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Latest updates/events
There will be no Archive drop-in on 2nd January, starting back in 2026 on 6th February.
Photograph library
Our photograph website is now live. Please support the site—find out more and access it here.
Next talk: William Adams English Samurai, by Sue Haydock. Thursday 15 January 2026, 8pm.
All talks are held in St. John’s Church Hall, Hermitage Road, Higham ME3 7DB. Members free. Guests £5. Refreshments are available after the talk.
Archaeology of Shorne Woods Country Park.
Copies of this are available in the Shorne Country Park Visitor Centre.
Kent Archaeology events calendar
Event write-up: Archaeological Walk (part 2)
At the beginning of May the Group enjoyed a second visit to Shorne Country Park for a walk.
On a lovely sunny spring evening, volunteers from the Shorne Wood Archaeology Group guided us around the Park. We learn about the Clay Works, conveyor belts and small gauge railway tracks that have been uncovered by the group. We heard about the part played by the RAF Camps in World War 2.
The volunteers were so knowledgeable – a lovely way to explore the park and find out more about history on our doorstep.
Event write-up: Archaeological Walk (part 1), with Andrew Mayfield, Kent’s Community Archaeologist.
We had perfect weather for this fascinating walk with Andrew on Thursday 20 June.
Flint tools discovered in the area of the Country Park show the landscape being used possibly as long as 12,000 years ago.
In the 13th century in Randall Woods there were 4 ponds and Randall Manor was the home of Sir Henry de Cobham and his descendants. Fast forward to the 16th century and coppicing of the woodlands began in the late 1500s. The site was used as a clay pit from the 1920s to the 1970s, with the extracted clay fuelling the local cement industry. In World War II air raid shelters were constructed on the site
Kent County Council bought Shorne Wood in 1982 and opened the site as a country park in 1987.
Along the walk we saw pieces of art work by artist Steve Portchmouth
https://steveportchmouth.co.uk/
And Andrew tells us there is still lots to see so we are looking to arrange a Part 2 walk – so look out for details on our website and Facebook page.
Higham Village History Group is now on Facebook. So be sure to “follow”, “like” and “share”. If you use Facebook, then you know what we mean! The Facebook page can be viewed here.
Meetings (unless advised) are held in the Church Hall as shown below. Parking is available in the doctor’s surgery car park or on-road.
The membership page has been updated for 2026/27 membership details.
Archive Drop-in
The Archive sessions will be on the first Friday of each month in Higham Library between 11.00am and 12.00pm.
There will be no Archive drop-in on 2nd January, starting back in 2026 on 6th February.
Please let us know you are coming along by emailing info@highamvillagehistory.org.uk or phone 01634 718285 or text 07480 518493.
St Marys Church, Higham – YouTube
- Beauty Within
- Church on the Edge
- Marsh and Church
- Pole Lathe
- Marsh Bells
Higham Village History Group 