Historical Society
Hedgerley Historical Society (HHS) was founded by local resident Harry Kirby in March 1976, so, will celebrate its 50th Anniversary in 2026. It has grown to be one of the most active and well supported local historical societies in South Buckinghamshire. Its members are drawn from the village of Hedgerley, but also from a number of the surrounding towns and villages.
Monthly meetings are held in Hedgerley Memorial Hall throughout most of the year, with a short break in the summer, plus occasional special events. Talks cover a wide range of local and national history. A series of outings are held throughout the year to places of historic interest.
Early achievements were an archaeological excavation and the research and publication of A South Bucks Village – The History of Hedgerley in 1980 and 1982.
In 1996 another community project was launched by the Society to produce a Parish Map which was produced by a team of villagers and unveiled in 1999. Then in 2017 a book was published to commemorate the Ten Hedgerley Men who fought in and sadly lost their lives in The Great War.
Local history articles are regularly published in the Hedgerley Village Magazine, and these include stories about the lives of past residents and present villagers sharing their memories of growing up in the village and their adult lives.
Occasionally HHS holds a community event to Beat The Bounds around the historic Parish of Hedgerley.
During the Covid Pandemic in 2020 the Monthly meetings of the Society were held via Zoom - with up to 150 joining by screen - and the streaming of meetings has continued since, to make the meetings accessible to members who, for various reasons, are unable to attend in person.
2022 saw the Society host the Mikron Theatre Company, a troupe of travelling actors presenting plays that often cover serious social and environmental issues but are presented in a fun and educational way e.g Climate Change, Bird preservation and this year The Right to Roam in the Countryside. These are held at Hedgerley Memorial Hall and have been much enjoyed by HHS members and non-members locally.
Also that year the Society created a Web site www.hedgerleyhistoricalsociety.org
Lastly the Society organises coach outings. In the early days to Buckinghamshire Churches and the Mary Rose. Since 2022 members from The Tracy Trust (a village charity providing support for older residents) have been invited. The destination in 2022 was Windsor Great Park, in 2023 to Stratford-upon-avon and the 2024 outing to Worcester is proving to be popular.
Ahead of the 50th Anniversary celebrations in 2026 a team has been formed to revise and re-publish the History of Hedgerley.
Monthly Meetings of Hedgerley Historical Society take place at Hedgerley Memorial Hall, Kiln Lane Hedgerley SL2 3UZ at 8pm (unless otherwise stated) and visitors are most welcome.
Further details from:
John Lovelock 01753 647187