2025 Meetings & Visits

January talk: 9 January, 2:30pm. Talk by Jonathan Turner, chairman of the SW Maritime History Society on ‘Captain John Jelland: His Life, Times and Mysterious End’.

February talk: 6 February, 2:30pm. Talk by Brian Fernley of SW Airfields Trust on ‘Aerodromes at Dunkeswell and Smeathorpe during World War II’.

March talk: 13 March, 2:30pm. Talk by Graham Hawkins on ‘The White Rajahs of Sarawak, 1800’s to World War II’. The amazing story of the family who ruled Sarawak and established their UK base at Sheepstor in West Dartmoor.

April talk: 3 April, 2:30pm. Talk by Peter Wingfield-Digby on ‘Exeter Cathedral Monuments with links to Empire’.

May talk: 1 May, 2:30pm. Talk by Paul Davies on ‘Polar Explorers from Devon’.

June visit: 5 June, 11:00am and 2:00pm. Visit to the South West Airfields Heritage Trust’s heritage centres at RAF Upottery and RAF Dunkeswell, with a guided tour around the remains of both airfields. In the morning we will visit RAF Upottery (11:00am) and after a break for lunch we will visit RAF Dunkeswell (2:00pm). £5 per head for each visit; you are welcome to visit both or just one. There are several options for lunch and/or afternoon tea – details will be made available.

July visit: 10 July, 2:00pm. Primarily a visit to St Leonard’s Church at Sheepstor (grade I listed) with its links to the White Rajahs of Sarawak, the topic of our March talk. £5 per person. Followed by a visit to St Peter’s Church in Meavy, also grade I listed. Cream tea at The Chapel in Hoo Meavy. Numbers limited to 35 participants.

August visit: 28 August, 2:00pm. Visit to St Matthew’s Church, Coldridge. An outstanding grade I listed church with an intriguing story of links to Edward V. Details at https://devonchurchland.co.uk/description/coldridge-church-of-st-matthew-description/. We will have a presentation in the church, followed by a guided tour. Numbers limited to 35 participants.

September visit: 18 September, 11:30am and 2:00pm. Visit to Tiverton Museum in the morning (£7.50) and a guided walk around Tiverton in the afternoon (£5.00). Numbers limited to 35 participants.

October talk: 2 October, 2:30pm. Talk by Caradoc Doy on ‘The Veitch Nurseries of Exeter and Chelsea’.

November talk: 6 November, 2:30pm. AGM and members’ presentations.