Weaverham History Society promotes the study of and interest in history and archaeology with particular reference to Weaverham and the surrounding area.
Pronounced undecipherable – not any more!
In AD 79 Herculaneum was buried by ash and pumice during the Mount Vesuvius eruption. Also buried were hundreds of scrolls which had been carbonised into solid black lumps and were thought to be undecipherable. The scrolls could not be unrolled to be read without them crumbling and being destroyed.
An international research programme called the Vesuvius Challenge has made the breakthrough to enable the scrolls to be read without unrolling them, by using both advanced imaging to X-ray inside the scrolls and artificial intelligence. Combined with academic research it has been discovered that one of the first scrolls to be deciphered, called PHerc. 1667, is thought to be an early Stoic treatise on ethics and human behaviour.
More than 600 Herculaneum scrolls remain unopened so I wonder what treasures are waiting to be discovered as the research continues.
. . .
The Society, Meetings, Membership, Visits
The Society meets at Weaverham Primary Academy, Northwich Road, Weaverham, Northwich, Cheshire, CW8 3BD.
Meetings are held on the second Tuesday of each month and we invite a guest speaker to talk to us on a topic of historical or archaeological interest, though sometimes the subjects range further afield. You can see what’s planned on our Programme page.
Membership is £15.00 per year with renewals in September. Payments can be made by BACS sort code 09-01-29 a/c 26685458. Meetings are free to members of the Weaverham History Society, children and students. Visitors are requested to pay £3 at each meeting.
We also organise highly enjoyable visits to local places of interest in spring and summer usually by coach from the village and we seem to have started a tradition of having a yearly canal boat trip as well. The Society normally invests in the services of Blue Badge guides on our visits. We also have a very enjoyable Christmas event every year, the talk commonly having a seasonal flavour.
We have articles on a range of topics, mainly about Weaverham, but also covering the surrounding areas. Although not a dedicated family history group, we do have some information on local families, and are always interested to hear from you.
We are continually developing our Archives and we have an array of items (objects, maps, and photos). We are always grateful to receive any contributions.
As we expand our new website you will be able to see some of what we have by visiting our Weaverham Archives page.
The Weaverham History Society also has a Facebook page.
We launched this website in January 2016, but while we move things across you can still find the old website at http://history.weaverham.org.uk/index2015.htm
. . .
Next Meeting
Maurice Egerton – Tatton Park’s last Baron Egerton
Maurice Egerton gave Tatton Park to the National Trust “to educate and delight”. He left an amazing legacy here in Cheshire as well as in Kenya, where he is renowned for his schools and University and his “mini” Tatton Park.
The next meeting of the Society will be held on Tuesday, 14 July at 7.30 pm at the Weaverham Primary Academy, Northwich Road, CW8 3BD.
