Category: Reports
September 30, 2019|Reports
“Archaeological Excavations in Wickham”
Over seventy Wickham History Society members and visitors came to hear Jeremy Clutterbuck of Cotswold Archaeology report back on the archaeological excavations on the “South Glebe” – the area behind School Road, where the new roundabout has been built. Wickham’s Roman Road Jeremy confirmed that the line of the roman road had been identified, with…
Find Out More »August 31, 2019|Reports
Summer Visit – Lee-on the-Solent Heritage Waterfront Walk and Talk
In August, twenty of us enjoyed breezy weather and a sunny Solent for our stroll along the Lee-on-the-Solent waterfront with our guide Jonathan from the Lee-on-the-Solent Residents’ Association (LRA). He pointed out that strictly you should always use the “the” in the name of the town, something few of us do! Lee was largely a…
Find Out More »July 31, 2019|Reports
Summer Visit to Eling Tide Mill
The first of our two summer visits was to the Eling Tide Mill, one of only two working tide mills remaining in England today which we are lucky to have close by on the Solent. In early July, WHS and WS members joined the tour around the current mill (dating back to 1785) explaining how…
Find Out More »May 31, 2019|Reports
“Tales my father told me: One man’s early life in Wickham” – David Houghton
You had to be pretty tough to go to Wickham School in the early 1900s. At playtime and lunchtime, rain or shine, the school was locked and the children had to play outside. Heating in the classrooms was not great either! David Houghton shared his father Jack’s reminiscences on his childhood in Wickham with 47…
Find Out More »May 29, 2019|Reports
Wickham History Society: Annual Report 2018-2019
Chair’s Introduction: It’s been a busy year for the Society. We hope you have had a look at the village history boards and our new look website and have enjoyed this year’s talks. Have you got your copy of the second edition of the Guide to Historic Wickham, published in 2018? Copies on sale at…
Find Out More »April 30, 2019|Reports
“Simon De Montfort and the First English Revolution” – Dr Sophie Ambler
Wickham owes its market square to a charter from Henry III (1207-1272) so it was disappointing to hear from Dr Sophie Ambler that he was not one of our better kings. Sophie’s family live in Hampshire but she lectures in medieval history at the University of Lancaster and 65 member and visitors were present on…
Find Out More »March 31, 2019|Reports
“Wickham’s Mill and Water Meadows” – Geoff Phillpotts
In 1656, a Mr Mowbray, tenant farmer of Great Funtley Farm on Titchfield Road, is said to have built Wickham’s ‘New River’ – running for about four miles from the current water meadows in the centre of the village to the farm. Over 60 members and visitors heard from Geoff Phillpotts on Tuesday 26th March…
Find Out More »February 28, 2019|Reports
“Causes of Death” – Dr Simon Wills
A cheerful topic for our February meeting! Dr Simon Wills took 42 members and visitors on a trip down a morbid memory lane looking at how the major causes of death have changed since the earliest records – dating back as far as 1660. While today our “top five” are cancer, heart disease, stroke, pneumonia…
Find Out More »January 31, 2019|Reports
“A Roman Service Station ?” Jeremy Clutterbuck of Cotswold Archaeology
A cold, damp January evening is not the most inviting time to go out but the Houghton Room was full to capacity on January 22nd to hear Jeremy Clutterbuck talk about Cotswold Archaeology’s exciting finds on the Glebe field (behind School Road). A planned open day last year had to be cancelled due to site…
Find Out More »January 31, 2019|Reports
“Deciphering a 12th century Wickham Manuscript” – Jim Coleman & Geoff Phillpotts
Sadly David Houghton was unable to give his planned talk due to ill health but Jim Coleman kindly filled the gap with a fascinating insight into the hard task of deciphering medieval latin documents. Before 1735 many legal documents were still in latin: in Wickham’s case this included manor court documents, church court cases, bonds…
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