Somborne and District Society

Our society, founded in 1978, exists to promote interest in the area of Kings Somborne and the surrounding hamlets. We wish to foster interest in a wide range of subjects particularly in local history, archaeology, genealogy and ecology by means of lectures, visits and exhibitions.

Since its inception the society has collected old photographs of the locality which provide a unique record of changes which have taken place over the years. These are displayed whenever there is a major function.  The Group also contributed to the Hampshire Photographic Project.

A large collection of records relating to the history of the village has accumulated, and is currently stored in the attic at the Village Hall. In addition, local benefactor Richard Sawyer has bequethed his large collection of books to the society. The collection is now at Winchester University.

In 1996 the society undertook the formation of an unusual archive portraying life in the village at the end of the twentieth century. The total survey occupies 0.5 cubic metres of information and is held at the Hampshire Records Office.

The society has published many books, and booklets.  In 1989 the history of the parish was published in ‘Celebrating Somborne’, a hardback comprising 30 chapters and written by society members (ISBN 0 9515 110 17). This was followed by ‘Illustrating Somborne’ which concerns the changes in the parish in the twentieth century.

Our regular meeting is held at 8 p.m. on the fourth Wednesday in the month at Kings Somborne Village hall. Visitors are very welcome to come to our meetings.