Programme for the next few months

All talks are held at the Combe Down Primary School Hall in Summer Lane, BA2 5JX, except where otherwise indicated.   Doors open at 7pm, events start at 7.30pm. CDHS Members £2, Visitors £4. All tickets on the door.

MonthDateSpeakerTopic
October30thSimon CastensThe Titfield Thunderbolt – talk and showing of the complete film. N.B. This event takes place at The Hub in Mulberry Park.
November20thJennifer JohnThe Wansdyke: an enigmatic link with the Dark Ages.
December18thBah, humbug! Christmas celebrations, with mulled wine and mince pies.
January(There is no talk this month.)

Next Wednesday evening talk

On Wed 8th May we will have the next in our popular series of local history talks. Dr David Carr (retd.) will speak about The History of Combe Down Surgery.

Many of you will remember Dr Carr’s amusing account at our Christmas Wassail of incidents occurring during his long period as a Combe Down Doctor. One Wednesday, David will talk about the Surgery building’s heritage, and the roles of the doctors who kept our village healthy.

The talk will take place as usual in the Combe Down Primary School Hall in Summer Lane, BA2 5JX. The talk itself starts at 7.30pm, and the doors are open from 7.00pm. CDHS Members £2. Non-members are very welcome at the talk; entrance is £4. All tickets on the door.

CDHS Guided Summer Walk – WW2 trenches in Hog Wood

We will be conducting a guided walk to see the WW2 Anti-Invasion Defences at Hog Wood, Hinton Charterhouse. This will take place on 9 August.

In 1940, construction of massive defensive works was initiated across the country to hinder the anticipated Nazi attack. Hog Wood has one of the most complete sections of anti-tank ditch, slit trenches and pillbox remains still existing.

The walk is flat over about 2 miles and will take about 2 hours. Wear footwear suitable for rough footpaths, and wear or bring clothing according to the weather forecast.

We will meet on Wednesday 9th August at 2pm at Freshford Football Club, opposite the entrance to Homewood Hotel on Abbey Lane, Freshford BA2 7TB. No pre-booking required – just turn up (and bring a friend if you wish!). Parking available in the Club car park. Please contact events@combedownheritage.org.uk if you need a lift.

Price £5 per person, cash on the day.

Next Wednesday Evening Talk

On Wednesday the 9th November, we have the next in our regular talk series:  Pyronaut and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Pageant.  This depiction of the historic boats in Bristol Harbour will be given by Clive Brain of the M Shed, Bristol.

The talk will be in Combe Down Primary School hall as usual, whose entrance is on Summer Lane, BA2 5JX. The talk starts at 7.30pm; doors open at 7pm. CDHS Members £1, Visitors £3. All tickets on the door.

Programme for the next 6 months of 2022

All talks are held at the Combe Down Primary School Hall in Summer Lane, BA2 5JX.   Events start at 7.30pm. CDHS Members £1, Visitors £3. All tickets on the door.

MonthDateSpeakerTopic
April6thCourtney Fleming (chair)Panel Discussion to mark World Heritage 50th Anniversary, with Prof Barry Gilbertson, Sarah, Simmonds and Paul Simmons
May11th CDHS Annual General Meeting (to immediately precede the talk)
May11thDan MerrettRare Flora and Fauna on Bath Skyline
June8thTrevor OsborneBuilding Development on Heritage Sites
September14thColin MaggsSteam Trains: the Pines Express

Programme for the remainder of 2021

All talks are held at the Combe Down Primary School Hall in Summer Lane, BA2 5JX.   Events start at 7.30pm.
CDHS Members £1, Visitors £3. All tickets on the door.

In the hope and expectation that public meetings in some form or other will be possible in the Autumn, four talks have been scheduled as follows.

MonthDateSpeakerTopic
September8thDr. Richard IrvingHistory of Combe Down mines
October13th Dr. Roger RansomeHorseshoe bat population of the Combe Down mines
November10thDr. Roger RollsHistory of infectious diseases in Bath
December8thMichael Howard-KyanRiding Africa

PLEASE WATCH FOR ANY CHANGES DUE TO COVID PANDEMIC

CDHS AGM 2021

This year’s Annual General Meeting was held successfully online for the first time, using Zoom. It took place at 7.30 p.m. on Friday 16 April.

It was attended by (at least) 23 people, although many kept their video feeds turned off (at our request) so the actual total number of members present may have been larger.

The minutes of the meeting are available here.

2021 Programme so far

All talks are held at the Combe Down Primary School Hall in Summer Lane, BA2 5JX.   Events start at 7.30pm.
CDHS Members £1, Visitors £3. All tickets on the door.

PLEASE WATCH FOR ANY CHANGES DUE TO COVID PANDEMIC

All talks are cancelled until further notice

Annual General Meeting 2020

The rescheduled date for our AGM was to have been 22nd May 2020 but in view of the continuing uncertainty about when public gatherings of any sort will be possible the Committee has taken the decision to postpone  until life returns to normal.  Obviously we all hope this will be as soon as possible.

We will be contacting our members again shortly with copies of the annual accounts and the Chair’s report for last year so that we can answer any questions you may have before the year under review becomes too distant.

Meanwhile do let me know if you have any thoughts on what we could or should be doing before normal service resumes.

This comes with our best wishes

Simon Burrows

*** CHRISTOPHER TIPPING PLATES FOR SALE !!! ***

Many of us remember the commemorative plates that were commissioned to mark the completion of the stabilisation of the Stone Mines. Each of the 691 householders living over the mines was given a ceramic plate – one small part of a map – representing not only their individual house but the mine world beneath and the creatures to be found there.

Of the single print run that was made for exhibition, there are a number of duplicates remaining and these are available for sale to Combe Down residents.

Prices are from £5 to £10 depending on the image and detail depicted, with further price reductions available on request.
Contact: Jen Morgan at info@museumofbathstone.org.uk or phone 01225 837439. (N.B. The email address in the image below is wrong.)