Congresbury History Group

Congresbury History Group was formed in September 1982 to increase and stimulate interest in local history, and to encourage the conservation of documents and artefacts of local historical interest. Anyone who shares these interests and supports these aims is welcome to join us .

We hold monthly meetings in Congresbury from September to April, and guided outdoor walks and expeditions from May to July. The illustrated talks at our meetings range over a wide variety of subjects of local, or more general, historical interest.

Congresbury is the reputed burial-place of St Congar, and we celebrate St Congar’s Day, 27 November, with a St Congar’s Dinner.

We have published many illustrated books on Congresbury: about its trades, its pubs, its railway, its floods, its wartime experience, etc, etc, although they are so popular that not many copies are left in stock.

At the 2005 Village Fete we launched our latest book, Stand & Deliver, The History of Congresbury Crime. from 1242 to date. A4 fully illustrated, 50 pages, £3, obtainable from Day Lewis, the pharmacy, and from Mendip Art, both in Broad Street, Congresbury. Or it can be ordered by post from Mike Bedingfield, The Barn, Silver Street, Congresbury BS49 5EY for £3.70 including p&p. (Cheques payable to Congresbury History Group please. 

Still available also are:

Arthur’s Village (122 pages  £5)

Guided Walk Round Historic Congresbury (free leaflet)

Congresbury as ‘twas (44 pages  £3)

The Refectory, Congresbury (12 pages 60p) (published for The Friends of St Andrews Church)

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We have a growing collection of documents, photographs, and artefacts about Congresbury, and a number of films, now on video, of Congresbury in recent decades, taken by the late Ray Attwell. Our occasional film shows are very popular. 

Have you got any old photographs of Congresbury that might be suitable for one of our books? We should be grateful to borrow and copy them, whether  for a book, an exhibition, or our archives. We welcome the loan, or gift, of any photos of Congresbury at any time.

Please phone the Vice-Chairman, Gill Bedingfield (see below).

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Anyone with an enquiry about Congresbury history may email us care of

rogerhards@parkhyde.go-plus.net

or

chriscongar@hotmail.com

but we don’t know everything! and we can’t guarantee to be able to help. The Group is run by unpaid volunteers, all busy people, and if much local research is necessary to provide an answer, or any expense likely to be involved, we must ask for an agreed advance payment to the Group please. Note also that we are a local history group, not a family history group, and family research is outside our scope.

Watch this space for our programmes; here is the current one:

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Congresbury History Group