2025/26 Lecture Programme

Please note that due to a major refurbishment of the Elim Church, our meetings from October to December 2025 will take place at The Pavilion in Ashbourne Park, 7 Cokayne Avenue, Ashbourne, DE6 1EJ.

The meetings start at 1.00 pm and the speaker will begin at 1.30 pm. The meetings will end at 3.00 pm.

Entry is free to members and £5.00 for non-members payable at the door. Refreshments are also available. Free parking is also available on site or along Cokayne Avenue.

2025

Friday 26 September.

The Historic Village of Mapleton with Rachel Hodgkinson

The first meeting of the new programme will be a walk around the historic village of Mapleton which will be guided by local resident and member of the Society, Rachel Hodgkinson.

Now a sleepy village, Mapleton was once a busy place with so many trades one hardly needed to travel to the nearby town of Ashbourne. Surrounded by a landscape with many stories of its own to tell, over the centuries it has been home to lords, paupers and everyone in between.

Our walk will be a gentle one that will last about an hour and end with refreshments at the village Pavilion where there will be some history displays. There will be a stop part way through for a quick sit down if anyone needs it. Mostly on level ground there will be a couple of fields we venture into but no difficult inclines.

Supportive footwear suitable for walking is advised.

Meet at 2 pm for a 2.15 pm start at Mapleton Pavilion car park. This is on the left-hand side after the first 6 houses in the village approaching from Ashbourne and is signposted.

Places are limited to 20 attendees, which will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. Please request a place by emailing ashbourneheritagesociety@gmail.com. If interest exceeds 20, or you are unable to make this date but would like to do the tour, it may be possible to arrange an additional visit

Rachel Hodgkinson

Rachel has been researching family and social history for ten years now and besides her personal research she has done work for both individuals and community events. Through her interest in textiles, she has developed a variety of fibre art skills. Recently she has been combining these with her interest in all things heritage, producing pieces that interpret her research in a tactile, visual display.

Update on the Historic Village of Mapleton

Around 20 members of the Society enjoyed an interesting and informative walk around Mapleton on Friday. We visited seven different sites around the village, including the unusual St Mary’s Church, see pic below, where at each site Rachel gave an explanation of the history of the site and some insights into the families involved. The walk finished with tea and biscuits in the new Pavilion on the playing fields where there were further displays and photographs. many thanks to Rachel for a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon.

Friday 24 October.

Victorian and Edwardian Tourist Souvenirs, and Ashbourne by John Titterton MA FSA FHS

The arrival of the railway in Ashbourne in 1853 was a significant event which changed many aspects of the town. It provided opportunities for local traders to buy goods from remote manufacturers and sell them in the town. Ashbourne residents could now buy items produced in far away places such as Norwich and Dorset.

As well as goods, the train also brought people, i.e tourists. They created their own demand for goods. The two most obvious ones were souvenirs, either for their own keepsakes of for gifts to give to relatives and friends. At the end of Queen Victoria’s reign post cards were introduced and started a practice which is still going today.

This talk will look at the rise of the souvenir industry, the Ashbourne businesses that sold them and at the items and post cards one could buy in Ashbourne. Integral to this is the history of the rise of Goss China.

John Titterton

John was born and brought up near Stafford and went to University in London. By profession he was an Electrical Engineer responsible for keeping the lights on in central Southern England. After living for a number of years at Reading and briefly at Portsmouth he now lives in Ashbourne, a place where his grandfather was born and grew up. His hobbies include Family History, Local History and Heraldry.

John has researched many aspects of the history and heritage of the town and spoken about it to local societies and organisations. He managed the Ashbourne Heritage Centre in Church St in its early years (It started in 2010) and produced many of the display boards there. He was one of the lead organisers of the Ashbourne Treasures exhibition in 2017. He currently arranges the speakers’ programme for the society.

Friday 28 November.

In Search of England’s Oldest Pubs

The speaker, James Wright (Triskele Heritage), is an award winning buildings archaeologist.

Friday 19 December.

Christmas Event

The last meeting of the year will be a social meeting with a seasonal heritage themed quiz and a festive buffet. Attendees are welcome to bring contributions to the buffet. Any liquid refreshment must be non-alcoholic.

Attendees are also welcome to bring along a heritage related object for discussion and possible identification.

2026

Please note that the venue for the meetings from January 2026 will be posted here and on our other social media.

Friday 23 January.

Napoleonic French Prisoners of War in Derbyshire

A talk by regular guest speaker, Dr Mark Barnard.

Friday 27 February.

Frank Beresford: Artist of Royalty, History and Landscapes

A talk, re-arranged from last year, by Robert Read.

Friday 27 March.

Mary Queen of Scots and Staffordshire

A talk by Trevor Fisher.

Friday 24 April.

William Collins, Sir Gilbert Scott’s Builder

A talk by John Titterton

Friday 22 May.

Landscapes Unlocked: Stories from the Peak District’s Image Archive

A talk by Anna Badcock, the Peak District National Park’s Cultural Heritage Manager.