Bearsted & District Local History Society

Bearsted & District Local History Society was formed on 15 May 1936. Apart from two enforced ’pauses’ (for WWII and more recently, Covid) it has continued ever since – well over seven decades.

New members and visitors are very welcome!

Our programme of meetings runs from September to May (excluding December). Meetings are held in the Memorial Hall, Manor Rise, Bearsted ME14 4DB at 7.30pm on the last Friday of the month.

If you would like to join, please contact us via email. Membership is by yearly subscription. There is a small entrance fee for visitors.

All enquiries please email. We look forward to meeting you!

Our Location

Meeting Details

Meetings are held at 7:30 at King George V Memorial Hall, Manor Rise, Bearsted, ME14 4DB.

Visitors always welcome at £5 per person.

26 September 2025	Dr James Lloyd: A Selection Box of Kentish Folklore. Kentish folktales, traditions and supersitions (the Biddenden Dole, the Lost Island of Lomea and the Lady Lovibond)
31 October 2025	Kathryn Bedford: Curating a Broad Portfolio
28 November 2025	Matthew Engel: The Swinging Sixties and The Sour Seventies. True or False? Matthew Engel returns to Bearsted to finish his story of life in Britain in the first half of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign
30 January 2026	David Carder: Exploring Kentish Castles
27 February 2026	Venerable Dr (Air Vice Marshal) Giles Legood MBE: RAF Chaplaincy from 1918 to the Present Day
27 March 2026	Samantha Harris: Maidstone Carriage Museum
24 April 2026	Andrew Mayfield: Searching for Old Mote House – a Mote Park Hidden Histories Project
29 May 2026	AGM and Members’ Evening