Welcome to the website of Chalford Parish Local History Group, which is designed to provide information on our meetings, on other local history events in the area and to be a source of general information about the history of the Chalford Parish. We celebrated our tenth birthday as a formally constituted Group in September 2026, so come and see us for cake at the exhibition in October (see below).
The Group was formally constituted in September 2016 after a series of very successful meetings had been held beginning in May of that year. We currently have over 120 people on our mailing list and everyone is welcome at all our meetings.
We also have a Facebook Group here which anyone is welcome to join, with over 800 members. This is a private Group so you will need to join it to see posts.
This website continues to evolve as we add new material so do keep returning or try following some of the links at the top of the page.
Next Meeting
21 October – Bisley’s Edwardian Photographer, Frederick Major – Howard Beard
France Lynch Church Rooms, 7.30 p.m.
Well-known local historian and author Howard Beard returns to talk to us in our second meeting of the 2026/7 programme.
Howard will be telling us the story of one of Bisley’s two Edwardian photographers, Frederick Major.
His patch was mainly the village itself and surrounding parishes, plus Stroud. He was active up until at least the end of World War One. Especially notable was his excellent coverage of the Great Snow of 1916.
A short AGM will precede Howard’s talk.
Exhibition and “Drop-In” Afternoon
On Saturday 3 October we will be holding our first daytime local history exhibition and “drop-in” afternoon at France Lynch Church Rooms. Doors open at 2 pm and the exhibition is free to drop into until we close at 4.30 pm.
We will have displays of local photos, postcards and maps, as will be showcasing some of our research on graveyards, schools and the Manor Farm Estate. We’ll also have a rotating slide show of old photos.
We intend to have a particular focus on gathering memories of the 50s, 60s and 70s, for the next book that we’re planning to write, so if you were living in the Parish then, do come along and tell us what you know. We’ll be displaying photos from that era, some of which we require your help with, to identify the who, what, when or where!
There will be tea, coffee, cake, and a chance to sit down and just have a chat about local history with like-minded people. This type of afternoon has been a great success for the Local History Group in neighbouring Eastcombe and we hope we can do the same for Chalford Parish.
Admission is free and we’ll also have all our books for sale on the day. We look forward to seeing you there!
Latest Book Publication
In September 2025, we announced the publication of our latest book, Old Maps of Chalford. This was inspired by the response to Roger Carnt’s talk on that very subject in October 2024 and the subsequent discovery that we have so many rich sources of local maps, many of which are not available except by going to see them in person in archives and collections. Seven of the Committee put this book together, drawing on a wide variety of local maps from the 16th century onwards. The 72 page A4 landscape publication is in full colour with numerous pictures and full page reproductions of many of the maps. It is available (price £10) at our meetings as well as via Chalford Parish Centre (Geralds Way), Eastcombe Stores, and Chalford Village Shop. Now also available via R&R Books, Stroud (at the Shambles Market weekly).
We meet monthly except August and December, normally on the third Wednesday of the month.
Our 2026/27 programme is here and other local history events which may be of interest are here.