Welcome to the website of the Fishergate, Fulford and Heslington Local History Society ( FFH for short ).
We are a group of people interested in the history and heritage of the south eastern quarter of the city of York, including the Fishergate and Fulford Road area and the adjacent villages of Fulford and Heslington. This website is a local history mine, with many links to further information on a wide range of topics. Use the 'drop-down' menu begin your explorations - Have Fun! You can become a member (form available HERE) for the very small sum of £5, which gives you reduced entry (£2) to our events. Non-members are very welcome, but we'll ask for £3 on the door. This just about covers our costs for the hall hire, but not much more, so we rely on donations and grants. Tea and coffee and nice biscuits are usually served after our meetings, so you can chat with the speakers, meet new and old friends, look at our displays and buy our publications. ********************************************************************************************************************* Our Next Event: Sunday 10 December Our Christmas Social Food, Drinks, Raffle, Quiz and Gossip with good friends - old and new We will welcome contributions of food and drink - and raffle prizes. 2pm to 4pm at St Oswald's Church Hall. Our first event in 2024: 20 January - WHY ARE THE ROWNTREES STILL RELEVANT? An illustrated talk by Bill and Sarah Sheils. 10am to 12 noon at St Oswald's Church Hall. This very special event will comprise two talks: Bill will focus on one of the lesser-studied concerns of Seebohm Rowntree - the workplace environment and his 1918 book, 'The Human Needs of Labour' and his policies while Managing Director of the Company. Sarah will talk on the work of Arnold Rowntree, Seebohm's cousin, his role as York's M.P, between 1909 and 1918 and his advocacy of children's welfare, school meals, public transport and Lloyd George's National Insurance proposals and adult education. Sarah will also consider Arnold's national reputation. We hope these talks will engender a lively discussion! ************************************************************************************* Look on the Events page to see our more about programme of meetings and guided walks. Read about our past events on the Events Report page HERE (our Events Page also has links to other local groups you may like) See our Events Page to discover other local history societies *************************************************************************************** Many of our speakers have kindly allowed their presentation to be made available for you to read. Just click on the title. Remembering the men named on the Heslington church WW2 memorial Wildlife and wildlife management at York University A History of Fulford Grange The Fishergate Ring Fishergate Postern Tower The River Ouse Through Time Fishergate School Great War Armistice Commemoration Heslington's Churches and Chapels The Setting and Archaeology of old St Oswald's Church The 1951 Mystery Plays and the Festival of Britain (find out more about the Mystery Plays HERE ) Jane Austen and the York Lefroy Family + Transcript for talk Fulford's Lost Shops Dr McFetridge's talk on The Retreat You can also download pdf's of most of the presentations given at our June 2013 conference on Food and Farming in Early Heslington Scroll down this page to see our latest News |
New additions to our website
Remembering the men named on the Heslington WW2 memorial Our 2024 Programme Fishergate Archaeology Archaeological Investigations at Heslington East Campus Victorian wallpaper and other features at 82 Ambrose Street The University of York Heslington Hall Gardens Heslington Hall - a history York 800 exhibition panels by Dick Raines Ordnance Railway, new article A History of the Fulford Grange Estate Celebrating our first decade! 77 Squadron at Elvington Dr McFetridge's talk on The Retreat Siward's How Water Tower History of the Glassworks in Fishergate (with photographs) Understanding York's Street Names A History of the Fishergate Rialto ********************************************* Find out about the oldest building in the FFH area: Read about our conference on the 'The Historic Mystery of Old St Oswald's Church' HERE And hear Prof Jane Hawkes talk about the Anglo-Saxon cross HERE Buy our Publications:
Order via our message box HERE History Tails from Heslington Hall's Gardens A booklet by FFH member Charles Patmore telling the story of the amazing topiary and other features in the garden of Heslington Hall - Only £5 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - A History of the Fulford Grange Estate A booklet by FFH member Christopher Rainger packed with information about this popular area between Fulford Road and the river Ouse - Only £10 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - The Origins and Significance of Old St Oswald's' Church A thorough investigation of the history and archaeology by Jon Kenny, Ailsa Mainman & Christopher Rainger - Only £5 Published by Yorkshire Archaeological Society - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - We researched the lives of all 179 men named on local Great War memorials: St Oswald's Church memorial: £5 each or all 3 volumes for £10 Volume One: Men of Fulford. Volume Two: Men of the Barracks and Alma Terrace Area Volume Three: Men of Fishergate Also: Men of Heslington - £3 Fishergate School - £10 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - We have also researched the lives of the men named on the Heslington Church WW2 memorial - £3 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Buildings and People of Fulford: The Saddle Inn - £10 More booklets to follow |

Guided Walks
We have published some terrific Guided Walk leaflets which you can download and print at home
- A guided walk is around the Fordlands Road area at the southern end of Fulford, pointing out interesting and historical aspects of the buildings and landscape, with a map and photographs to help walkers follow the notes.
