History Group talks and other events at the William Layne Reading Room, Aughton Lane, Aston, S26 2AN.
When do we meet?
The History Group meets in the William Layne Reading Room, Aughton Lane, Aston on the first and third Mondays of the month 7.00 pm – 9.00 pm. (When the Monday is a bank holiday, the meeting moves to the following Monday.)
On the first Monday we have a general meeting of members and on the third Monday we often have a speaker. The History Group takes a break during August. New members are always welcome, just come along to a meeting and try us out.
History Group Talks and Events in the William Layne Reading Room, Aughton Lane, Aston, except where shown. Visitors welcome at our talks: £4 including refreshments.
Monday 19th January 2026, 7 pm – 9 pm.
Illustrated talk by Pat McLaughlin. “Yorkshire Abbeys and Priories”. Pat will be talking about why the monastic buildings were closed by Henry VIII and then what happened to them. Some were left as ruins, a few were used as parish churches, a few were partly re-used as private dwellings.
Monday 16th February 2026, 7 pm – 9 pm. Illustrated talk by Fiona Milne. “Birley Spa Bath House”. Fiona will be talking about the site of Birley Spa Bath House and its unexplored history that goes back to the Stone Age, the first Bath House that was built in 1701 and the present Bath House that was built in 1843. She will also cover its rise and decline and then the seven year battle by the Birley Spa Preservation Trust to save the Spa and their plans for its future.
Monday 16th March 2026, 7 pm-9 pm.
Illustrated talk by Michael Gildersleve. “The Swinging Sixties”. Growing up in the 1960s, memories of notable pop groups and events of each year. An evening of nostalgia.
Monday 20th April 2026, 7 pm – 9 pm.
Illustrated talk by David Templeman. “The Great Sheffield Deer Park”. An informal look at Sheffield’s 8 mile Medieval and Tudor Deer Park, being one of the largest privately owned in the country. We discuss its origins,, the buildings contained therein and the many commercial uses of the Deer Park. We look at its magnificent oak trees and the walnut avenues originating from the Castle. We survey the thousands of deer that roamed the Park and its surrounds. Finally we discuss the modern mapping techniques which have been used to discover its boundary on a modern map of Sheffield. A talk to surprise you!
Monday 18th May 2026. 7 pm- 9 pm
Illustrated talk by John Taylor. “Curiosities and Connections No. 1 – Derbyshire and South Yorkshire border”. Come with me on a serendipitous journey around both counties exploring the strange, happy and tragic coincidences of history and circumstances. This is a talk meant to stir the imagination and provides a unique look at some of the locations we simply take for granted. I have researched underlying themes to link places, names, events and historical fact together in a manner that you will find uniquely different.
Saturday 1st August 2026. 11 am – 5 pm.
Aston Carnival. The Parade begins 11 a.m. and arrives at the Lodge Lane Playing Fields at 12 noon.
Heritage Open Days 11th – 20th September 2026
The Reading Room will be open as follows:
Friday 11th September 6 pm-8 pm.
Saturday 12th September 10 am-4 pm.
Discover our local history through documents, maps and photographs.
Monday 19th October 2026. 7 pm-9 pm.
Illustrated talk by David Pickersgill and John Stocks. “A history of Worksop and Retford Brewery”. This illustrated talk by local authors and researchers Dave Pickersgill and John Stocks, tells the half-forgotten story of what was once one of Worksop’s foremost industries. Come along to discover the history of the Worksop and Retford Brewery Company (from its nineteenth century origins to its 1959 takeover by Sheffield Brewers Tennants and its effects on cultural and sporting life in Bassetlaw.
Monday 16th November 2026, 7 pm-9 pm
Illustrated talk by Stephen Gay. “My Railway Meanderings”. An illustrated slide show presentation. The train now arriving is conveying Stephen’s slides and stories, travelling on the right line and off the rails with a sprinkling of canals and waterways, this talk is timetabled to cover many miles recording his rail-roving photographic adventures over recent years.