We have an extensive collection of local artefacts that we try to share with the public at any and every opportunity.
If you are interested in looking at them please contact a member of the committee who will be more than happy to help you gain access to them.
Our archive holds the following items:-
Local Maps
Photographs – held digitally by Mike Edwards
Newspaper cuttings
Physical memorabilia
Reference works
Past copies of our Newsletters
Oral History Tapes
Letters
Official documents
Publications
Around Severn Beach (a collection of over 200 archive pictures)
Heritage Trail leaflets for Severn Beach, New Passage and Pilning
Chalk and Talk, Now and Then (a book for children about school past and present)
Brunel in our Village Researched by Geoff Rickards
This little world (memories of a child living here in WW2)
Village Heroes (Finding out the history of the names on the War Memorial who died in the 1914-1918 war) Researched by Nancy Vowles
Have you heard this? (A miscellany of memories and facts of the past) Collated by Dilys Russell and Val George
Remember the Heroes of the Land, Sea, Air and Home front (A collection of short biographies of 80 of the 82 men named on the Parish Roll of Honour) Researched by Nancy Vowles and written by Sue Binns with Val George
All publications written and researched by members of the History Group
Video
Around Severn Beach narrated by Trevor Fry (Now transferred to DVD)
Severn Festival Forerunners
3 Photographs from Severn Beach field event
Severn Festival Forerunners
The first fund raising ‘fun -days’ held in Severn Beach were to raise funds to buy a piece of land and build the village hall so that the community had a space to come together and enjoy leisure time. For several years from 1946 there was an Annual Horse Show, Gymkhana and Horticultural Show run by the Severn Beach Entertainments Committee. Swimming Galas, Whist Drives, Socials and Dances were held, and prizes were contributed by local trades people
There were 1-mile and 2-mile races (several laps of a track where Gorse Cover Road now stands), as well as arena events for jumping, children’s riding and classes for Horse Turnouts.
By 1965 the field had been purchased and a wooden pavilion was in place and the Parish Council had provided swings and slides to fund a children’s play area. The pavilion was now not large enough to hold the numerous village events being organised. ICI, a national business, local to the area offered to contribute to a new hall. Fundraising began anew.
It took until 1974 to build, a Severn Beach Village Week took place from Saturday August 3rd to Saturday August10th 1974. It was a huge fund-raising effort with events every day and a Thank You from the Village Hall Committee.
It was officially opened in 1975.
In 1977 Pilning held its first May Day Carnival an event that was so successful it carried on until 2012.
Severn Beach now hosts the very successful Severn Festival started with the Forgotten Landscape in 2017. Now that the project has ended Severn Beach continues to host this amazing event growing in success and popularity.
The traditions continue.