Download it HERE.
- Louise Wheatley has also produced an Alphabet Walking Trail for young children.
This delightful and playful quiz follows the route of the Fordlands Road Trail, looking for plants and animals to match each letter of the alphabet. eg. E is for Elderberry...
Download it HERE
- We have also published a walk telling the story of houses along Main Street, Fulford. (pictured left) Illustrated with delicate drawings by Martin Lomas.
Download it HERE
- Our information-packed Fishergate walk begins at the Postern Tower, then past the former cattle market and Fishergate School to Blue Bridge Lane and Brownie Dyke.
Download it HERE
You can also download our information leaflet on the old church of St Oswald, HERE
And our leaflet on the Fulford Biscuit HERE
We have published some terrific Guided Walk leaflets which you can download and print at home
- A guided walk is around the Fordlands Road area at the southern end of Fulford, pointing out interesting and historical aspects of the buildings and landscape, with a map and photographs to help walkers follow the notes.
Download it HERE.
- Louise Wheatley has also produced an Alphabet Walking Trail for young children.
This delightful and playful quiz follows the route of the Fordlands Road Trail, looking for plants and animals to match each letter of the alphabet. eg. E is for Elderberry...
Download it HERE
- We have also published a walk telling the story of houses along Main Street, Fulford. (pictured left) Illustrated with delicate drawings by Martin Lomas.
Download it HERE
- Our information-packed Fishergate walk begins at the Postern Tower, then past the former cattle market and Fishergate School to Blue Bridge Lane and Brownie Dyke.
Download it HERE
You can also download our information leaflet on the old church of St Oswald, HERE
And our leaflet on the Fulford Biscuit HERE
We sell Greetings Cards with historic pictures of Fishergate Tower, New and Old St Oswald's and Old Heslington Church: £1.50 each or £4 for all four. (click on the images to see them)
News from around our patch
(contact us if you have a news story or website content we should add) This column has lots of links to newspaper reports and other interesting sources of information. Scroll down and see what you find! November 2023
September 2023
August 2023
July 2023
March 2023
February 2023
November 2022
March 2020
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Local History Research
Members of our society research a wide range of topics and you can find many of their reports and articles on this website. Please get in touch if you want to join us to discover more about our area, or wish to undertake your own research. We have an ever-increasing archive of maps, photographs and documents, and many folders of information about Fishergate, Fulford and Heslington. Our archives have information on the following topics: Heslington
There are some topics we would like to research but need people to help us find information. Maybe you would like to get involved in the search? Subjects include:
Please let us know if you have an idea for local history research. Find out about our Area
FulfordA linear village south of the City, with many 18th and 19th century houses and a 12th century former church. The site of the Battle of Fulford is at the south end of the village.
Fishergate & Fulford Road![]() An area of 19th and 20th century housing, from the City Walls, Fishergate Postern Tower and Fishergate Bar, running south down Fulford Road past Imphal Barracks and east to Walmgate Stray
HeslingtonDominated by Heslington Hall and the University of York, the village of Heslington retains the charm and county feel of a small rural farming village.
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