This entertaining book explores how James Nichols came to build the Barnes Lion Houses. It is richly illustrated, with original architects’ drawings and a wealth of period images. If you’d like to learn about the history of these houses – including how they came to be adorned with so many terracotta lions – this book […]
Mike Hildesley, the Chair of Barnes Common Ltd., will speak to us about the arrival and departure of market gardening in Barnes through the lens of Vine Road Recreation Ground and the Barker Family, which used to own the site. Date: 16th April 2026 Time: 8pm Venue: St Mary’s Barnes […]
Read More… from Vine Road homestead, the Barker family and market gardening
Richard White will be speaking to us about Sheen House and the Home Guard. This talk will be preceded by a short AGM. Date: 19th February 2026 Time: 8pm Venue: All Saints Church, East Sheen […]
Indy Bhullar is Curator for Economics and Social Policy in LSE Library. He will talk to us about Booth’s Maps and the methodology used to compile them, concentrating on Putney and Hammersmith. Date: 19th February 2026 Time: 8pm Venue: St Mary’s Barnes […]
Read More… from Charles Booth’s London: Mapping Rich and Poor
Violet Moller is an award-winning historian and writer based near Oxford, England. This talk will be based on her book Inside the Stargazer’s Palace, which explores the transformation of science in 16th century Northern Europe, from Nicolaus Copernicus to Tycho Brahe and John Dee. Date: 24th January 2026 Time: 2.30pm Venue: All Saint’s Church, East Sheen […]
Professor Andrew George MBE is a resident of St Margarets with a strong interest in local history. He has written a couple of booklets on the Earl of Kilmorey and the mausoleum. In this talk, he will share with us the story of Jack Needham, Priscilla and other people in his life. He will also […]
Read More… from The Kilmorey Mausoleum – the Earl, his lover, their temple
For a special event to mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Barnes and Mortlake History Society, we will have four short talks about changes in the local area over the past seventy years. Date: 11th December 2025 Time: 8pm Venue: St Mary’s Barnes […]
Helen Fry will speak to us about a secret life of spies, deception and British Intelligence in three of Britain’s country houses. Helen is an ambassador for the National Centre for Military Intelligence (NCMI) and serves as a trustee of both the Friends of the Intelligence Corps Museum and the Medmenham Collection. Date: 20th November […]
Read More… from Walls Have Ears: A secret life of spies, deception and British Intelligence
Nadege Forde-Vidal will share with us a revealing story about the African residents of Chiswick House in the 18th century. Nadege is a London-based social historian with a degree in ancient history, and a masters in both Egyptian Archaeology and Museum Studies. She will introduce the research she has done for the Black Chiswick through […]
Read More… from African Residents of Chiswick House in the 18th Century
Richmond Palace rose from the ashes of Shene Palace which had been destroyed by fire in 1495. It was rebuilt in the grand tudor style by Henry VII and would remain a royal favourite until the execution of Charles I in 1649. Mark Lucas, membership secretary of the Richmond History Society, will guide us through […]
