Blakeney Area Historical Society

Did you love or hate history lessons at school? Battle of Hastings, the Corn Laws, etc., etc.… Even if you didn’t particularly enjoy them, as you have grown older you have probably developed an interest in the history of the area in which you now live or the part of the country where you have your family roots. Perhaps your ancestors can be traced back over many generations to a particular town or village. What did they do to make a living? Who were they? What was the place like 200 years ago?

In 1990 at Blakeney in North Norfolk a group of individuals decided to investigate such matters in their village by creating the Blakeney History Group. A name change to the Blakeney Area Historical Society (BAHS) soon became necessary to cater for the particular interests of members in the social and physical history of the adjacent coastal villages (Cley, Salthouse, Wiveton and Morston) in and around the beautiful Glaven Valley in North Norfolk.

The aims of the Society were set out as:

• The study of the history of the Blakeney Haven and its hinterland
• To make the results of the studies available to the public
• To create a collection of documents that would also be available for reference
• To encourage members of the BAHS and others to take an active interest in the history of the area

Since those early days members of the BAHS have conducted in-depth research and produced papers on an eclectic range of subjects as diverse as; post boxes, sailing vessels of the Glaven ports, genealogy, the history of the Cley Hall Estate, the Blakeney and Cley Golf Club and numerous other topics.

The History Centre

The BAHS History Centre is located at Blakeney Village Hall, Langham Road, Blakeney, Norfolk. It is open to visitors by arrangement (via website).

The collection at the Centre has grown steadily over the years and now includes; documents, photographs, parish register entries, shipping records, accounts, maps, books and guides relating to family and local history and other records of churches and villages. The parish registers, land tax returns and census records are held on CD or microform and the Centre’s equipment is available to view them (advisable to book its use if required for research). There are also some items on sale.

The area of interest of the Society has also expanded from the original. It now includes the additional inland parishes of Holt, Binham, Langham, Cockthorpe and Saxlingham, as well as all coastal points between Weybourne and Stiffkey.

The Glaven Historian

 This journal of the BAHS is published online.

 To contact the Centre:

Contact form on the website or write to: History Centre, Blakeney Village Hall, Langham Road, Blakeney, Norfolk NR25 7PG.

If you only have a casual interest in local history or are conducting serious genealogical research you will find that the BAHS is a valuable source of information.