The Bourne Society

Bourne Society Forum Meetings

Indoor forum meetings are held in the Jenkins Centre at de Stafford School, Burntwood Lane, Caterham. Refreshments served from 7.00 pm for a 7.30 start. Please note that dates of meetings and other events are liable to change due to unforeseen circumstances. This page will always provide the latest information.

Outdoor Forum Meetings

Wednesday, 7 August 2024: A walk with Ron Williams and Jon Grant visiting the sites of the CMG Railway and the Merstham Stone Quarries. The walk will start at 2.30 pm and take 2 to 3 hours. There are limited places, so booking is required with Liz at lizbonsall@aol.com when the starting point will be given.

Indoor meetings

 Wednesday, 4 September 2024: Chaldon Church and the American Connection. Ted Howard will tell the fascinating story of the Beresford family inspired by a plaque to Mrs Sarah Beresford of South Carolina, buried in the churchyard.

Wednesday, 2 October 2024: Henrietta le Personne. Le Personne Homes are a well known community in Caterham. The trust supporting the homes was set up in 1941 in memory of Henrietta Frances Le Personne. She died in 1925 having devoted her life to helping the community. Eithne Webster, a trustee, will tell the story of this remarkable woman.

Wednesday, 6 November 2024: The Bourne Society and its Villages. This talk by Roger Packham will draw on his extensive historic postcard collection to describe each of the Bourne Society’s 13 parishes and unravel the secrets of the mysterious Bourne.

Landscape History Walks

Detailed information about timings, distances, meeting points and levels of difficulty are given in Local History Records, volumes 112 and 113, spring & summer 2024.

Tuesday, 16 July 2024: The Lovelace Bridges, East Horsley, walk. A leisurely 4-mile walk through pretty woodland to explore the many ornate Victorian bridges built by Lord Lovelace to facilitate the removal of timber from his estates.

Thursday, 5 September 2024: Dryhill Walk, Sundridge, Kent. A peaceful 3-mile walk from Dryhill Nature Reserve; once a stone quarry and now a geological site of scientific interest with exposed rock formations. We pass beautiful gardens, ancient Monks Well and 13th-century Sundridge Church.

Tuesday, 12 November 2024: Nonsuch Park Walk, Cheam. A 4-mile walk around the site of Henry VIII’s lost palace, visiting the London border villages of Cheam and Ewell.

Pub & Brewery History Group