A vintage maroon and black steam locomotive, marked with yellow lettering as No. 5, sitting on railway tracks next to a brick building.

The Wantage Tramway – Britain’s first and worst steam tramway

An online talk for local history enthusiasts exploring the social, economic, and technical legacy of Berkshire's historic Wantage Tramway.

A historical street scene showing village shopfronts, including Charles G. Brown's store and a cycle works, with children in early 20th-century attire standing along the road.

A Brief History of Thatcham

An online talk tracing Thatcham's evolution from Palaeolithic finds and Roman roots to medieval traditions and 20th-century commuter town growth.

A historical view of Broadmoor Asylum showing its large Victorian building, terraced gardens with a gazebo, and a figure in Victorian dress standing on the lawn.

At Home in Broadmoor

An online talk exploring daily life, work and relationships for patients and female attendants in Victorian and Edwardian Broadmoor Asylum.

The bronze Maiwand Lion statue stands atop a stone memorial in Forbury Gardens, Reading, surrounded by colorful flower beds and manicured lawns.

The History of Forbury Gardens, Reading

An in-person heritage talk exploring the rich history and hidden stories of this iconic park.

Berkshire Heritage Talks Series

An in-person series of daytime talks exploring local history, from Forbury Gardens to the River Kennet. Ideal for those interested in Berkshire's rich history.

Tour of St Andrew’s, Sonning

An in-person guided church tour exploring over a thousand years of parish history and heritage at St Andrew's Church, Sonning. Pre-booking essential for this small group visit.

A historic stone parish church with a square tower and tiled roof, surrounded by headstones in a sunny churchyard.

Tour of All Saints Church, Wokingham

An in-person guided tour exploring Wokingham's parish church to discover its history, parish records and people with John Hook.

Promotional graphic for TheGenealogist featuring a vintage map background and purple text reading "Genealogy's Best Mapping Website.

Pinning Down Your Ancestors

An online workshop for family history researchers looking to locate elusive ancestors using maps, land records, and local history sources.

AI generated image. A row of charming brick cottages with colorful doors and blooming gardens lines a tree-lined road.

Almshouses in West Berkshire: Charity on the Doorstep

This talk will explore the history of almshouses, how they were founded and funded, with local examples.

News

Ancestry Releases Berkshire Parish Registers

Learn how the new online release of Berkshire parish register images on Ancestry works alongside our accurate transcriptions to aid your research.

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11 Sep 2026

People browse plant stalls and white market tents decorated with colorful bunting in a sunny town square surrounded by historic red brick buildings.

Wokingham’s Markets and Fairs: from 800 years ago to the present day

The talk starts with the establishment of fairs in the early middle ages. Permission for a market in Wokingham was given by Henry III. Over the years fairs have been added to the calendar and the May Fayre, Summer Festival and Winter Carnival still take place.

Book cover: a young woman in a blood red dress and red shoes walks across rolling fields. In the background a Word War 2 German fighter us about to crash

Articles

Bringing the Past to Life

Discover how one family historian turned detailed genealogy research in Berkshire and Wiltshire into a published historical fiction novella.

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27 Aug 2026

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