Whitchurch and Goring Heath History Society

THE Thames-side Counties of Oxfordshire and Berkshire were at the crossroads of English history for many centuries.

For its size, the village of Whitchurch, at the centre of that region, has a rich and fascinating story to tell.

It was a former royal manor and larger than Pangbourne at the time of the Domesday Book.

For many centuries Whitchurch has had a riverside port, two landed estates and a river crossing.

The Whitchurch and Goring Heath History Society and its precursors have a long history of study, talks, visit, and publications.

The parish of Goring Heath is included in the territory as a substantial part of that parish was originally part of Whitchurch and is known as Whitchurch Hill.

“Guess who’s coming to dinner?” is the title of our talk by Nick Brazil on Thursday, February 15.

Come along and find out at our meeting to be held at Whitchurch village hall — you might be surprised. It starts at 7.30pm with coffee and biscuits being served from 7pm. The talk follows the meeting of the society, which is now 30 years old.

Looking at our records, I see that Doreen Godley, who died tragically last month, was on the steering committee right at the beginning and had been treasurer and then a committee member ever since. She was always active and involved in our discussions. She will be greatly missed.

As time moves on, there is a danger that the history society itself becomes history. There is a need for an influx of interested people to carry on the study of the past as there is always more to find out about our area, the people, the buildings and events.

The Society meets on the third Thursday of most months for a talk by an invited speaker or for some other historical activity and we go on two outings in the summer.

Why not join us? The subscription is just £12 a year.

For more information, call Vicky Jordan on 0118 984 3260 or email
vickyjordan5@hotmail.com

Vicky Jordan