Talk

The recent centenary of WW1 provided many opportunities to explore overlooked and forgotten aspects of local history.  The 1st Eastern General Hospital in Cambridge treated tens of thousands of returning casualties between 1914 and 1919. The pre-fabricated wooden huts housed up to 1,700 beds, operating theatres, ancillary buildings, a Post Office, shop, cinema and other recreational […]

Our talk for January is by Evelyn Lord and will take place over Zoom. An alms house is a house founded by a charity offering accommodation to poor people. Cambridge is fortunate in having a number of these surviving today with sources that enable us to look at the history of these foundations. Using a […]

For our February talk we are remaining online which means we are able to welcome Tasmanian resident James Boyce to Mill Road History Society. James is the author of Imperial Mud: The Fight for the Fens (2020) amongst many other award-winning historical books and in this talk he will tell us about the history of […]

Cambridge has been home to a vibrant women’s movement from Suffragette times, through the 70s onwards, and continuing today. Yet many women in the city continue to be in a precarious position, affected disproportionately by any crises such as the rise in the cost of living. On the 14 March 2023, representatives from Cambridge Women’s […]

In this illustrated talk, Tony Kirby looks at the changing built environment of Cambridge from the eve of the Reformation to the present day, using what survives today as a guide to what had happened over the past five centuries as a result of the combined – and often conflicting – activities of the Colleges, […]

“Fenner’s” is well known in Cambridge, even amongst those who know little about cricket, but being named after the University Cricket Ground is currently Frank Fenner’s only legacy. When he died in the late 19th century no obituary was published in local papers. Why? Nigel Fenner is related to Frank Fenner, currently writing a book on […]

In 1614, Thomas Hobson founded a Trust and left money in his will to ensure that Cambridge had a permanent fresh water supply. This talk will examine why Cambridge needed a fresh water supply, who suggested the idea, where the water came from, how it came about and who has benefitted from this innovation. Max […]

Claire Martinsen will talk about the Gray family - five Cambridge born brothers who achieved world renowned status in the sport of racquets. Indeed it is said 'there is no record of any family obtaining such a high standard in one sport as that of the Gray family'. Three of the siblings were world racquets champions, and eldest […]

Every school child hears about the Great Plague of London but what happened in the rest of the country? For our November talk Dr Evelyn Lord takes us nearly 450 years back to look at the plague's effect on Cambridge. This is the story of the people who lived, worked and died in Cambridge during […]

Excavation in a sewer shaft in central Cambridge revealed evidence from almost the entirety of Cambridge history - and not a few surprises along the way! Alison Dickens BA MCIfA is the Director of Granta Heritage Ltd. and has been a professional archaeologist in the region for over 30 years. A Project Manager for the […]