Historical Society News

Continued Support for the Museum

Details: Last Updated: Saturday, 13 October 2018 15:29

Before Petersfield Museum opened, Petersfield was one of the few towns in Hampshire without a museum. It was in 1990 that Wilf Burnham, chairman of the Petersfield Area Historical Society, decided “we are going to have a museum”.

Petersfield Museum Trust was formed in 1994 to promote the idea of a museum with several of the trustees coming from the Historical Society. They were delighted when, on the 28 June 1998, they took over the recently vacated courthouse building for use as a museum, which opened for just one and a half days a week and was run entirely by volunteers. At this time, the Society’s collection of objects and artefacts was transferred and formed the core of the new museum.

Hobbs Lane Conversion

Details: Last Updated: Monday, 15 May 2017 17:15

In late 2014 we announced that the Society would begin to photograph the buildings within the historic core of the town, creating a record that could be used in future years by researchers and those wishing to chart alterations to buildings.

During the past year a major redevelopment on the southern side of Hobbs Lane of what was Hobbs Blacksmith’s Forge and more recently, Greggs bakery. This development has totally transformed the lane providing extra accommodation as well as a new shop.

Visit to Guildford

Details: Last Updated: Saturday, 13 October 2018 15:31

No doubt long known to our membership for its fine retail facilities it was fascinating to learn the history of Guildford on the first of the Society’s 2017 summer visits.

We joined our guide at the TunGate in the High Street and learnt of the Saxon origins of the town and its growth over the centuries including the building of the castle by the Normans and the medieval importance of the wool trade and subsequent strategic importance of the town as a coaching stop on the road from London to the South Coast.

A new history book on College Street

Details: Last Updated: Monday, 15 May 2017 16:45

College Street, Petersfield Over the years members of the society have as a group or individuals written many of the history books on Petersfield’s rich history.

We are therefore delighted that several of our members have, for the past three years, taken part as members of Petersfield U3A local history group in the research and production of a new book on College Street.

This excellent publication is published by the Petersfield Museum at £12.50 and available from the Museum and independent books shops in the town.

Hampshire Field Club

Details: Last Updated: Friday, 20 November 2015 11:49

Nine members of PAHS attended the Hampshire Field Club Landscape Section’s Conference and AGM at Peter Symonds College, Winchester on Saturday 7 November. Organised jointly with Petersfield Area Historical Society and Buriton Local History Group, the subject for the day was “Petersfield: Changing Landscapes in and around a Hampshire Market Town.”

With 65 people in attendance, the first speaker was George Anelay, a professional archaeologist and Project Director of the Petersfield Museum’s project People of the Heath. George focused on “Understanding and conserving Petersfield’s pre-historic barrows” with particular reference to the current four-year excavations and the up-to-date finds and theories.

The next two sessions were taken by Society members Bill Gosney and Nick Swan who spoke firstly on ”Petersfield from the Norman invasion to the Civil War” and then on “The Transport Revolution and the Growth of Petersfield”.

The final session of the day was from Doug Jones of Buriton Local History Group on “Geology and Landscapes in Buriton: effects on a rural parish.”

This is the first time that our Society has been involved in a project with the Hampshire Field Club and we were delighted to learn from their Chairman, Mike Broderick, that it had been well received with one of their members reportedly saying that our "presentation of Petersfield’s past was one of the best he had heard.”

It is planned to follow up the conference in the summer of 2016 with a visit and two walks around Petersfield featuring “The General History of the Town” and “Petersfield in World War One”. We look forward to meeting with them again.

Historical Society News

Continued Support for the Museum

Hobbs Lane Conversion

Visit to Guildford

A new history book on College Street

Hampshire Field Club

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