The Bensington Society
In the Parish of Benson, Oxfordshire, England
Bensington Society History Group​​​
Should you wish to join the History Group or find out more about it, please contact the Group by email through the History Group website, see below, or phone the Secretary, Sue Brown on 01491 837885
​One of the aims of The Bensington Society when it was formed was to preserve all that is best in Benson and so early on a History Group was formed. The Bensington Society’s History Group has had many achievements since the Society was formed. One early success was the discovery of the old village hand and horse operated fire engine in a barn, which was lovingly restored by founder members - see left.
​​While researching for the book `A Century of Change 1900 to 2000' a substantial number of old photographs was collected. These have now been placed on a website below for all to view. There is also a display of some of the photographs on the Gallery Page to whet your appetite.
Over the years the Group has built up a wealth of historical information in both paper and electronic archives. Some of this material can now be found on the History Group website.
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For further information on the history of Benson, you are recommended to visit the websites below.
In 2018, the History Group collaborated with the Board of the Oxfordshire Blue Plaques to have the village’s first Blue Plaque installed. It can be seen on Brook Street and commemorates the pioneering meteorologist William Henry Dines who lived and worked in Colne House (now Observatory Close). To support this the History Group ran an exhibition in the Parish Hall displaying a number of weather related exhibits with hands-on activities and information relating to Dines life and work. The Group also held two fascinating exhibitions of photographs and artefacts to mark the centenaries of the beginning and end of the Great War. As well as items relating to these events, there are many more examples of the Group’s research on their websites’.
The Bensington Society has responded generously to funding research by the Victoria History of Oxfordshire for their research on the history of Benson for inclusion in their series of 'Red Books'.
