Welcome to Elmswell History Group
Welcome to our website – please make yourself at home and enjoy exploring our many pages.
Our village has plenty of history, the earliest part of which is described in our publication “Marker for the Millennium” (click onto this link to see it in full).
Our history group exists to make this information known more widely and also, with our monthly talks, to learn more about East Anglia’s history in general.
We hope you will consider coming to a meeting, as we are a very friendly group, and always offer a warm welcome to visitors and new members.
Our current programme of talks and events is shown below.
We would love to hear from you, whether you are interested in local history generally (particularly if you are a current or former Elmswell resident and/or have any connections to our village), helping us with our researches, thinking of joining our group, or have comments or suggestions about this website.
Please click this link to contact us.
2025-26 Programme
Unless otherwise stated, our meetings begin at 7.30pm and held at the Wesley Hall, School Road, Elmswell, IP30 9EE – where there is ample free on-site car parking.
11 September 2025:
£12 Annual Subs due for payment, plus £4 per attendance = £16 at first attendance to become a Member (or Visitors are always welcome at £6 per attendance).
Speaker Zoe Adlam, “Fool’s Gold – Should the Law of Treasure be Changed to Improve Protection of Portable Antiquities?“
9 October: Anne Hughes & Carol Cooper, “Mildenhall’s 1934 Air Race”
13 November: Barbara McElroy, “Suffolk Smugglers”
11 December: Bryan Thurlow, “Borley Rectory, England’s most Haunted House”
8 January 2026: Members’ Evening. Threeshort talks, being a selection of members’ own researches, i.e. “Growing up on the Ickworth Estate”, “The History of Postcards”, and “Memories of 1950-60s Woolpit”. Due to cold and icy weather conditions, this was postponed to 12th February – see below.
12 February: Members’ Evening. Three short talks, being a selection of members’ own researches, i.e. “Growing up on the Ickworth Estate”, “The History of Postcards”, and “Memories of 1950-60s Woolpit”.
12 March: Roy Clare, “Suffolk Connections with Charles Darwin’s Voyage on the Beagle”
9 April: Mark Lawrence, “Hadleigh Guildhall“
14 May: Richard Brice of The Sutton Hoo Ship’s Company,
“Project to Construct a Replica (full-size) Anglo-Saxon Longboat” – buried in the 7th century, re-born in the 21st.
11 June: 7pm, AGM, then at 7.30pm, Terry O’Donoghue’s talk, “History of West Suffolk Hospital“. As an experienced Bury Town Guide and current Vice-Chairman of the Bury Society, Terry is extremely well placed to give us this jaunt through the history of medical provision in the town and, in particular, the founding of the original West Suffolk Hospital and its development through the early years. This not-too-heavy reflection on the last 200 years will inform and amuse, taking in a few of the characters involved, some eccentric, some dedicated, but none of them boring.
SATURDAY, 11 July: 2-4pm – Exhibition on “History of English Women’s Football since WW1“. The experienced curator of this exhibition, Steve Bolton, will be on hand throughout the afternoon to talk through his displays and answer any questions. A good variety of refreshments will be available all afternoon at the Wesley’s on-site Café and adjacent Tavern Community Centre.
Everyone welcome (£2pp entry to Exhibition, cash only please, under 16’s Free of Charge), so do join us then to find out much more.
Latest Updates
- Elmswell Aerodrome in the First World War
- RAF Elmswell Digging For The Past
- CA Ridley – The Cost Of Bravery
- Officers Of 75(HD) Squadron RFC /RAF 1916 – 1919
- Personnel Of 75 (HD) Squadron RFC & RAF 1916-1919
World War 1 Book For Sale
Read the Synopsis here