The Society

An Outline:

• The Society was formed in 1993, founded by the late Ron George.  It is not a registered charity but is run by a committee and has formal accounts. Our 'territory' is shown on the map, but we are not parochial in our approach.
• We organise talks on local history topics, held in the Yew Tree Hall, High Lorton on alternate months. These are free to members and open to visitors for £2.50.
• We organise guided visits to historical sites, and other activities such as local historical walks.
• We publish a Journal and a newsletter called The Wanderer, each twice yearly and we send to full UK members the Cumbria Local History Federation Bulletins, three time a year.
• The Society operates this website which has further information about its activities, and provides access to information and resources.
• We currently have two groups which members may join, covering house history and landscape history. Our members undertake research projects of their own, which they may then share through a presentation or article.  The society may be able to help members with small grants to assist.
• We have an archive relating to the area, comprising photos, maps, registers, censuses, surveys and books. This is available to members and used by the public seeking information.
• To mark its 10^th anniversary, the Society organised an exhibition featuring large maps of local townships showing everyone who lived there around 1840, together with photographs of the houses.
• To commemorate the 200^th anniversary of the Wordsworths’ visit to Lorton, we held an exhibition and produced a book entitled ‘Wordsworth and the famous Lorton yew tree’.
• The Society has two books in print, A Cumberland Valley, a History of the Parish of Lorton by Ron George, at £12.95 and Life in Old Loweswater by Roz Southey at £8.95.
• Full membership for 2009/10, starting 1^st November, costs £10 but is reduced to £8 for other members at the same address sharing mailings. Country membership, receiving the Journal and wanderer only, costs £5.
• To join for 2009/10, commencing 1^st November, please contact the Membership Secretary, Anne Asquith, on 01900 822969, or 8 Holmewood Avenue, Cockermouth CA13 0BE. Or contact the Society by clicking the following link: