September speaker Richard Thomas, "Guy Fawkes" (Please note change of date)

18th November AGM and speaker Martyn Lockwood," Zeppelins over Essex"

2013

5th Feb, Speaker Robert Lodge, The History of Lodge's Coaches

7th May, Speaker Peter Paye, Thaxted and Elsenham Railway

6th July Visit to Ashfields Carriage Museum Great Canfield

17th Sep, Speaker Tim Turner of Sworder Auction Rooms, "A Nice Cup Of Tea"

19th Nov, AGM and speaker Martyn Lockwood Victorian Murders in Essex

2012

7th February - Speaker: Paul Lewis of The Thatching and Building Co, The History of Thatch

1st May - Speaker John Sly - Why Collect Medals?

4th August - A visit to Fred Knight’s private collection of Organs, Engines & Farming Implements

18th September - Speaker Gorden Barker - Aspects of Elsenham History

20th November - Speaker Roger Barrett, history of the Fuller Maitland family who lived at Stansted Hall

2011

1st February. Speaker Alf Wright, Photographs of the Five Parishes

3rd May Speaker Dr Nunn, Early General Practice

9th July Visit to Bob Smith’s Private Collection of Farm Implements

13th September Speaker Tim Turner of Sworders,Miniature Furniture

22nd November AGM + Speaker Mike Perry of David Lipson Photography, Local History with Photographs

2010

2nd February Speaker Steve Hazon, The Local Area on Film

4th May Rosanne Kirkpatrick. Audley End

14th September Bruce Munro - Thaxted. Bruce was our first speaker in 1999 we welcomed him back after 11 years.

23rd November AGM and Speaker Steve Schorah - The Dunmow Flitch

2009

3 February Speaker: Richard Thomas. The Royal Gunpowder Mills (This was Cancelled due to bad weather)

5 May Speaker : Fred Feather. Arsenic and Old Essex

4th July Visit to Hatfield Forest. Starting at 11.00am from "Pantiles" (opposite the Green Man) a gentle walk of just over 3 miles through Hatfield Forest returning at approximately 1.30pm. John Monk will conduct us to the site of the Doodle Oak and the wartime ammunition dump.

29 September A WALK WITH THE ADMIRAL - The history of a suburban road.” Speaker Richard Thomas. - A simple story of a street, from the first land records in 1527 up to modern aerial photographs of the 1990's. You see the plans of the Victorian developer, meet the first families and follow the growth of the community up to the present day.

24 November AGM and Speaker Ivor Warne, The Imperial War Museum, Duxford

2008

5 February Speaker: Ray Addley. Hatfield Forest, The Shell House and the Houblon Family

6 May Speaker: Steve Reynolds, Gamekeeper

3 June A field visit to Gt. Canfield Church 6.30 pm. A tour of the church will be conducted by James Purves, Churchwarden

14 June 10th Anniversary Celebration Barbeque and Display of Photographs. Members and guests only.

16 September, Speaker Georgina Green - Dick Turpin

25 November, AGM and Jack Wright (Farming between the wars) and Steve Hazon (The TLHS website and history research without leaving home)

2007

6 February Speaker: John Drury, Essex Workhouses

8 May Speaker: Sarah Turner. The Bishop's Stortford Museum, Its Role, Its Collection, Its Aims

14 August: 6.30pm Meet at and Visit Little Canfield Church, Speaker Sue Gowlett, organised by Bil l Marshall

18 September Speaker: Brian  Creasey - The Countess, her Garden and the Prince

27 November Speaker Trevor Allen "The Village Sign" and AGM

2006

7 February, Speaker: Trevor Allen, Takeley Records

9 May, Speaker Tim Turner of Sworders, The History of Auctions and Auctioneering

21 July, A field visit to Bush End Church and The Shell House Hatfield Forest, led by John Monk

3 October, Speaker: Jacqueline Cooper, CLAVERING CASTLE, A MYSTERIOUS MOATED MONUMENT

28 November, AGM and THE BRITISH TELEPHONE SERVICE 1937-1980. Speaker Jack Wright.

2005

1 February. Speaker: Wally Wright of Bishop's Stortford - Unseen and Unknown

3 May. Speaker: Peter Nottage, local Thatcher

9 August. Speaker: Emlyn Humphries, Takeley Chapel History and Tour

4 October. Speaker: Jane Timby, Oxford /Wessex Archeaology, A Slice of Rural Essex, Recent work along A120 Stansted to Braintree

29 November, AGM and Speaker Jack Wright

2004

24 February. Speaker: Martin Astell - The Essex Sound and Video Archive

20 April. Speaker: Nancy Woodley - The Cinderella Army. tales of the Land Army in WW2

22 June. Speaker: Mike Roy, Essex Archaeology Unit - Lower Bamber's Green Roman/Mediaeval Site

24 August. Guided tour of Holy Trinity Church by Trevor Allen

12 October. Speakers: Steve and Pat Schorah  - Local Postcards

30 November. AGM. Speakers Trevor Allen - Slide show of Old Takeley Photographs and Bill Marshall - Researching Information for the Booklets

2003

25 February.  Speaker Ernie Field - Sitting on the Fence, Life at Wood Row in the 1920s               

27 May.  Speaker Alfie Wright - Now and Then in The Five Parishes (Broxted with Chickney, Tilty, Great Easton and Little Easton).  

22 July.  Speaker Adrian Gibson - Local Timber Framed Buildings    

16 September.  Members open evening showing results of latest research

4 November.  AGM. Presentations by members, Don Dean (Agricultural Steam Engines and Equipment on Local Farms) and Roy Livermore (Takeley Aerial Photographs).  

2002

12 February.  Speaker:   Trevor Allen - Around Old Takeley

16 April. Speaker: W J Wright - Takeley in the 1920s and 30s

14 May.  Speaker: Brian  Creasey - The Countess, her Garden and the Prince

14 June. Exhibition of TLHS Reports and Photographs as part of Takeley Jubilee Celebrations

9 July.  Speaker:  Gordon Barker - Elsenham Past

8 October.   AGM. Speaker: Natasha Soans (National Trust Warden) - The History Of Hatfield Forest

26 November.   Club Night. Members presented their own research. Presentation given by Dave Venable (Takeley Station Goods Inward Books), Steve Hazon (TLHS Computer Archive of Material and the Website), Bill Marshall  (Takeley Nurseries and the Chaff Factory) and Don Dean (A Selection of Photographs including the Chaff Factory Vehicles, Local Pubs, Takeley Sawmill and the Shell House).

2001

13 February.   Speaker: David Austin - Did the Vikings come to Takeley?

8 May.  Speakers:  Pat and Steve Schorah  - Collecting local postcards, a trip round Dunmow in the Edwardian Era

10 July.  Open exhibition

9 October.  AGM Speaker: Ms Carolyn Wingfield (Curator, Saffron  Walden Museum) - A world of discovery on your doorstep – past, present and future of Saffron Walden Museum

2000

8 February.   Speaker: Howard  Brooks - From Neolithic to now

9 May.  Reports of ongoing research

17 June. Exhibition of TLHS material at the Takeley 2000 Millennium Festival

11 July.  Exhibition from Society's archives and individuals' collections

10 October. AGM Speaker: Mr Chris Bell (Assistant Project Manager, Framework Archaeology) - Recent finds at the Airport site

1999

17 February.   First visiting speaker: Bruce Munro - People and places in Saffron Walden

24 May.   Open meeting – Society news and photos from the archives

12 October.   AGM Chair's annual report – reports of ongoing research

1998

8 June.  Meeting to set up Society

29 July.  Inaugural meeting.  Slides from Trevor Allen's collection

28 October.   First AGM - ongoing work - future plans