Petersfield High Street North

Part of front cover designed by Edward Grainger for Petersfield Monographs No. 2 entitled ‘High Street Petersfield’.

Dorothy Grainger

Dorothy Grainger

Dorothy Grainger was an historian. She taught it both at secondary school level and, on her retirement, as a lecturer for WEA. It was the enthusiastic response to her lectures on local history held at Petersfield Community Centre that she became the prime mover in the formation of Petersfield Area Historical Society in 1973.

Dorothy was our founder chairman and president, setting our society a high standard for local history research. To achieve this she set up sub groups such as the Parish Register Group, initially leading them herself and then getting others to take over when they were established. Much of the work from these sub groups is now held within the archives of Petersfield Museum.

Another of the other groups she set up was to research the origins of local street names resulting in the society’s first publication in 1976, Petersfield Place Names. She was also involved in two other publications, Inns of Petersfield (1977) and High Street Petersfield (1984).

With her husband Edward, many expeditions and weekends were organised, which were always well researched and very happy occasions. Dorothy, who died in 1987, is remembered as a loveable personality with tireless energy and her legacy is that nearly half a century later, our society is still thriving with members producing well researched articles and publications.

How To Join

Contact us for an application form. Membership costs £15 per person or £20 per couple. This includes eight meetings per year with a speaker and five optional meetings of the Society’s Archaeological Group. You will also receive a copy of the Society’s twice-yearly bulletin.

Petersfield Museum and Art Gallery

Petersfield Museum

Visit Petersfield Museum and Art Gallery to see some of the archival work PAHS has undertaken.

Petersfield Musical Festival

"Petersfield

Petersfield Musical Festival has entertained the town with choral music for over 100 years.

Petersfield Physic Garden

fritillaryThe Physic Garden is open daily except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s day. Check the website for times. Entrance is free.

People of Petersfield Heath

People of the Heath Visit People of the Heath for more on the excavation of the Petersfield Heath barrows.