A document was produced recently to provide background to possible conservation work on "green and blue corridors" within the city by a newly forming City branch of the Wildlife Trust. This may be of interest in Bartonsham, especially to those residents who have been following the development of our walks and research on the area mills.

Download a pdf of the document on the link below. There is still wide scope for document research - other than maps - to add details to the brief suggested outline. If anyone is interested, please contact BHG and we will put you in touch with the author.

As a result of exhaustive research in a range of records, and from knowledge built up over the years of living in Foley Street, Win Morgan-Brewer gives a thorough history of each house in the street in terms of when it was built, who was living there at any one time and their occupations.

A picture emerges of a number of families settled in the street for the long term – 110 years and counting in one case – and of a number of lodgers, often taken in to help cover bills, who pass through. Many interesting themes emerge – the number of residents who worked on the railways or in the tile industry; how many families adopted children; the widespread place of birth across the British Isles of those who lived in the street at any one time; the age at which many of the boys, especially, began working.

In addition, a chronological list of events that have shaped Hereford is provided, giving some interesting details about life and times in the city as a whole.

Win Morgan-Brewer came to live in Foley Street in 1977 and by the early 1980s she had started researching the family history of both her paternal and maternal relatives. In 2007, with retirement not too far away, she decided to start writing, which resulted in published articles in newspapers and magazines. Around 2010 she started to delve into the history of her house and the people who occupied it, research which snowballed into this history of Foley Street.
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Paperback, 160 pages, over 25 colour and 120 black and white illustrations, mainly photographs ISBN 978-1-910839-14-0 Price £10

What do you remember about the Second World War? Concerned about the diminishing pool of people who can still recall the last war, Naomi Bell starts the memory ball rolling with her own recollections. Read her article here and add your comments - or email your recollections and photos to web@bartonshamhistory.org.uk. 

​Faith Ford has researched the stories, originally published in JABA our community newsletter, behind the names on the war memorial to the parish men who died in the second world war. Read the full article here.

At our meeting at The Volunteer, 7.30 pm Tuesday March 7 (today!) we’ll firm up the spring programme. We have exciting ideas for another of our popular Mills walk, a quiz, a Rotherwas Serpent walk and talk, Bathing Station picnic and a paddle!

Come along for updates on our finances and website plans and look at Naomi’s wartime article/appeal. 
Bring and share any interesting objects, photos and so on. Everyone welcome.