Exeter Local History Society

Exeter Local History Society members are hooked on history. If you share our fascination, why not join us? We have between 6 and 12 lecture meetings a year (details below), plus we occasionally have long-distance outings, and we cover an incredibly diverse range of subjects from Roman remains to post-WW2 redevelopment.

Our regular monthly meetings at Leonardo Hotel Exeter are usually held on the second Thursday of each month. Full details of future walks and talks are given below.

The charge for each meeting is normally £3 (free to members) and the annual membership fee is £12 (£16 for joint membership). If you sample a meeting and decide to join, the £3 cost will be deducted from your first annual fee. Walks and visits normally cost £3 p.p. for members and visitors alike.

We also produce six newsletters a year — how about we email you the most recent as a free taster? To request a copy just email us at:

And do check out this website and see for yourself the great selection of subjects with which we entertain our members. Just click on "Recent Talks" or "Recent Walks and Visits" to explore our programme! Click on "How To Join Us" for an application form. Please fill out this form if you wish to stay updated on our events and receive monthly newsletters.

We hope we will see you soon at one of our many events!

Meeting the promise of ‘Homes for Heroes’ in Exeter after the First World War

 
with Dr Julia Neville on Thursday, 9 May 2024
at 7pm at The Mint Methodist Church Centre, Exeter (Rowe Hall)

Prime Minister Lloyd George’s promise of ‘Homes for Heroes’ in recognition of the sacrifices made by working men during the long years of the First World War is widely known — even if he never quite used those actual words! Exeter entered the 1920s as a city with considerable over-crowding and a city centre where many properties were dilapidated and ‘injurious to health’ and needed replacement. More homes — many more homes — were definitely required and the government acknowledged that was the case.

In this talk Dr Julia Neville, ELHS member and project manager for the Devon in the 1920s project, explores the efforts made by various parties in Exeter to keep that promise. The council — which had almost no pre-war experience of building council houses — did its best to create new ‘council estates’ against a backdrop of economic recession. Together with private builders and developers and with some help from social housing organizations like the Church Army Housing Society, they changed the landscape of Exeter, and much of what they built still exists today.

Tickets for this event can be secured by following the link below. The event registration is free for the members of the Society; there is a very small (£3) fee for non-members.

The Role of the Royal Mail Guard

 
with Martin Horler on Thursday, 13 June 2024
at 7pm at The Mint Methodist Church Centre, Exeter (Rowe Hall)

We are all familiar with the iconic image of the stage coach. It appears regularly on Christmas cards, a symbol of an Old England, of Pickwickian cheer.

Martin Horler presents his talk in full livery. He explores the postal system from 1784 to the coming of the railway in 1840. Among other things, he talks about the revolutionary introduction of Mail Coaches, which were provided by contractors, with regular changes of horses, keeping to a strict timetable, exempt from tolls and carrying an armed guard.

Martin brings to the talk the weapons provided to guard the mail and demonstrates the calls blown by the guard on a 51 inch coach horn.

Tickets for this event can be secured by following the link below. The event registration is free for the members of the Society; there is a very small (£3) fee for non-members.