WELCOME TO THE RICHMOND LOCAL HISTORY SOCIETY

Our Society explores the history of Richmond, Kew, Petersham and Ham and the people who have lived here.

Each of these areas has a rich tapestry of history that includes royal connections, significant architectural developments, and a deep cultural heritage. Exploring their history offers an insight into the broader historical narrative of England, especially in terms of royal influence, horticultural advancements, and architectural heritage.

What we offer:

        • Evening talks: Usually held on the second Monday of each month, our evening talks feature expert speakers who delve into various historical topics related to our area.
        • Guided walks and visits: Explore the historical sites and hidden gems of Richmond, Kew, Petersham, and Ham with our organised walks and visits.
        • Richmond History journal: Our award-winning journal offers in-depth articles and research on local history.
        • Books: We publish a range of books on topics of local interest, providing valuable insights and detailed accounts of our area’s past.

      WHAT’S NEW

      Our journal, Richmond History, has now received an award as London’s best local history journal for four years in a row.

      At the London & Middlesex Archaeological Society (LAMAS)’s annual Local History Conference on 16 November 2024, our Society received a certificate and a £100 prize for Richmond History 44 (our 2024 issue) which won in the Journal category at LAMAS’s Local History Publications Awards.

      Copies of all four issues, which include some pages  in colour – are available from our online bookshop. They can also be bought at Kew Bookshop, the Museum of Richmond, The National Archives’ shop and The Open Book in Richmond.

    MEMBERSHIP

    Join the Society online

    You can now join the Society or renew your membership online.

    Annual membership is:

    • £12 single
    • £20 for two people at the same address.

    By joining our Society, you will enjoy:

    • Free admission to our talks and walks: Gain free access to our monthly evening talks and summer walks.
    • An informative newsletter, three times a year, keeping you updated on events, talks, and new publications.
    • Discounts on our extensive range of publications.

    If you are already a member and have a standing order in place, this will renew automatically when your next subscription payment is due – there is no need to contact us unless you wish to cancel or to amend your personal details.

    If you prefer to join by post, please download our membership form; print, complete and post to us with an accompanying cheque or cash.

    If you have any queries about membership, please email our Membership Secretary, Mark Lucas.

    Join us now! 

    TALKS

    Find out more about our forthcoming talks

    Video recordings of our previous talks

    Video recordings of 22 of our talks are now on our YouTube channel.

    They include seven of our 2023 talks and four of our 2024 talks. The latest to be added is Charles Leon’s talk to us in November 2024 on Sketches of Richmond.

    Dr Nick Barratt was the speaker at our May 2024 talk. Photo: Gary Enstone (Museum of Richmond)

    PUBLICATIONS

    Have you visited our online bookshop?

    All of the Richmond Local History Society’s publications still in print are available from our online bookshop.

    You can also purchase our most popular publications from the bookstall at our monthly talks and from local independent bookshops.

    Our latest book is on Kew in the Second World War

    Our latest book, an expanded fourth edition of Kew at War 1939-1945, uses eyewitness accounts, diaries and official records to tell the story of local people and those who were stationed in Kew in the Second World War.

    American soldiers, who made the maps that helped the Allies’ D-Day landings, were based at a camp where The National Archives is now. After the Americans left, the camp housed Italian prisoners of war.

    This new edition of Daid Blomfield and Christopher May’s book has been fully revised and expanded by Simon Fowler and includes addiotional new appendices.

    It is available from our online bookshop and local independent bookshops.

    £10.00 (£7.00 for members)

    You can order a copy now from our online bookshop.

    Also new in 2024

    A second edition of Petersham: Radar, also published in  2024, is on the transformation of Petersham during the Second World War. Anti-Aircraft Command requisitioned several buildings, including All Saints’ Church and the vicarage. The  important experiments carried out there led to discoveries that made British radar such an effective instrument of war.

    This second edition of Michael Lee‘s book includes a new, additional appendix by Timothy M M Baker on Petersham as a birthplace of radio astronomy.

    £8.00 (£5.00 for members)

    Order a copy from our online bookshop.

     Our latest journal

    Richmond History 44, the 2024 issue of our journal, includes articles on Kew Gardens, Richmond Park, Sudbrook Park and Ham House, on the explorer George Vancouver (who lived in Petersham and is buried there) and on attitudes in Richmond to the new Nazi regime in Germany in 1933.

    £7.00 (£5.00 for members)

    Find out more about this issue and how to order a copy online.

    ONLINE RESOURCES

    Resources on Richmond’s history at your fingertips

    Our Resources section includes a wealth of articles on various aspects of local history, such as: