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All Meetings

Harleston and District Historical Society meet in the Masonic Rooms on behind 5 Redenhall Road on the second Thursday of each month.

​Meetings start at 2:00 pm and last about two hours.  They usually consist of a speaker on an aspect of local, regional or national historical interest.

Tickets are £2.00 for members and £4.00 for guests. Refreshments are available.

  • The Sunderland Slasher Comes to Harleston
    The Sunderland Slasher Comes to Harleston
    11 Jun 2026, 14:00
    Masonic Rooms, Off Redenhall Road, Harleston IP20 9EN
    A narrow escape for the residents of Harleston when a 19thC knife wielding villain passed through town. A story spanning the slums of London, the slums of the Sunderland and ending in Pentonville after an interlude of violence and mayhem in Harleston.
  • A History of Hemp in the Waveney Valley
    A History of Hemp in the Waveney Valley
    09 Jul 2026, 14:00
    Masonic Rooms, Off Redenhall Road, Harleston IP20 9EN
    Hemp was once used for rot-resistant sails, rope and nets. It was so important that in 1533, Henry VIII made hemp cultivation compulsory by law. The Waveney Valley once produced one eighth of the country's output of hemp.
  • In Support of Heritage Open Days
    In Support of Heritage Open Days
    13 Aug 2026, 19:00
    The Cap, 23 The Thoroughfare, Harleston IP20 9AS
    Every September thousands of volunteers across England organise events to celebrate our fantastic history and culture. The Historical Society are again coordinating a community wide programme as ​​​part of the national event. This presentation will launch the town event.
  • Grandmothers Secrets
    Grandmothers Secrets
    Thu 10 Sept
    Masonic Rooms
    10 Sept 2026, 14:00
    Masonic Rooms, Off Redenhall Road, Harleston IP20 9EN
    To Follow.
  • The Rest of Your Natural Life
    The Rest of Your Natural Life
    Thu 08 Oct
    08 Oct 2026, 14:00
    Masonic Rooms, Off Redenhall Road, Harleston IP20 9EN
    Stories of Suffolk convicts, sentenced to transportation to Australia during the period 1787-1867. Find out not only what happened to them, but also to the families they left behind.
  • Norwich in the 70s
    Norwich in the 70s
    Thu 12 Nov
    Masonic Rooms
    12 Nov 2026, 14:00
    Masonic Rooms, Off Redenhall Road, Harleston IP20 9EN
    From the old Odeon to the Garlands fire, from Bonds to the Berni, this is how we lived in Norwich in the 1970s.

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©2023 Harleston and District Historical Society.  Funded by South Norfolk Council.  

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